Farellones

Farellones was built from the 1930s as the first ski village in Chile, when the road up the Mapocho valley was pushed through and a group of skiers put up the first refuges - it predates El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado, all of which now sit above and around it. It sits at about 2,400 metres and functions as the accommodation base for the whole Tres Valles area, with a beginners' park and a family snow park of its own. In summer the road is used heavily by cyclists climbing the hairpins, and the village runs walking, riding and a zip line season.

What you actually see

• Chile's first ski village - built from the 1930s.
• The base for Tres Valles - below El Colorado, La Parva and Valle Nevado.
• A beginners' and family park - in the village itself.
• Cyclists on the hairpins - the summer use of the road.

When to go

June to September for snow; December to March for the summer season. A day.

Honest expectations

The road requires chains in winter and traffic direction is time-restricted on busy days. There is little to do in the village when weather closes the mountain. Altitude affects some people. Prices are Santiago weekend prices.

Nearby

Valle Nevado and El Colorado are above; Santiago is down the hairpins.