The World’s Most Beautiful Gamble: Greenland Adventure Comes With No Guarantees

Enthusiasm in the captain’s voice sounded over the ship’s PA system. “In five minutes, we will turn into Greenland’s Prince Christian Sound, one of the most breathtaking passages in the world. It’s my first time guiding a vessel through these waters, so let’s celebrate this venture together.”

My husband and I grabbed our parkas and rushed to the observation deck of the small ship, Azamara Quest, on its maiden Reykjavik to Montreal voyage.

We entered the majestic waterway named for Prince Christian VII of Denmark that separates mainland Greenland from the Cape Farewell Archipelago. Setting foot on Greenland soil loomed after the ship completed the six-hour transit through this protected 62-mile crossing.

Prince Christian Sound

Out on deck, my thoughts of land evaporated into the crisp air. Cobalt skies pierced through wispy clouds, and sun rays glistened upon gentle ripples.

I raised my binoculars for a magnified look into this stunning introduction to Greenland, my eyes searching for a tail flip of a minke whale or a soar over of a sea eagle.

Jaw-dropping natural beauty unfolded as I eyed neon-blue icebergs drifting in clear Arctic waters, gasped as the ship maneuvered between the narrows of sheer granite cliffs and gazed at a multitude of glaciers inching down to the water’s edge.

Hundreds of passengers hugged the rail, snapping phone photos or clicking zoom cameras, but the hush of awestruck voices, the silence of wonderment, filled the space.

For the past 36 hours, the ship had been pitching, listing, rocking and rolling while crossing the angry North Atlantic Ocean and the Denmark Strait. As we entered the placid waters of Prince Christian Sound, I felt the same unsteady sway that comes after a ride on a Tilt-a-Whirl.

The Captain slowed the vessel to dodge floating icebergs and to let passengers see, hear, smell and almost feel the geological formations, the waterfalls and the arctic arms of Greenland’s ice sheet.

No Guarantees in Greenland

Transiting the Sound is not guaranteed. As with every activity in Greenland that involves the sea, the weather rules; ice jams, fog banks, powerful winds, and glacial calved bergs, only 10% mass visible above the water surface, and 90% hidden dangerously beneath, can abort any anticipated excursion.

Inuit spirits and ancient Norse Gods offered their benevolence that day, giving us a July midnight sun, a light breeze and a sparse ice flow.

During our glide through this billion-year-old channel, the ship’s staff threw a party out on the pool deck with a feast and music to celebrate this ‘remember forever’ experience.

Clinking champagne flutes, with a backdrop of a 10 pm sun, 3,000 ft. glacial-capped precipices, and bizarre-shaped bergs floating by, ranked high on my list of unforgettable moments while traveling the world.

Best Greenland Tours & Excursions

Qaqortoq Village

The Quest churned through the South Greenlandic fjord system toward our destination, Qaqortoq, the largest town in South Greenland, with a population of only 3,200.

In my excitement, I drew back the blackout curtains at 3 AM. The sun was already rising from its short nap. I saw jelly-bean-colored houses that brighten dark winter days, resting on large patches of summer green, dotting a rocky cliffside from the waterfront’s edge to the top of the ridge.

The ship dropped anchor, a ten-minute tender ride from the harbor. Here, fishing boats, an island-hopping ferry and a giant iceberg occupied the dock spaces. We had arrived.

Something to consider, as passengers who had cruised to Greenland before never saw it. Every port stop had been canceled due to dangerous sea conditions.

Inuit people, descendants of the Thule who emigrated from the Bering Strait around 1000 A.D., comprise 85% of Greenland’s current population of 57,000. Citizens of Norse heritage, stemming from Eric the Red’s exploration and Nordic settlements until the late 1500s, give the region a mixed, indigenous feel.

In 1721, Scandinavian missionaries arrived, and Greenland became a territory of Denmark. Although Denmark still controls Greenland’s defense, security and currency, Greenlanders obtained home rule in 1979 and were granted additional autonomy and Danish citizenship in 2009.

Walking Tour

We jumped from the tender onto the terra firma of Qaqortoq. Visitors can arrange kayaks or boats to the Uunartoq Hot Springs, experience minke whale encounters, or visit the ancient ruins of the Viking Hvalsey Church.

We explored the village on foot, lingering and taking in the views. Travelers should know that tour operators, mindful of the short summer season, charge from $100 to $700 per person, depending on the excursion. We encountered a group from the ship, each paying $119 for a walking tour, which we did for free.

On a path of dancing wildflowers, we encountered the ‘Stone and Man Project,’ which entails forty Inuit and Norse images carved on flat rocks by local artist Aka Hoegh and other craftsmen.

The pier’s fish market provides a friendly venue to interact with residents. The smell of freshly caught cod and whale blubber, lined up on stainless steel tables, permeated the space. I wondered if workers carry the perfume of the day’s catch into their homes each night.

