Southern Hemisphere — It may not get the buzz that ski resorts in the Northern Hemisphere do, but the Southern Hemisphere has some memorable skiing destinations.
From the massive peaks of the Andes to the funky trees in the Australian Alps, there are many bucket list destinations that avid skiers should visit during their lifetime.
This ski season, various new additions helped make the experiences more memorable at ski resorts south of the Equator, including new lifts and terrain expansions. Here’s the top five best improvements at ski resorts in the Southern Hemisphere for the 2025 season.
5. Coronet Peak: A hot tub nestled on a mountain seems like an odd choice, but it’s becoming a popular activity in New Zealand. Mt. Hutt installed one back in 2017, which has been a big success for the New Zealand ski resort. Last offseason, Coronet Peak installed a hot tub on the mountain. Heidi’s Hot Tub is a nice option for those who want to relax after a hard-charging day on the slopes.
4. Valle Nevado: Since being bought by Mountain Capital Partners in 2023, the American ski resort operator has made various improvements to Valle Nevado. It was another busy offseason at the Chilean ski resort, with improvements being made to the lifts, lodging, dining facilities, and more.
The core lifts at Valle Nevado, which are the Andes Express, Mirador, and Gondola, have undergone significant refurbishments, which will improve their reliability.
Valle Nevado’s Hotel School terrain zone has been expanded, providing more space for beginners and ski school students to learn.
For dining, Valle Nevado has added a food truck at Cima Ancla. Located almost 12,000 feet above sea level, Valle Nevado calls it “the highest-altitude culinary experience in the Andes.” Valle Nevado’s French restaurant, La Fourchette, has undergone renovations, featuring more lighting, an improved bar, and new flooring.
Two of Valle Nevado’s hotels saw the continuation of a multi-year renovation. Hotel Puerta del Sol saw refreshes to the rooms and hallways, which include new flooring, wall finishes, and improved lighting. Last year, the rooms received new bedding and televisions. Meanwhile, Hotel Valle Nevado saw renovations to the lobby, bars, and fitness center.
Valle Nevado has opened a new Rental Domo, which will be most suitable for condo guests and day trippers. This new rental space will help reduce queues at the Main Rental Shop. Rossignol and Whitespace have been introduced at the ski resort’s retail shops this upcoming season.
Other additions include the introduction of a new Guest Experience Team this season, additional wayfinding signage, and new savings for Visa cardholders.
3. Nevados de Chillán: The Chilean ski resort may not be the most convenient option to reach for American travellers, but its mix of tree and high-alpine terrain, along with hot springs, makes it a memorable visit for avid skiers and spa lovers. To make it a bigger destination, the Chilean ski resort made two big improvements.
The first is the addition of a snow tubing park. The lift serviced tubing slope gives guests something to do outside of skiing and riding. For the first time ever, Nevados is regularly hosting night skiing. The solar panel lighting system lights a 2km trail that goes through an ancient forest.
2. Perisher Resort: The first new chairlift for Australia’s ski industry in years is a memorable one.
Over the past few years, Perisher Resort has been working on replacing a few of its fixed-grip lifts with a detachable high-speed six-pack chairlift. It has replaced the Mt. Perisher Triple Chair and Mt. Perisher Double Chair.
The Mt Perisher 6 chairlift has a ride time of around 5.5 minutes, a drastic improvement over the Triple Chair’s 10-minute journey. This makes for a 44% faster ride time compared to its predecessor.
Compared to prior seasons, this will increase the uphill capacity on Mt. Perisher (the peak, not the whole ski resort) by 60%. Perisher and Doppelmayr also designed the chairlift to have better protection against the wind compared to other lifts at the ski resort, which is a common critique of Perisher. The new chairlift’s top terminal elevation is the highest lifted point in Australia at 2,042 meters (approximately 6,700 feet). This chairlift serves intermediate terrain.
1. Cardrona Alpine Resort: Cardrona would have the number one spot secured if it were just for the Soho terrain expansion. But there were further improvements that might make it the best ski resort in New Zealand.
First off, the Soho Basin expansion. The 150-hectare (around 371-acre) expansion features a mix of intermediate, advanced, and expert pistes and chutes. The terrain pod is serviced by a new Doppelmayr detachable high-speed six-pack chairlift.
The second significant improvement is a new T-Bar. Located between the McDougall’s and Whitestar chairlifts, it allows for quick laps for ski racers and terrain park aficionados. The lift services the Big Bucks World Cup slopestyle course, Lil’ Bucks terrain park, Gravity Cross course, and Racecourse trail.
Over in the base area, a new lodge has been constructed. This is the new home for the Noodle Bar, which allows for more seating than its prior location. On the first floor is a new retail shop.
Other improvements include a regraded parking lot, snowmaking enhancements, and a new trail map by Rad Smith. It’s hard to compete with all those changes, except if the name of your ski resort is Deer Valley.
Image/Video Credits: Coronet Peak, Valle Nevado, Nevados de Chillán, Perisher Resort, Cardrona Alpine Resort
