Although the sea ice makes most northerly parts of Greenland largely inaccessible all year round, most of the inhabited areas of this huge Arctic island can be visited during the June-October peak season. Whether you are stopping off at the main cruise port of Qaqortoq as part of an Atlantic or Arctic cruise, or exploring the coast on a dedicated Greenland expedition cruise, you will have an unforgettable experience in a country that can rightly be called awe-inspiring.
Qaqortoq is a small town built at the end of a peninsular in the far south of Greenland, and the country’s main centre for commerce, education and culture. It is often inaccessible in winter, but this isolation has only helped to preserve the traditional culture, and the ancient Inuit skills of fishing, kayaking and hunting are still highly valued. Outside the town are the well preserved Norse ruins of Hvalsey, which are over a thousand years old. The town of Illulissat on Greenland’s west coast is another favourite port of call, famed for its icebergs and its hiking trails into the mountains.
A visit to Greenland is about experiencing the wonder of nature at its most extreme: dramatic mountain ranges and fjords, imposing glaciers, and a coastline dotted with icebergs like great floating fortresses. You will also encounter the Arctic’s abundant wildlife, such as whales, seals, sea birds and reindeer. If you’re lucky, you might even see a polar bear. Encounters are rare, although the best chance of seeing one is from a ship sailing along the coast. During the short Arctic summer, the sun never sets, but gently grazes the horizon before rising again to begin another day. Time seems generous, but there is so much to see and experience that even the long Arctic days can pass too quickly. In the early autumn, from September onwards, when the nights have returned and the season is drawing to an end, the mysterious green glow of the northern lights will astound you and remain in the memory as the climax to your trip of a lifetime.
Although the sea ice makes most northerly parts of Greenland largely inaccessible all year round, most of the inhabited areas of this huge Arctic island can be visited during the June-October peak season. Whether you are stopping off at the main cruise port of Qaqortoq as part of an Atlantic or Arctic cruise, or exploring the coast on a dedicated Greenland expedition cruise, you will have an unforgettable experience in a country that can rightly be called awe-inspiring.
Qaqortoq is a small town built at the end of a peninsular in the far south of Greenland, and the country’s main centre for commerce, education and culture. It is often inaccessible in winter, but this isolation has only helped to preserve the traditional culture, and the ancient Inuit skills of fishing, kayaking and hunting are still highly valued. Outside the town are the well preserved Norse ruins of Hvalsey, which are over a thousand years old. The town of Illulissat on Greenland’s west coast is another favourite port of call, famed for its icebergs and its hiking trails into the mountains.
A visit to Greenland is about experiencing the wonder of nature at its most extreme: dramatic mountain ranges and fjords, imposing glaciers, and a coastline dotted with icebergs like great floating fortresses. You will also encounter the Arctic’s abundant wildlife, such as whales, seals, sea birds and reindeer. If you’re lucky, you might even see a polar bear. Encounters are rare, although the best chance of seeing one is from a ship sailing along the coast. During the short Arctic summer, the sun never sets, but gently grazes the horizon before rising again to begin another day. Time seems generous, but there is so much to see and experience that even the long Arctic days can pass too quickly. In the early autumn, from September onwards, when the nights have returned and the season is drawing to an end, the mysterious green glow of the northern lights will astound you and remain in the memory as the climax to your trip of a lifetime.
