Carlos Paz Chairlift Venue

The air of the mountain range awoke us in the new day. We had planned to enlarge our perspective by climbing one of the most emblematic mounts in the region. Thus, we would get a magnificent panoramic sight of the city.

"There is nothing like a clear sky to visit the chairlift venue"- I reflected as I got close to the base. It is widely known that the chairlift is one of the mandatory tours for every tourist who visits Villa Carlos Paz. Located 900 m.a.s.l., its final stretch has carried entire generations to its top, where they have enjoyed a beautiful sight of the region and let the mountain range quietness inundate their lungs.

Access to this traditional tour lies at the end of the Estrada Avenue. In the lower area of the recreational center, there is a giant slide, an aquarium and several shops selling handicrafts.
A boisterous atmosphere was felt in the air. People selling salami, cheese and feet crushed wine seemed to multiply all around us.

After a few minutes of hectic movement, we resolved that the best thing to do was to get the ticket that would enable us to get to the top of the chairlift mount. This way, we would be far from the noise, the heat, the people... far from everything, but near the sun.


On the Chairlift

Soon we were gaining height. The chairlift tour is one kilometer long and was set up in 1955. Since then, it has become one of the most important attractions of Villa Carlos Paz.

In only 5 minutes, we reached the highest station in the mount. Before abandoning the chairlift, we posed for a photo that visitors can acquire as a souvenir that portrays their visit to the venue. Once at the top, we began to visit the facilities: the terraces, the coffee-shop and the trail where we learnt about the local flora and fauna.

A sensation of weightlessness seemed to take hold of our senses. We were in the uppermost part of the village. Apart from the road bridges and Lake San Roque, we could appreciate the entire splendor of the valley, the residential neighborhoods, the conglomerate center of the city and, right in front of us, the Los Gigantes and the Altas Cumbres Mountain Ranges. Everything looked quieter from the heights. The cars and the people were moving in slow motion. There was no noise, no honks, no screaming. Time passed slowly and all was nicer up there. Then, we toured the entire resort to appreciate the different views.

Before the visit came to an end, we got on the “aerotren”, a kind of monorail located on the top of the mount that takes tourists around a circuit that surrounds the top of the mount. As we climbed in, we passed through an artificial cave and traveled as if suspended in the air.

After the vertiginous experience, we took a couple of minutes to recover our strength at the coffee-shop located on the top of the mount.

Sitting in front of the endless view of the entire Sierras Chicas Mountain Range, we did nothing but relax and behold the Valley of Punilla once more.