As we pulled away from the dock, the sounds of a bustling Ilulissat faded behind us until we were out in the thick of the ice. The Ilulissat Icefjord sprawled out in all directions, and as our boat carved its path between glistening, ancient mountains, all was quiet save for the hum of the engine, the scraping against the hull, and the distant groan of calving icebergs. From our open air seat on the upper deck we scanned the landscape of the fjord until, nudging Jessie’s arm, I pointed to a whale which had begun to dive a short distance away. We spoke excitedly with the few other passengers around us, as we made our way through the ice to the tiny settlement of Ilimanaq, and our lodgings for the night.
Colourful homes and church in the settlement of Ilimanaq from across the lake. Photo by Jessie Brinkman Evans
Once a Dutch whaling outpost, Ilimanaq was settled in 1741 under the name Claushavn, and has remained one of the smallest communities in the fjord. Located only fifteen kilometres south of Ilulissat, Ilimanaq today is home to some fifty residents whose livelihoods are still as tied to the land as when the settlement was first founded.
As we emerged from the icefjord we could see the cliffs of the coast dotted with sloping roofs and the large, glass fronts of the lodges, perched upon the rocks and facing out to sea. We came ashore and made our way to the reception building, one of the oldest structures in all of Greenland. After receiving our keys and a warm welcome, our bags were loaded onto a cart which made its way down to our cabin as we followed behind on foot, making our way through the community and marvelling at its sense of history.
Details of the Iliminaq Lodges along the shoreline. Photo by Jessie Brinkman Evans
The Ilimanaq Lodge cabins are, much like the history of the settlement, an ideal blend of modern convenience and Greenland’s rugged landscape. While the façade of the structures might at first seem as jarring as the dark, black paint of the old reception house, you need only look a little closer to see its intricate relationship with the land it’s perched upon. The cabins are powered completely by the solar panels affixed to their roofs, making full use of the abundance of light under Greenland’s midnight sun. Excess power is sold to local residents at an affordable rate, with the incentive for guests to exercise conservation so that more power is available for the community’s fifty-two full time residents.
After this article was published it has been announced that the team from the Faroese 2-Star Michelin restaurant KOKS is coming to Ilimanaq Lodge in North Greenland in the summer seasons of 2022 and 2023. Stay in Ilimanaq or visit on a day trip from Ilulissat for a one of a kind gourmet taste of the Arctic.
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The living room of the hut at Ilimanaq Lodge with ocean views. Photo by Jessie Brinkman Evans
After settling into our home for the night, we walked back down the path towards the two restored buildings at the heart of the community, our pace hurried as we talked fervently about the food and wine we were sure to enjoy.
Restaurant Egede has found its home in the former residence of eighteenth-century missionary Poul Egede, painstakingly restored to its former stature by project partner Real Dania. The restaurant is bathed in brooding natural light which filters in through Nordic windows, swallowed by its sail-cloth walls and the furs which adorn each chair in its dining rooms. Its brushed metal cutlery and speckled tableware exude an atmosphere of careful and handcrafted selection, a sentiment that extends to the food which is presented on it — nowhere is the seamless blend of Greenlandic tradition and modern amenity more obvious.
We spoke with our server at length about the food, its history, and the ingredients which have been sourced from the surrounding area. The flavours of fresh fish and locally hunted muskox merged wonderfully with foraged mushrooms picked from the hillsides, and the fresh herbs grown next to the restaurant in rows of planter-boxes. While Jessie pored over a well-curated wine list, I was happy to see beer offered from a Greenlandic brewery. We left hours later, full, happy, and looking forward to getting some much needed rest in our cosy little cabin.
Lunch platter in the Ilimanaq restaurant with wild, foraged ingredients – mushrooms, muskox pate, raw and smoked halibut. Photo by Jessie Brinkman Evans
A night or two at the Ilimanaq Lodge is the perfect jumping-off point for travelers who may find themselves in Ilulissat with only a few days to explore the surrounding fjord. With its tour through the region’s breathtaking ice, and numerous opportunities to explore a true piece of Greenland in and around the Ilimanaq settlement, the lodge and restaurant provide an ideal base of operations, a place to start your day with a view of breaching whales, before meeting locals and taking in the true grit of Greenland’s awesome landscape.
As we carried our bags down to the dock and waited for the boat, Jessie and I took a few lasting looks around, and knew that we would be back someday. For as much as we saw and did, the vastness of the land and the warmth of the people who live on it is something that would take a lifetime to explore. As the boat pulled up and its smiling crew helped us ferry our bags aboard, we quietly agreed that this would not be our last time under the midnight sun.
