Chile Guide
The Central Valley
Termas de Chillán
The most famous and most developed mountain resort south of Santiago is the Termas de Chillán (information in Santiago at Pío X 2460, Office 508, 
& 
2/2331313, 
ventanas@termaschillan.cl, 
www.termaschillan.cl ; information in Chillán at Panamericana Norte 3651, 42/434200), an all-season tourist complex 80km east of Chillán, nestled at the foot of the 3122-metre Volcán Chillán. Surrounded by glorious alpine scenery, it possesses nine open-air thermal pools (whose high content of sulphur and iron is alleged to cure numerous illnesses), steam baths inside dripping caves, hot mud baths, and a state-of-the-art spa centre, offering massages, facials, hydro-massages and a range of other treatments applied with frightening-looking contraptions.
There are three types of accommodation within the resort itself, all of it top-range and very expensive. The large 
Gran Hotel Termas de Chillán ( 2/3668800 in Santiago, 42/434200 in Chillan; Price: CH$75000-150000) is the plushest, with first-class hotel rooms. The Hotel Pirigallo has both regular hotel rooms (Price: CH$75000-150000) and condominium apartments that sleep up to six people (Price: CH$75000-150000). From the end of June to mid-October, the resort offers week-long packages, which include half-board, complimentary use of the hot springs, saunas and health club, a seven-day lift pass and a one-hour daily group ski lesson. Prices vary but at their most expensive, the two weeks in the middle of July, double room rates for a week start at CH$840,000 (US$1400). If you're put off by the high accommodation rates, during the summer you might consider visiting for the day: use of the hot sulphur pools costs CH$12,000, while the steam baths are CH$20,000; during the ski season (normally June– Sept), lift tickets cost from CH$17,500. If you don't mind being 7km from the slopes, try the plush Hotel Pirimahuida (Price: CH$75000-150000), whose room rate includes the use of a daily shuttle service to the slopes. As for eating, there are five restaurants scattered around the complex, serving a range of food from simple snacks to fine cuisine.