Greenland Destinations

Ammassalik

Only an hour and a half by plane from Iceland you reach the east coast of Greenland, the largest island and the most northerly country in the world. You touch down at Ammassalik – population 1500. The natives call it Kalallit Noonart, ‘the land of the people’ but three quarters of the land is pure ice. In Ammassalik there are three types of accommodation – one – very expensive hotels, two – it is free to camp anywhere and three – you can get invited into people’s houses and stay there which is a great way to meet the people.

Ammassalik is the only place to go dog sledding south of the Arctic Circle. Any excursion involves a lot of walking and pushing in deep snow so you have to be really fit.

 

Isotoq

Isotoq is a small piece of land in the fjords of the south west coast. This is the site of Greenland’s only reindeer farm and in exchange for some hard labour you can stay with the owner.

 

Nuuk

The Capital of Greenland, Nuuk is the northern most and smallest capital in the world. In just one tower block lives one percent of the whole country. At the local museum in Nuuk you can find out more about traditional Inuit culture like 500 year old freeze dried mummies from Qilaqitsoq found in 1972.

 

Illulissat

Illulissat, situated in the Disco Bay area, was one of the first places settled by the Inuit. Now it is the transport centre for the north of Greenland with direct flights to the whole of the country. At $40 a night in the summer the steel igloos aren’t cheap but on a clear day you can see all the way to Disco Island. You can hire country skis from the tourist office, but remember that conditions change very quickly and temperatures are well below freezing, so take the appropriate kit and always go with an official guide.

 

By Susi O’Neill

 

Destination – Greenland