The El Colorado ski area in Chile may have a familiar sounding name for a ski resort, but the terrain is classic Andes.
The slopes are situated on wide-open expanses that afford amazing views and great skiing.
El Colorado skiing is, for the most part, suitable for those at their beginning and intermediate stages.
If you happen to be the one member of the family who skis like an Olympian, however, you'll find plenty to keep you busy on the back side of the slope, where there are challenging runs and where there is plenty of snow to enjoy.
The Colorado ski area in Chile is well-established and has been popular for many years.
There are multiple options for lodging at this resort.
You can choose the Villa Farellones village if you want something that is more economical and more traditional at the same time.
If you want more modern lodgings for your El Colorado skiing adventure, you can opt for the Villa Colorado.
This option is a bit pricier.
Either, however, provides great accommodations and a good place to unwind after a hard day on the slopes.
The amenities at the El Colorado ski area include several restaurants, a bar and an outdoor barbecue.
These are all found in the central building, called El Parado, where you're also provided with access to services such as ski lift tickets.
You can also buy connecting tickets with two other ski resorts in this area: Valle Nevado and La Parva.
This allows advanced skiers to use the eastern side slopes to their fullest and to connect with the other resorts that surround them.
A full 35 percent of the runs at this resort are suitable for beginners and 65 percent are suitable for beginners and intermediate skiers.
The advanced and expert runs are very challenging, however.
There are 20 lifts at the Colorado ski area.
The longest run is a half-mile and there are 5 acres of the resort that are provided with snow making services.
The total size of the El Colorado ski area encompasses almost 2,500 acres of terrain.
The mountain is just under 11,000 feet tall and the vertical drop totals 2,963 feet.
All in all, this makes it a great resort for beginners who want to get their skis under them on suitable slopes and for very advanced skiers who want an exciting ride down the east side.