Where is Cerro Catedral?

The Cerro Catedral ski resort is located 17km (10.6 miles) from the town of San Carlos de Bariloche; a 25 minute drive. Cerro Catedral and Bariloche are situated in the Nahuel Huapi National Park in the Rio Negro Province of Argentina. Cerro Catedral is situated in the Lakes District of Patagonia, 1,621km (1,007 miles) southwest of Buenos Aires.

Getting to Bariloche

Bariloche has its own airport located 11km (7 miles) from downtown, with 2 hour flights originating from Buenos Aires, 1,621 km away. See the Bariloche travel page for more information on getting to Bariloche and Bariloche car rental.

Getting from Bariloche to Cerro Catedral

Driving

The drive from Bariloche to Cerro Catedral is very easy on a fully paved road that is well sign-posted, wide and has safety barriers; a far cry from the gnarly roads found at other South American ski resorts such as Valle Nevado. The road can be icy, but unless there’s a big snow storm it’s probably not necessary to have a 4WD.

Parking

Playa Sur parking is near the Amancay gondola and there is a charge for this, but the upside is that it’s a fully paved car park.

Playa del Valle is further down the road, and free shuttles may be provided up to the base area.

Buses

If you don’t have a car there are semi-regular buses from the centro of Bariloche or along Moreno Street. The buses are cheap but the downside is that the buses can be absolutely packed. Sometimes you may not be able to get on the bus and have to wait for the next one.

Taxi/Remise/Uber

The other option is to catch a taxi or remise (chauffeured car). A remise between central Bariloche and Catedral isn’t as expensive as you’d first think. It’s best to negotiate the price before you leave and your hotel may help organise this. There are also taxis (with a meter) although these generally cost more. You’ll have no difficulties getting back from Catedral to Bariloche as there is a taxi and remise rank where the cars queue up for your business. As at other Argentina ski resorts, it’s somewhat surprising that many of the taxis and remises don’t have roof racks for skis or snowboards!

You can also get an Uber in the Bariloche area.

If you’re heading from the Bariloche airport straight to Cerro Catedral village, remises and taxis are readily available.

Other Ski Areas Nearby

Cerro Bayo is less crowded than Catedral, but still busy, and has some sweet off-piste and lift-accessed backcountry terrain. Cerro Bayo is located near the gorgeous town of Villa la Angostura which is one hour north of Bariloche (70km) and a perfect adjunct to a Catedral ski vacation. There are buses between Bariloche and Villa la Angostura, and then it’s easy to get an inexpensive remise up to the hill.

Perito Moreno ski area is near El Bolson, which is a 1.5 hour drive south of Bariloche. It’s a little ski resort for families that has been expanding in recent years.

Mallin Alto offers multi-day sled skiing experiences. The base of the mountain is located only 23 km south from San Carlos de Bariloche, but it’s a world away!

Bagulaes Mountain Reserve offers snowcat skiing and overnight stays in the beautiful refugio. Reservas Baguales is located 30 miles south of the city of San Carlos de Bariloche, a drive that takes a little over an hour and offers some of the most amazing postcard scenery in Patagonia.