Tour of the Andes: Portillo
Description:
The tour starts from your hotel at 9 a.m., we will drive north through the Mapocho Valley and then turn east to the Andes and drive part of the way through the Aconcagua Valley. The entire road is an international highway between Chile and Argentina. When the message here was only with the help of horses and llamas, in the 20th century, the railway stood here, but with the coming to power of A. Pinochet, it stopped its work, we will definitely see it, now the main communication between 2 countries is road and bus, as well as air transport. On the way we will see the Chacabuco Monument, where one of the most important battles in the Chilean War of Independence took place in 1817. Then we will pass through the tunnel and see Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South and North America and the Southern Hemisphere, its height is 6.962 m above sea level!
Before our eyes will open the Aconcagua River with its small settlements and mining villages. Before arriving in Portillo, we will climb to a height of 3,000 m. Portillo is one of the oldest and most prestigious ski centers in South America, it is only 40 km from the foot of Mount Aconcagua and a few kilometers from the border with Argentina! It was here that the famous skier Jean Claude Killie won his first gold medals at the World Championships in 1966 and it was here that the world speed reconnaissance of 200 km per hour was broken on the Jack track. In summer, snow remains only higher in the mountains, it can be seen more than once on the road to Portilno, as well as the eternal glaciers on both sides of the road. In Portillo is a very beautiful Inca lagoon, which is associated with an interesting legend. We will definitely walk along the lagoon.
If you come to Chile in winter, then this is a great opportunity to ski in one of the best ski resorts in South America, you can come to Portillo for a day or a few days. On the way we will stop near the monument of Chacabuco and on the observation decks, if the season is summer, then this season Portillo is a popular destination for those who want to be in the heart of the Andes, here we will enjoy the magnificent landscapes of the Andes, walk to the Inca lagoon and have lunch.