Portillo Webcam – Hotel Pool and Laguna del Inca, Chile

The Portillo Webcam looks down from Hotel Portillo, the ski hotel on the shore of Laguna del Inca in the Chilean Andes, onto the resort’s outdoor pool and the lake behind it. A main pool and smaller basins fill the lower half of the frame, ringed by a wooden fence. Beyond the fence the ground drops away to the water, and a chairlift climbs the slope on the right. In winter the snow banks up around the deck while swimmers stay in the water, and in a heavy storm the lake and the mountains across it vanish into white. On a clear summer day the snow is gone from the lower slopes, and Laguna del Inca shows its blue-green water below steep, bare rock. It is a quick way to see whether the resort has fresh snow, sun or a storm moving through.

About Portillo

Portillo is a ski resort on Chile Route 60, close to the Argentine border at Paso Los Libertadores, in the Valparaiso Region. It sits 160 kilometers (100 miles) by road from Santiago and 61 kilometers (38 miles) from the town of Los Andes, where the climb into the mountains begins. The ski area opened in 1949, and in August 1966 it hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships. Hotel Portillo, where this camera is mounted, stands at 2,880 meters (9,450 feet).

The lifts run from 2,548 meters (8,360 feet) up to 3,310 meters (10,860 feet), a vertical drop of 762 meters (2,500 feet) across 5 square kilometers (1,240 acres) of terrain. Five chairlifts and nine surface lifts serve 35 runs, and the chairlift on the right of the frame is one of them.

Laguna del Inca lies at 2,853 meters (9,360 feet). It is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long and 700 meters (2,300 feet) wide, and the resort occupies its southern end, so the camera looks out along the lake rather than across it. The outflow feeds the Juncalillo River, which joins the Juncal River on its way down the valley toward Los Andes.

Weather and Climate in Portillo

At this altitude winter is long and cold. From June to August, average highs at the hotel sit around 1 to 2 C (34 to 35 F), and nights drop to about -4 to -5 C (23 to 25 F). These are also the wettest months, and with temperatures that low most of it arrives as snow, which is why the fence around the pool deck can disappear under drifts. Spring warms slowly. September highs average 3 C (38 F) and November highs 9 C (48 F), with nights still close to freezing.

Summer, from December to February, brings highs of 13 to 16 C (56 to 61 F) and cool nights of 4 to 7 C (39 to 44 F). The snow melts off the slopes around the lake, and its blue-green water fills the middle of the frame. Autumn cools quickly, with highs falling from 15 C (59 F) in March to 6 C (42 F) in May, when the first winter storms return. These figures are ten-year averages for the hotel’s altitude from Open-Meteo.

Things to Do Near Portillo

In winter the main draw is on the slopes in the frame: Ski Portillo’s 35 runs and 14 lifts, with the outdoor pool as the place to end the day. Outside the ski months, Ski Portillo runs a summer program that includes a music festival.

Past the border tunnel, an old road climbs from Las Cuevas on the Argentine side to Christ the Redeemer of the Andes, a 7 meter (23 foot) bronze statue at 3,832 meters (12,572 feet) on La Cumbre pass. It was unveiled on 13 March 1904 to mark the peaceful settlement of a border dispute between Chile and Argentina. Through traffic now uses the Cristo Redentor Tunnel below the pass, and the road to the statue, which gains 1 kilometer (3,280 feet) over 9 kilometers (5.6 miles), opens only in summer when it is clear of snow.

A short way down Route 60, Parque Andino Juncal protects 13,796 hectares (34,090 acres) of high valley around the Juncal River. It is a private reserve open to the public, owned by the Kenrick family since 1911, with 24 glaciers and wetlands listed as a Ramsar site in 2010. The valley opens to the south just before the highway starts its final climb to the border, and a hiking route leads to a viewpoint over the Juncal Glacier.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More Andes ski areas and Chilean views to watch next:

• Valle Nevado Webcam
• Cerro Catedral Webcam
• Santiago Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Portillo located?

Portillo is in the Andes of central Chile, in the Valparaiso Region, on Route 60 close to the Argentine border at Paso Los Libertadores. It is 61 kilometers (38 miles) from Los Andes and about 160 kilometers (100 miles) by road from Santiago.

What can you see on the Portillo Webcam?

The camera looks down from Hotel Portillo onto its outdoor pool deck, with Laguna del Inca beyond the fence and a chairlift on the slope to the right. In clear weather the lake and the mountains around it fill the upper half of the frame.

Does the Portillo Webcam show Las Condes or Santiago?

No. Las Condes is a district of Santiago, which lies about 160 kilometers (100 miles) away by road. This camera is high in the Andes at Portillo and shows only the hotel pool, the lake and the ski slopes. Santiago has its own camera on this site.

What is the weather like in Portillo, Chile?

Cold and snowy in winter, mild in summer. From June to August average highs are around 1 to 2 C (34 to 35 F) with nights near -5 C (23 F), and these are the snowiest months. From December to February highs reach 13 to 16 C (56 to 61 F).

What is the elevation of Portillo, Chile?

Hotel Portillo stands at 2,880 meters (9,450 feet). The lifts run from 2,548 meters (8,360 feet) to 3,310 meters (10,860 feet), and Laguna del Inca lies at 2,853 meters (9,360 feet).

Can you check Portillo snow conditions on the webcam?

Roughly, yes. The depth of snow on the pool fence and the deck shows how much has fallen, and the slope behind it shows whether the lower terrain is covered. During a storm, falling snow and low cloud can hide everything beyond the pool. Ski Portillo’s weather and conditions page gives the exact figures.

Is Laguna del Inca the lake on the Portillo Webcam?

Yes. Laguna del Inca lies directly below the hotel, which stands at its southern end. The lake is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long and 700 meters (2,300 feet) wide, and it sits at 2,853 meters (9,360 feet), close to the Argentine border.

Source: Ski Portillo and Vision-Environnement