Nature pulls out all the stops in South Greenland. Glaciers crash into fjords where whales often feed, icebergs tower like the ruins of fairytale castles and remote sheep farms nod to a rich Norse and Inuit history. On the fringes of the second-largest body of ice in the world, the Greenland ice sheet, this fjord-woven region will blow you away with raw beauty, heritage and season-led cuisine using ingredients from land and sea.
Cruise ships only give you a taste of what’s out there. To properly venture into the wilds and get a feel for the Arctic, fly in and stay a while. You need time, peace and space to find your own adventure — whether hiking, kayaking, exploring Norse ruins or bathing in hot springs. With luck, you’ll have the Northern Lights for company already in late summer and early autumn.
1. Taste Greenlandic flavours
Using Arctic ingredients, incorporating Inuit heritage with agricultural tradition and adding a pinch of creativity, South Greenland is a rising star in new-Nordic cooking, bringing hyperlocal ingredients to the plate. Whether you’re digging into a leg of lamb, newly cultivated grass-fed beef or locally grown root vegetables, this is food with heart. For an immersive experience, join locals for a private dinner — one of the best is ByNanna, where Nanna Høegh and her husband talk art and Viking ruins over a multi-course feast in their beautiful home in Qaqortoq. At fjordside Tasermiut Camp, help the chef forage for herbs and flowers to pep up dinner, where storytelling and — if you’re lucky — a Northern Lights show join, too.
Suikkassuaq mountain powerfully overlooks the silky waters of Tasermiut Fjord. The large granite mountain range rewards climbers with incredible panoramic views once they reach the summit.
Photograph by Aningaaq R. Carlsen, Visit Greenland
2. Immerse yourself in Inuit history at Kujataa
For millennia, humans have eked out a living on the edge of the ice cap. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kujataa brings to light a rich thousand-year-old subarctic farming culture, taking you back to the Norse farmer-hunters of the 10th century, who reared cattle, sheep and goats; and to the Inuit farming, fishing and seal-hunting communities that sprung up here in the 18th century. With the ruins of farms and churches spread across the World Heritage Site, often right next to present-day working farms, Kujataa offers a fascinating window into the hard work, resilience and pioneering spirit of the Indigenous people, and those that came to settle on their land.
3. Boat along the Tasermiut Fjord
Home to one of South Greenland’s most photographed glaciers, Tasermiut Fjord, with its lush forest and sheer walls of granite, is jaw-droppingly beautiful. This 44-mile-long fjord is a taste of the Arctic proper. To get a true sense of scale, and for closer encounters with the nature and wildlife, nothing beats exploring Tasermiut Fjord by boat. With stops along the way including the only settlement in the entire fjord or a sheep farm, you can get a feel for life in the fjord. Continue onward to the great lake, the forest and then the innermost reaches of the fjord, which is often called the Patagonia of the Arctic.
4. Unwind at a sheep farm
If you want to give civilisation the slip and tune into the quiet beauty of South Greenland’s fjords, fields and mountains, stay on one of eight sheep farms that offer guest accommodation. Norse settlers first grazed sheep in these lush pastures 1,000 years ago, a tradition revived 100 years ago by an Inuit couple in Qassiarsuk. Affording an insight into traditional Arctic life, the farms are ideal for embracing the outdoors, whether on foot or by horseback. Favourite escapes include Pioti Igaliku, with a summer lake cottage where you can peer up at gliding sea eagles; Sermilik Hostel, where sheep paths lead to the Greenland ice sheet; and idyllically rustic Kangerluarsorujuk Cabin, where your host family will prepare delicacies like smoked lamb leg and marinated salmon. Just be sure to follow the cardinal rules of traversing farm country — leave gates as they are found (open or closed); walk on roads whenever possible; do not give working dogs attention; and never walk on the green grass fields.
Grazing sheep on Greenland’s pastures has been a tradition for Norse settlers dating back a thousand years, and one for Inuit farmers over the last century.
Photograph by Sarah Woodall
5. Bathe al fresco at Uunartoq Hot Springs
You’ll find hot springs bubbling up all over the Arctic, but there’s something special about Uunartoq’s. This uninhabited island, a breezy boat ride away from Qaqortoq, Nanortalik or Alluitsup Paa, is a vivid green speck of land, ringed by mountains and petrol-blue waters glinting with icebergs. Here, you can ditch your clothes and slip into your bathers to wallow in the 38C natural pool. Enjoyed by Norsemen and Inuit alike for many centuries and heated by geothermal subsoil, these are the most accessible hot springs in Greenland warm enough to bathe in.
6. Embrace adventure in Nanortalik
Where fjord meets sea, the town of Nanortalik — meaning the place with polar bears — is beautiful, with a sprinkling of brightly painted timber cottages amidst a rocky landscape with direct views of the mountains. After roaming the old town and open-air museum that delves into Greenlandic history and heritage, you’ll be itching to head out into the wilds. This is South Greenland’s adventure hub, where you can trek into the mountains with a backpack, scale near-vertical cliffs (the 2,010-metre peak of Ulamertorsuaq, also known as Ketil, is the ultimate challenge) or get a guide who’ll take you kayaking, sailing or fishing for trout, salmon and cod. Staying at the locally-owned and operated Tasermiut Camp or NTS Cabins is highly recommended to fully connect with the backcountry.
The tiny settlement of Qassiarsuk is the heart of South Greenland’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 10th-century Norse ruins and a robust network of present-day inuit sheep farms.
Photograph by Aningaaq R. Carlsen, Visit Greenland
7. Press the pause button in Igaliku
It’s oh so quiet in Igaliku, an isolated Inuit settlement of just over 30 people sitting on on a thin 2.5-mile wide isthmus, tucked between two fjords. Green and gold pastures north of the town slope down to iceberg-filled waters, Qooqqut Glacier shimmers in the distance at the top of Illerfissalik mountain and, in summer, the fields erupt with wildflowers. But Igaliku is more just a pretty face — this is one of the central grounds for Greenland’s 12th-century Norse culture, home to the well-preserved ruins of Gardar, seat of the Norse bishop. Getting there is part of the magic: arriving via Tunulliarfik Fjord includes a 2.5-mile traverse along the King’s Road from Itilleq, open for walking, driving or UTV-ing.
This paid content article was created for South Greenland. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs.
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