Nanortalik

Other sailing trips from Nanortalik will take you to visit one of Greenland’s few forests, small settlements hidden between the jagged peaks of the Cape Farewell waterways, and the Uunartoq hot springs, where 38-degree Celsius water relaxes muscles and keeps you warm despite icebergs floating nearby.

Tasermiut Camp and the Tasermiut fjord near Nanortalik. Photo by Aningaaq R Carlsen

For a more active holiday, multi-day kayaking and hiking expeditions offer the chance to explore and take in this spectacular landscape in more detail. Experienced backcountry hikers and kayakers can chart their own adventures but must be equipped with safety equipment, including emergency beacons and defense against the king of arctic wildlife, the polar bear. However, there are also many professionally organised expeditions from Nanortalik that take care of everything for you, cover all the highlights of the area, and typically last between 5 days and two weeks.

Expeditions can also be arranged for experienced climbers and mountaineers who want to tackle some of the tallest climbing walls in the world. Together with Ketil mountain (2,000m), Ulamertorsuaq (1,858m) is the most commonly climbed, there are also unique climbing possibilities in almost all the fjords around Nanortalik.

Two people on a kayaking expedition in the Tasermiut Fjord near Nanortalik. Photo: Peter Lindstrom

Exploring Nanortalik Island itself, there are several day-hikes that leave directly from town. Climbing to the top of Qaqqarsuasik (Big Mountain / Storfjeldet) or Quassik (Raven Mountain / Ravnefjeldet) for breathtaking views over the island can be done guided or independently. Or you can visit the ruins at Sissarissoq, where Nanortalik was first established, by walking along the coast. Keep a sharp eye out as you hike because there are usually plenty of whales (especially Minke whales) close to Nanortalik during the warmer months.

Back in town, the area around the old colonial port is almost unchanged from when it was built and presents an authentic and well-preserved experience of a 19th century Greenlandic settlement. Ten of its buildings now operate as showrooms for the Nanortalik museum, with exhibitions ranging from traditional seal fat production, healthcare and medicinal plants, Viking clothing, radio communication, traditional vessels like the kayak and umiaq, and the famous shipwreck Hans Hedtoft that disappeared into thin air. Although you can visit the museum independently, the best overview can be obtained as part of a city walk, which also introduces you to other areas of town and can be extended to include a kaffemik and/or traditional Greenlandic dinner with a local family.

No matter what you end up doing, the waters around Nanortalik are teeming with fish. River fishing and salt-water fishing are a part of life in Greenland, so purchase a fishing license and join the locals in catching trout, salmon, halibut, catfish, and cod for your dinner.