Greenland Island Travel
Greenland Overview
Greenland is the world’s largest non-continental island, in the far northeast of North America, largely within Arctic Circle. It is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It should be no surprise that Greenland is a destination with cold and unpredictable weather; however it is warmer between May and August, the best time to visit the island.
Greenland Main Attractions
The famous attractions of Greenland are the icebergs and glaciers. One of them belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Ilulissat Icefjord. It has assumed great importance, due to increasing awareness about climate change. The ice fjord is known for being the fastest and most active glaciers in the world, Sermeq Kujalleg. The glacier moves 19 meters per day. It has been studied for more than 250 years, leading to the development of climate change and icecap glaciology.
Another attraction of Greenland is the amazing natural phenomena that showcase a different experience. The Aurora Borealis is one of nature's most spectacular phenomena. Splendid rivers of lights tower in the sky and provide a beautiful sight. It can be witnessed throughout Greenland on clear nights from the months of September to April. Another phenomenon is the midnight sun. The sun stays above the horizon for days or even several weeks in the summer. The sun dips below the horizon for only a short while each night, with the sky never getting truly dark.
Greenland Activities
Greenland offers different activities for winter sports enthusiasts. You can experience the uniqueness of dog sledding. It is possible to get a dog-sledding license in the island. You can also go mountain climbing. The mountain is a good opportunity for great sightseeing. Greenland has great open spaces for good opportunity of hiking. Several hiking routes exist between towns for those interested in longer trips. There are even possibilities to walk on the ice cap but it requires some skills and good physical condition.
Greenland Accommodation & Dining
Accommodation in Greenland is a whole other experience in itself. You can stay in hotels classified according European classification system with up to four stars as the best. All hotels have suite bathroom/toilet, telephone and television. They also allow overnight lodging primarily for sailors. You can also set up tents everywhere if you have brought one for your visit. A visit to Greenland would not be complete without a visit to a good restaurant or eatery. There are many places which can be visited should you wish to give your palate and your taste buds a treat.
Greenland Shopping & Nightlife
Nightlife in Greenland is quite a different experience from most. Besides from having drinks in different bars and pubs during the cold summer nights of the islands, you can enjoy the splendid Aurora Borealis in the quite dark sky. Shopping is a superb opportunity in Greenland. You will probably be surprised at the wide range of goods to be found in supermarket in Greenland – in many ways similar to what you would find in European settlements.
Getting To & Around Greenland
You can reach Greenland using flights to one of the two airports of the island: Kangerlussuaq and the Narsarsuaq. The airports are served by Air Greenland and Air Iceland. There is no ferry service that goes directly to Greenland from Europe and America. However, there are cruise ships from both continents that visit Greenland.
