Nuup Kangerlua Fjord Cruises, Sermitsiaq and Qooqqut

Extending 160 kilometres (99.4 miles) from the margin of the Greenland ice sheet (Sermersuaq) to the skerry-studded waters of the Labrador Sea, Nuup Kangerlua (historically known as Godthåbsfjorden, Gilbert Sound, and Baal's River) is the longest fjord on Greenland's southwestern coast and one of the largest branched fjord systems in the inhabited Arctic. Beginning deep inland at 64°19′N where two tidewater glaciers, Narsap Sermia and Qamanaarsuup Sermia, drain the ice sheet directly into the water, the fjord flows northwest before bending southwest and splitting into three broad arms wrapped around three mountainous islands: Sermitsiaq Island, Qeqertarsuaq Island, and Qoornuup Qeqertarsua.

Sermitsiaq Mountain and the Glacial Waterfall

Rising 15 kilometres northeast of the capital in the centre of its namesake island, Sermitsiaq reaches 1,210 metres (3,970 feet) above sea level. Its sharp west-to-east summit ridge lifts into three distinct peaks that resemble a saddle, inspiring its Danish name Sadelø ("Saddle Island") as well as Nuuk's municipal coat of arms and the title of Greenland's national newspaper. While hanging glaciers cling to the mountain's shaded northern face, its southern flank drops in sheer Archaean gneiss cliffs directly into the fjord. Almost every boat cruise departing from Nuuk's Old Colonial Harbour or main marina approaches within metres of the southern rock wall, where a roaring waterfall fed by high-altitude ice melt cascades straight into the salt water.

Summer Whale Watching and Iceberg Navigation

From June through September, schools of capelin (ammassat) and krill attract humpback whales, minke whales, and fin whales into the deep channels around Sermitsiaq and the mouth of the fjord, while ringed and harp seals rest on drifting blue-and-white ice floes. Half-day wildlife safaris focus on the waters around Sermitsiaq and Qeqertarsuaq, whereas five-to-six-hour glacier cruises thread through the dense brash ice and tabular icebergs calved from the Narsap Sermia glacier front.

Catch-and-Cook Dining at Qooqqut

Roughly 50 minutes by closed-cabin boat east of Nuuk behind Qeqertarsuaq Island lies the wind-sheltered granite valley of Qooqqut, where medieval Norse settlers once farmed the inner slopes. On summer afternoon or evening excursions to the fjord-side restaurant Qooqqut Nuan, captains stop over a rocky submarine bank on the approach so passengers can jig with handlines for Atlantic cod and redfish; the kitchen team then fillets and cooks your fish to order alongside dishes featured in our Nuuk food guide. For an even deeper voyage into the inner fjord, see our guide to Kapisillit and the Kangersuneq Icefjord, and review our packing guide before going afloat.