Flying off to Greenland? Danish consul offers list of sights to see

Updated July 3 at 11:20 a.m.

The resumption of weekly direct flights between Iqaluit and Nuuk, Greenland, after nearly 10 years is a “great opportunity” for friends and family in the two countries to see each other more easily, says Navarana Beveridge, the Danish honorary consul in Iqaluit.

Here’s her advice to travellers visiting Greenland for the first time, in a phone interview on Tuesday.

1. Go south — Greenland is famous for its hot springs. Beveridge says the tiny community of Uunartoq would be a great place to discover this natural phenomenon.

“It’s just breathtakingly beautiful,” she said, adding the water has healing minerals and its temperature is around 38 C all year.

Close to Uunartoq is the community of Igaliku, which is known for the ruins of Garðar, remnants of the nine-century-old residence of the Catholic bishops in the Norse settlements in Greenland. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2. Go north —Ilulissat (formely Jakobshavn) is a town of close to 5,000 people north of Nuuk on the coast of Disko Bay.

Beveridge recommends visiting Ilulissat Icefjord, also a UNESCO World Heritage site which is the sea mouth to the famous Sermeq Kujalleq glacier.

It’s one of the biggest tourist attractions in Greenland, she said.

3. Whale safari — Summer is the best season for whale watching.

“There is a tourism business over there where their whole thing is to take people out and give them a chance to see different kinds of whales,” said Beveridge, who has made the excursion with her family.

“It’s not always guaranteed that you’ll see a whale every time, but it’s very likely.”

Seeing silhouettes of some of the 15 different species of whales that are common in Greenlandic waters, is something she recommends everyone should experience.

4. Catch’n’eat or Fish’n’Dish —Fishing is just as big in Greenland as it is in Nunavut.

If you are planning to go catch your own Greenlandic fish, Beveridge recommends bringing it to a Catch’n’eat restaurant where a professional chef can prepare it for you.

There is a restaurant like that in a little settlement of Qooqqut, not far from Nuuk. It is run by local chef Mads Bek and his wife.

The restaurant has some extra fish staff can prepare for those out of luck.

5. Get cultured at the culture centre —Katuaq is the name of the culture centre in Nuuk, and it can also be translated from Greenlandic as drumstick.

“They usually put on concerts and plays with local actors,” said Beveridge. “There’s a movie theatre and a great little café.”

You can find the calendar of event on the on the Katuaq website.

Most of the concerts and exhibitions at the centre are free.

Direct flights between Iqaluit and Nuuk will run Wednesdays until Oct. 23.

Note: This story was updated to clarify the description of south Greenland communities.