Europe

[Visited: August 2024]

When we booked our ticket from Ilulissat to Narsaq, we were given the option to stay on the ship and explore Nuuk fjord. Even though we did not really know what to expect, it sounded like a good idea and we took the extension. After exploring the capital city of Greenland, we are back on our ship in time for the late afternoon departure. Nearly all passengers are new faces, and there is a schedule for our 24 hour tour through 160 kilometer deep Nuup Kangerlua, as Nuuk fjord is called in Greenlandic. After sailing around the capital city, allowing us views of the historic part and the new buildings, we see that Quassussuaq and Ukkusissat, the mountains behind Nuuk, are still hidden in the clouds. The light is moody, and soon enough we reach Itisoq bay, an arm in the fjord. The views are spectacular: mountains rising steeply from the water, enveloped in wisps of clouds. The water is calm, and it reflects the scenery like a perfect mirror.
After sailing around very slowly, we continue and arrive at Qooqqut bay after a while. The light is even moodier now, and while at first I had cursed the clouds, I now realize they actually make for spectacular, and perhaps mysterious, scenery. Transparent clouds cling to the mountains, light filters through making this a non-stop natural show featuring the raw beauty of Greenland. We continue watching the swirling clouds around the mountains until the last daylight is squeezed out of the sky. The next morning, we wake up to a low layer of clouds when we sail past the village of Kapisillit in an eastern branch of Nuup Kangerlua. Fortunately, the clouds lift slowly, and a little later we are in the main fjord again and see icebergs everywhere.
Two big glaciers in the east of Nuup Kangerlua directly drain ice from the massive Greenlandic ice sheet into the fjord, and we are surrounded by them. Big and small, white, blue, or grey, resembling castles and sculptures, we stay on deck to see the multitude of icebergs as far as our eyes can see. We sail past the village of Qoornoq, the brightly coloured wooden houses dwarfed by the mountains towering above them. The sun is now finally burning through the clouds which are lifting always more. When we reach the foot of Sermitsiaq mountain, we can spot the glacier on top of the mountain, and a waterfall coming down from the rocks. We stay here for awhile, enjoying the views of the ice, the clouds, and the sound of the water falling straight into Nuup Kangerlua. This is our last stop, and we are on our way back to Nuuk which turns out to be covered in clouds again, hiding the mountains from view. We now know we made the right decision to include this boat journey through the magnificent fjord.

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Nuuk fjord (Greenland)

Nuuk fjord > Greenland > Europe

[Visited: August 2024]

Around the World in 80 Clicks