Gourmand Eating North of the Arctic Circle

Ilulissat is Greenland’s tourism capital. Situated on the island’s west coast, 250 km (155 mi) north of the Arctic Circle, its UNESCO World Heritage Listed Icefjord attracts guests from across the globe. For these looking for extra in the best way of solitude, a stroll up the coast to the remoted settlement of Oqaatsut gives a possibility to expertise a unique aspect of Greenland. A journey again in time to a spot the place sleepy coves and weather-beaten fishing cottages whisper maritime tales of centuries previous.

Seaside campsite close to Oqaatsut.

At a Look

Distance:  41 km (25.5 mi)

Common Period:  10 hours to 2 days

Problem Stage:  Straightforward

Season: Late June to September

Complete Elevation Achieve: 946 m (3,104 ft)

Begin/End:  Lodge Arctic in Ilullisat (Out-and-back)

The settlement of Oqaatsut at sundown.

Highlights

• The colourful, weather-worn cottages that dot the coast between Ilulissat and Oqaatsut
• Disko Bay’s unending parade of icebergs of all sizes and shapes
• Consuming at H8 restaurant
• Sundown out of your seaside campsite

Planning Data:

• Getting There & Away: Most vacationers arrive in Ilussiat by way of an inner flight from Kangerlussuaq, Nuuk, or Sisimiut or a world flight from Reykjavik. For these with loads of time, Ilulissat may also be reached by common ferries from the capital Nuuk, together with different smaller villages on Greenland’s west coast.
  

The Ilulissat Icefjord is the ocean mouth of the Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier (aka Jakobshavn Glacier), which is likely one of the solely shops by way of which the Greenland Ice Sheet reaches the ocean. 

With a inhabitants of 4600, Ilulissat is Greenland’s third largest city (after Nuuk and Sisimiut).

En route between Kangerlussuaq and Ilulissat on Air Greenland.

• Permits & Charges: No, on each counts.

• On-line Data: For common data on Oqaatsut, see the informative Go to Greenland web site. For some nice photos from each the village and the hike, try mloram.com.

A cold September morning on the return hike from Oqaatsut to Ilulissat.

Lodging:

• There’s an abundance of pre and post-hike lodging choices in Ilulissat. When you’re searching for a cut price – good luck. “Price range” lodging in Ilulissat will set you again at the very least US$150 in the course of the summer time months.

• On the path itself, nice tenting is out there on the southern outskirts of Oqaatsut village, simply earlier than you make the quick descent to the graveyard. 

• For these searching for extra in the best way of luxurious, strive Lodge Nordlys, which overlooks Rodebay.

Path Description:

The path to Oqaatsut is well-marked with rock cairns and orange blazes and doubles as a dog-sledding and snowmobile observe in the course of the winter months. The path receives little foot visitors in comparison with Ilulissat’s well-known Icefjord pathways, and most of the people who go to Oqaatsut accomplish that by way of organized boat journeys.

The journey begins in Ilulissat reverse the Lodge Arctic, the world’s northernmost four-star lodge. The primary couple of kilometers are comparatively uninspiring because the path parallels the native airport, which after I hiked in 2022, was present process a major growth (now as a result of be completed in 2026). After 30 or 40 minutes, the airport shall be behind you, and issues will enhance aesthetically and audibly. Certainly, from then till you arrive at Oqaatsut, chances are high you received’t see one other soul, and the one sounds you hear shall be these of Mom Nature.

Staying near the coast, the path goes by quite a few fishing cottages, whose brightly-colored exteriors make a hanging distinction with the drab-gray rocky shoreline and leaden-hued waters. Roughly 7.5 km (4.7 mi) after leaving Ilulissat, you’ll go by way of a slim gorge earlier than rising at a small picturesque lake – an ideal spot for lunch. One other hour onwards, and also you’ll attain a footbridge spanning the outlet stream of the expansive Kangerluarsup Tasia Qalleq Lakes. Campers observe that the grassy, semi-sheltered space on the southern aspect of the watercourse is arguably one of the best place to in a single day between Ilullisat and the outskirts of Oqaatsut.

Kangerluarsup Tasia Qalleq Lakes

From right here, the well-marked route ascends progressively and contours northwest across the tiny settlement of Qarajaq Cove. The views over the iceberg-dotted Kangerluarsuk Bay throughout this elevated stretch are excellent. After going up and over a slim, rocky saddle on the 16 km (9.9 mi) level, the path passes by a small waterfall earlier than reaching the fishing village of Oqaatsut, simply over 20 km (12.4 mi) from Ilulissat. 

Qarajaq Cove

Notes & Musings

• The Village of Oqaatsut: Previously a buying and selling submit for Dutch whalers within the 18th century, Oqaatsut has a inhabitants of roughly 40 and is barely accessible by water or foot in the course of the fleeting summer time season. Located on a small peninsula protruding from the mainland, other than its ramshackle assortment of colourful cottages, Oqaatsut consists of a fish processing plant, a church (which doubles as a schoolhouse), a cemetery, a small comfort retailer, and final however not least, arguably the best restaurant north of the Arctic Circle.

Oqaatsut Cemetery

• H8 Restaurant: The H8 restaurant in Oqaatsut gives a connoisseur eating expertise in essentially the most unlikely of areas. The restaurant’s title derives from the US navy’s former place-name/postcode system for Greenland, whereby throughout WW II, the numbers have been painted on distinguished rooftops as navigation aids for passing Air Drive pilots. The H8 makes a speciality of conventional native delicacies, together with muskoxen, reindeer, and seafood choices similar to shrimp, mussels, halibut, seal, and darkish whale meat. Costs on the H8 are removed from low cost, however contemplating its singular location and the standard of the meals on supply, having fun with certainly one of their three-course meals for lunch or dinner is an expertise to not be missed when visiting Oqaatsut.

• Sitting on a Rock of the Bay: After ending dinner on the H8, I waddled south of the village to pitch my tent. As soon as all the pieces was arrange, I headed over to a flat rock on the shoreline of Disko Bay. As I watched the icebergs floating by and the sky turning fifty shades of crimson, I ate some Freia Melkesjokolade chocolate and smiled a type of massive smiles that begins within the coronary heart. I sat there till it began to get colder, after which adjourned to my shelter the place I slipped into my quilt, and watched some extra. 

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Observe: The out-and-back stroll to Oqaatsut is certainly one of 26 featured trails in Wanderlust Nordics. My fifth collaboration with Gestalten Publishing, the e book options all kinds of rambles in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. From family-friendly day journeys to difficult multi-week treks, there’s one thing to go well with everybody from newbies to skilled vets.