Fishermen, the lifeline of the community, who chatted and smoked cigarettes outside, tipped their seamen caps to us, the other lifeline for this village, the tourists.

Don’t Forget Your Head Net

Clues of harsh winter survival unfolded in the hardware store with displays of hunting rifles, fishing gear, batteries, gasoline heaters, ropes, heavy clothing and snowshoes. The coffee stand and sandwich bar nestled in the corner buzzed with customers, and late July tourists waited in line to buy mesh head nets.

Despite the Northern latitude, the summer’s melting snow and rising temperatures provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes and black flies. Even the dogs wear head nets. Without them, outside activity becomes intolerable. The best tip for a summer trip to Greenland: bring netted facial protection and strong insect repellent.

In the central square, the oldest fountain in Greenland, the 1932 Mendbronden, still stands. We passed the Qaqortoq museum, checked out the 1832 Von Fresler Church of the Savior, surrounded by windswept grass and yellow daisies, and followed the stoney brook to the edge of town.

‘Roads to nowhere’ end within the periphery of this and every village. Transit between all coastal areas in Greenland requires a boat, a helicopter, a snowmobile or an ATV.

While sipping a latte at the Iceberg Café, I wondered how these people endure the remoteness and isolation. Considering the hectic madness of my world, it seemed inviting, for a fleeting moment.

Paamuit

Excitement stirred for our stop at Paamuit, called the Kingdom of Sea Eagles and Whales. It is known for its rugged coastline, traditional Inuit village of 2,000 residents, and frequent rolling fogs that affect access.

When the captain announced that we had to bypass Paamuit, due to a dangerous fog bank and hidden icebergs, the potential letdowns when cruising to Greenland became reality.

Nuuk

At the mouth of the Nuup Kangerlua fjord lies Nuuk, the world’s most northern capital city of 20,000 inhabitants. Although Inuits have migrated to this municipality, Danes make up one-third of the population, who come for high wages and job opportunities.

As we docked at the year-round, ice-free port, rows of condominiums, built due to a shortage of affordable housing, looked drab. The Capitol building, a modern museum, and a theater and arts center exhibit little charm.

However, a boardwalk along the pier, which acts as the marketplace for the day’s catch of fish and seals, provides entertainment.

Homeless individuals, crouched within building recesses, suggest evidence of quoted high rates of alcoholism and suicide.

Outside Nuuk’s easily forgotten center city, we passed the international airport, where a daily United flight to Newark had been delayed for hours, while airport staff hunted reindeer. They were stocking up on local food sources of protein before the approaching winter took precedence. Residents chew whale skin, rich in Vitamin C.

We braved the mosquitoes to visit Nuuk’s cemetery. A serene expanse of white crosses lines the fjord, as watchful icebergs drift by and the 4000 ft. Sermitsiaq Mountain overlooks the graveyard.

Loved ones embrace this view during their eternal rest. On the hill opposite the burial ground, the country’s only maximum-security prison protects the souls.

A Land of Contradictions

I found Greenland mysterious and contradictory. The world’s largest island ranks as the least densely populated country.

Stunning natural beauty hides dangerous perils, and unforgiving weather systems rise without warning. Summer’s midnight sun and winter’s total darkness confuse the human clock.

Larger than Alaska, but 80% of its land mass lies hidden beneath a one-mile-thick ice sheet. When cruising to Greenland, the possibility of never setting foot on its soil remains the biggest mystery of all.

Need a hand planning your trip? Here are the sites and services we rely on most, from booking tools to travel products we love.

Inspire your next adventure with our articles below:

• Big Arctic 5: What to See & Do in Greenland
• Take an Arctic Expedition to Greenland with Albatros Expeditions

Author Bio: After a lifelong profession of treating the mentally ill at a PA psychiatric hospital for 33 years, Carol Bowman retired to Lake Chapala, Mexico, in 2006 with her husband to pursue more positive passions. Her family thought that she, too, had ‘gone mad.’

Carol has taught English to Mexican adults and disadvantaged local children for the past 18 years. She writes for local, international, online and print publications. Using her adventures to over 120 countries, she has captured a niche in travel writing, and her stories have been featured in Go World Travel Magazine. A frequent contributor to El Ojo del Lago, the largest distribution English magazine in Mexico, she’s won several literary awards from that publication. Her psychiatric field work netted a contribution to the anthology, Tales from the Couch. Recently she has also been featured in two more anthologies, Insider’s Guide to the Best of Mexican Holidays, and Bravados, Life, Love and Living in Lake Chapala, Mexico, all available on Amazon.com.

Want to discover more hidden gems and helpful travel tips? Join our free newsletter for the latest travel secrets and travel articles.

We are reader-supported and may earn a commission on purchases made through links in this article.