Greenland is the largest island in the world and there is a lot to see. In terms of size, it is equivalent to Western Europe, and it would be a third of the size of Australia or the United States.
That is, veryyy big. So, What do you need to know when planning a trip to Greenland?
Regions of Greenland
First, whenever you are going to visit a new destination, it is a good idea to look at a map to get your bearings. In the case of Greenland we have the northern region, the southern region, eastern Greenland, the capital region, the Arctic Circle, Disko Bay and the national park. Technically, Greenland is not a country but an autonomous region of Denmark.
El Northern Greenland It is the land of the famous Midnight sun and dog sleds. It has a beautiful coastline of hundreds of kilometers where there are small communities dedicated to fishing and hunting.
It is the land of Illissat fjord, famous for its variety of landscapes and wildlife, good hotels, massive icebergs and one of the fastest growing icebergs in the world. Far to the north is the Uummannaq Archipelago, also Upernavick and the small town of Qaanaaq, land of adventurous hunters. Basically, In the north are: Slorapaluk, Upernavik, Ilimanar, Aqqnaar, Oqaatsut, Uummannaq and Iluslissat.
What is there in Southern Greenland? Mountains, pastures, sheep farms, fjords, hot springs and a long tradition of hunting and fishing. Dirt roads link these farming communities, so characteristic of the North Atlantic, like a spider's web.
In fact, it is the southernmost part of the island that ends up giving the current name of the country: Greenland. The first thing you should not miss is nanortalics, the gateway to adventures such as mountain climbing, hiking or sailing the waters of the Tasermiut Fjord.
It has an intricate fjord profile, like vertical towers that take your breath away, which is why climbers love it. The same goes for lovers of kayak and those who want to live outdoors on their holidays. It must be said that Nanortalik is on a very small island near the mouth of the Tasermiut fjord, so it is difficult to get to, but if you take a cruise it is easier.
The best times of year to visit are from June to September. What destinations are there here in southern Greenland? Nanortalik, Igaliku, Narsaq, Qaqortoq, Narsarsuaq and Qassiarsuk.
East Greenland is pretty desolate, but for that very reason it is a special and different destination. You arrive by plane and it is a land dominated by ice, by the eternal layer of ice, and by very high mountains.
Only about 3500 people live here and it is full of legends and myths. Here you can enjoy the famous Northern Lights, climbing, hiking, boating and many adventures. The truth is that It is a destination that you can visit all year round, based in its main city, Tasiilaq. The language here is different, but the beauties are unforgettable: Kuummut, Tiilerlilaaq, Ittoqqortoormiit, Kulusuk and Tasiilaq.
For its part, the capital region, Nuuk, It is a city with all the letters but with a village atmosphere. big town, we could say, with cultural diversity and embraced by nature.
Nuuk is the heart of the nation, but if you move a little further away you can get to know Paamiut or Kapisillit, in the fjord. You can also take the Sarfaq Ittuk coastal ferry and enjoy a weekend in nature. So, among Kapisillit, Paamut and Nuuk You have an excellent combination of culture, city, shops, malls, museums and nature.
La Disko Bay has five possible destinations: Kangaatsiaq, Ilulissat, Qasigianngut, Qeqertarsuaq and AasiaatThe bay is on the central western coast of the island, opposite the island of the same name.
It is 150 kilometers from north to south and 100 km from east to west, with a depth of around 400 meters with always cold water that gets colder in winter. It does not exceed 12 ºC in summer. There are some small islands and Around 4500 people live in the three coastal towns.
In Disko Bay you can see strange rock formations of volcanic origin, do Hiking in Qeqertarsuaq, slide on dog sleds, but in summer, on the Lyngmark Glacier, whale watching, bird watching and more.
If you want to add information to these words you can do it right now, Listening to the beautiful sounds of Disko Bay. How? There is a new one hydrophone station which allows us to listen to the wonderful underwater sounds: diskolive.com/sounds-underwater.
And finally, the Greenland National Park covers an area of 972 thousand square kilometers and is the largest in the world, inhabited by some 40 species of Arctic animals.
Almost 80% of the park is covered by a layer of iceWe said it is the largest national park in the world and it is: It is almost the size of Spain or France combined. and is a hundred times larger than Yellowstone Park.
El park It has no roads, no airports, no hotels, nothing.. Stations located at the park boundaries are serviced by non-civilian aircraft. The nearest civilian airport is Nerlerit Inaat, near Ittoqqoetoormiit, approximately 80 kilometres from the park's southern border.
So how do you get to Groenaldnai National Park? By joining a summer cruise. Most depart from Iceland and a few from Svalbard. Cruises cruise through the south of the park, where the most interesting natural and cultural spots are concentrated.
The park can only be entered with a permit from the settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit. You must contact the tour operator Nanu Travel to arrange this. The best time to visit is between July and August, when there is no ice in the fjords.
El Greenland Arctic Circle It is located in the west of the country and is a Super diverse region, with tundra and mountains, Inuit World Heritage site, Aasivissuit-Nipisat and the country's only commercial airport with direct flights to and from Copenhagen, in Kangerlussuaq.
This region is great for boating, climbing, wildlife watching, paddleboarding, visiting remote villages and enjoy other winter activities. These are the destinations to visit in Greenland, a destination chosen by nature lovers and remote places. You just have to plan the route and choose the best time of the year according to your interests.
Many people think that the only way to visit Greenland is on a tour but the truth is that it is also you can go as an independent traveler. It may not be the cheapest option, so keep that in mind. The tourist infrastructure in the country is limited and places book up very quickly, so you may find that there are no accommodations available.
Even with the assistance of a tour operator, you must be prepared for There are cancellations and delays in transfers on your tripAs we said above, the tourist infrastructure is limited and everything revolves around nature so we depend on it.
So, the boat in Disko Bay may be cancelled due to bad weather, you may have to stay somewhere for a while waiting for the weather to improve, and so on. For that reason, hiring a travel agency may be the best option as they take care of all this.
Finally, if you like nature and have time, try not to use cruise ships too much. The locals hate them, as in much of the world. If you have no choice but to use one, try to choose a smaller vessel and only go to destinations that are really unreachable by land. Good luck!