Greenland: Land of Superlatives

by Marie Foucard Customer story

On September 16th, I flew to Iceland and spent an evening in Reykjavik, then crossed the island for the town of Akureyri the next day.

Regions: Arctic

Destinations: Greenland

On September 16th, I flew to Iceland and spent an evening in Reykjavik, then crossed to the town of Akureyri the next day. From Akureyri, I boarded Oceanwide Expeditions’ new Polar Class 6 expedition cruise ship, m/v Hondius, bound for Greenland.

Hondius is a magnificent vessel with the maximum current ice classification, which allows navigation safely in the polar regions.

The design is not forgotten, either, as it has neat mid-century modern decor.

The next 24 hours of sailing allowed us to quickly reach Greenland, where we sailed through the famous Strait of Denmark in good conditions as the first icebergs appeared on the horizon. Then we reached the Greenland coast, which was just beautiful.

We saw Scoresby Sund, the largest fjord system in the world, which reaches nearly 350 km (216 miles) inland, and visited its Red Fjord. We also sailed along the coast of Blosseville, the highest mountain range of Earth’s largest island.

The highlight of this voyage, however, was the stopover at Ittoqqortoormit, the northernmost village on the east coast of Greenland.

The isolation in which the less-than 400 native Greenlanders live is almost total. Bear and musk oxen skins dry on the railings around the houses. (I counted at least five.) And near the school, I discovered by chance a stone monument with a sealed plaque engraved in French:

A la Mémoire
De l’Explorateur français J-B Charcot
Et de ses compagnons
Disparus en mer le 16 septembre 1936
En souvenir de ses compagnes au Groenland
De 1925 à 1936

Hommage du Gouvernement Danois
De l’Université de Paris
Du Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle
Et des Anciens du « Pourquoi Pas? IV

The monument was built in memory of the Franch explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot and his work in Scoresby Sund. When we finally left Greenland, the northern lights, or aurora borealis, were illuminating the skies above the Danish Strait for two nights in a row.

And during the day humpback whales accompanied us to Husavik Bay and the shores of Grimsey, ending our voyage with their magnificent ballet.

Greenland is truly a land of superlatives.

Related cruises

Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland Fly & Sail

A classic three island voyage : Ice , Inuit and Remoteness

RVR28-23 The Spitsbergen and Northeast Greenland cruise sails waters filled with breath-taking scenery. The expedition passes through areas that are home to seals, seabirds, whales, and polar bears.

s/v Rembrandt Van Rijn

s/v Rembrandt van Rijn

Cruise date:

1 Aug - 19 Aug, 2023

Price:

on request

Scoresby Sund

Explore Earth's largest fjord system

RVR29-23 Our Scoresby Sund voyage ventures into the largest fjord system in the world, visiting historic Inuit sites, exploring sensational shorelines, and possibly even encountering the exotic wildlife of eastern Greenland.

s/v Rembrandt Van Rijn

s/v Rembrandt van Rijn

Cruise date:

19 Aug - 30 Aug, 2023

Price:

on request

Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis

A classic three island voyage: Ice, Inuit and Remoteness

PLA12-23 The Spitsbergen and Northeast Greenland cruise sails waters filled with breath-taking scenery. The expedition passes through areas that are home to seals, seabirds, whales, and polar bears, topped off with nighttime viewing of the Northern Lights.

m/v Plancius

m/v Plancius

Cruise date:

20 Aug - 2 Sep, 2023

Price:

7000 USD

Iceland - Northeast Greenland – Spitsbergen
Free Swarovski Binoculars

Iceland - Northeast Greenland – Spitsbergen

Enjoy some of the Arctic’s most iconic sites and wildlife on a voyage spanning Spitsbergen and northeast Greenland, featuring such highlights as Earth’s largest fjord and one of the best spots for viewing polar bears

OTL08x23 The Northeast Greenland to Spitsbergen cruise visits a number of areas as rich with wildlife as with fantastic polar scenery. During this fantastic expedition, you may encounter whales, seals, polar bears, and numerous species of seabird, with potential...

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

20 Aug - 2 Sep, 2023

Price:

7000 USD

19 Days Ultimate Arctic Discovery Voyage , Iceland – Northeast Greenland – Spitsbergen – Bear Island – Norway
$3520 OFF Free Swarovski Binoculars

19 Days Ultimate Arctic Discovery Voyage , Iceland – Northeast Greenland – Spitsbergen – Bear Island – Norway

Get the ultimate Arctic experience with this epic combination of two voyages that explore the most scenic and animal-rich areas of Svalbard and northeast Greenland

OTL08c23 Get the ultimate Arctic experience with this epic combination of two voyages that explore the most scenic and animal-rich areas of Svalbard and northeast Greenland

m/v Ortelius

m/v Ortelius

Cruise date:

20 Aug - 7 Sep, 2023

Price:

7760 USD

Loading