Penitentes is located in the heart of the Argentinean Central Andes in the province of Mendoza. This is a small resort with a great potential as the back side of the mountain hasn’t been developed yet though it is planned for next years. This is a true alpine scenery featuring fantastic snow conditions.

Located right at the international road connecting the city of Mendoza – almost 3 hours from Penitentes – with the city of Los Andes in Chile the access to this ski area is among the easiest ones in the Andes.
One of the highlights in the area is the Cerro Aconcagua located only 15 miles northwest from the resort. The views of the surrounding 6,000-meter-high peaks are just amazing.

Even for a small ski area Penitentes offers varied terrain for beginners to experts. As a high Andes resort guests will find enough steep lines right inbounds and short hikes access pretty fun and demanding lines.
The mountain faces mostly south meaning the snow conditions are excellent throughout the season.

For those looking for some challenge the Los Morros south-east face and the Valle Azul will give you enough to keep you entertained for a while. Based on snow conditions the hike from the return of Punta Guanaco chair towards the Cerro Las Lenas is fantastic. This is the right way to earn your turns!

Los Penitentes ski resort season runs from mid June to late September or even mid October. This resort is usually visited by local people from the city of Mendoza and some neighbor provinces as San Juan, Cordoba and Buenos Aires as well.

As another high Andes resort the snow conditions are better in July and August turning into spring skiing by mid September. The first two weeks of the season in June offer great skiing but for those looking to explore off-piste terrain please keep in mind a thin layer of snow may be covering the rock as the snowpack gets thicker into July.
During weekends and local holidays – last two weeks of July – there may be a few lines but as this is mostly a locals resort not many skiers will invade the slopes.

After 30 years in operation Penitentes has a limited accommodation offer located right at the base of the slopes and along the international road as well.
There are several apartment buildings, two small lodges and two hostels. The best option here is the Hosteria Penitentes which offers standard accommodation and a pretty warm service.

Expected for a long time Penitentes has a plan of building a high-end hotel which would meet a more demanding clientele expectations. But based on the world economic situation this plan may be on hold for a while.

Penitentes also features restaurants, a bar and a small disco. Those looking to stay up all night may want to follow the crowd going from the Hosteria Penitentes bar to the disco around 1 or 2 in the morning!

Penitentes is a great little resort in the middle of the mountains. The alpine flavor is unforgettable and the scenery is nothing but breathtaking. But we believe it really needs new investments in infrastructure. New hotels or even small cozy lodges will be a big addition. Also the apartments need a huge renovation but as they are owned by different people and not the resort making the change happen is really difficult.

As for the mountain and terrain Penitentes has a lot to offer. And even when a full week here will be too much – unless you are planning to go ski touring – the options available are super fun and the snow conditions are excellent. We suggest to explore this resort for a couple of days on the way from Mendoza to Portillo. Keep in mind the Chilean resort in just around the corner.

Finally the Penitentes ski area is fantastic for heli skiing. We’ve taken private groups to explore the area and runs usually go from 600 meters up to 1,500 meters! We hope the resort gets the funding to build a new hotel and to attract more business as well as to offer a deluxe lodging option.