Sailing to East Greenland
While sailing north, you will likely see various bird life, including fulmars, kittiwakes, gannets and common guillemots. You then cross the Arctic Circle, possibly spotting whales. By evening, the first icebergs flash into sight with your approach to the east Greenland Blosseville coast, a wild, remote and dramatic area. With a fresh breeze in the air, your Arctic adventure has truly begun.
A Myriad of Mighty Fjords & Valleys
Sailing southward along the East Greenland coast, enter several fjords competing in beauty: d’Aunay, Nansen, Kangerlussuaq, and possibly either Ikersuaq or Kangertitsivaqmiit. Most of these fjords feature glacier front at the head, and any one of them can offer a chance to spot polar bears and narwhals. The head of Mikis Fjord provides good possibilities for a long hike. The landscapes you will see in this area are typical of this part of Greenland and are especially beautiful.
Smalltown Greenland
Tasiilaq, once known as Angmagssalik (about 2,000 inhabitants), is your next port of call. This charming town is the center of East Greenland, boasting a museum where you can learn about the colorful local history of this incredibly remote area.
In the Steps of Nansen
Next sail south to land at Umivik, an accessible bay where the explorer Fridtjof Nansen ascended the Greenland ice sheet during his pioneering 1888 Greenland expedition. Nansen and his party crossed the Greenland ice sheet, reaching Godthaab on the west coast, where they remained for several months before being picked up. In Umivik, you may even be able to trace his footsteps with a short walk in the area.
The Valley of Mariedal
Today, circumnavigate Skjoldungen through one of the most spectacular fjords of southeast Greenland. Then land at Qornoq to see the remains of houses from the Thule culture. Then visit Mariedal, a beautiful valley once frequented by Greenlanders, to collect berries in autumn.
Exploring Greenland’s Settled Past
Moving on to Timmiarmiut, you can see an abandoned Greenlandic settlement and, weather-dependent, possibly sail into the fjord. Polar bears have sometimes been spotted here. As an alternative, you may visit Igutsait, another fjord just to the south.
Prins Christian Sund Mountains
One of the highlights of the voyage is your westward passing of the Prins Christian Sund, surrounded by mountains of over 3,300 feet (1,000m). You may land at Svaerdfiskens Havn or, in the evening, at Ikigait, once known as Herjolfsnes, a former Norse settlement.
Hot Springs & Moravian Mission
Next try to get to Uunartoq, where you can bathe in a large, hot natural spring surrounded by icebergs. Across the bay, at Vagar, find the remains of a Norse homestead. Later, reach Lichtenau, a lovely though nearly deserted Greenlandic village where the Herrnhuters established and maintained a religious mission in the 18th century. Some of their large German-style buildings still remain.
Erik the Red’s Base
In Eriksfjord, land at Ittileq, in a bay from which you can walk 2.5 miles (4km) into Igaliku (Gardar). In this small Greenlandic village, you can see the remains of a 13th-century Norse church and other ruins. Then, in the afternoon, plan to visit Bratthalid, the base of Erik the Red, the famous Norse explorer who was the first European to found a settlement in Greenland. This sub-Arctic area has birch trees, agriculture and cattle—not common across much of Greenland. Later this evening, arrive at Narssarsuaq for the final night of your voyage.
