A trip to Greenland takes you to one of the planet’s last great wildernesses, a remote land of ice and snow. With otherworldly landscapes and a beguiling mix of Viking history and contemporary Inuit culture, Greenland travel experiences offer you an unforgettable and unique adventure.
No matter your interests nor the time of year, you’re sure to find something to take your breath away. But whilst dog sledding across pristine snow and gazing at the northern lights are winter treats, Greenland really comes into its own in the summer.
At this time, the snows retreat and temperatures raise their heads above zero. The fjords and Arctic paths open up for exploration by hike, kayak, or cruise. You’ll find many of the winter wonders are still available too.
Read on to discover the 10 most incredible things to do in Greenland :
1.
A Trek to the Gaou Island
A seaside town located at the southwest of Toulon (Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur), Six-Fours-les-Plages offers several options for hiking, specifically a trek path that stretches out from the port of Coudoulière [in French] to the Gaou Island via a coastal path passing through several beaches. Once you have reached the Le Brusc cornice , walk along a lagoon with calm, shallow, and translucent waters that extends all the way to the Gaou Island.
That one-meter deep expanse of water is a place where thrives the Posidonia oceanica (commonly known as Neptune grass), a protected endemic species. Closed to navigation and swimming , that protected area, called nursery, offers shelter for fish against predators. “For several decades it has suffered in various places, a retreat and an atrophy caused by human activity,” warns Frederic Elie [in French], a scientist
The way to the Petit Gaou Island goes through a bridge that spans the isthmus of Gaou, a passage between the open sea (the Mediterranean) and the lagoon. On the island, it is possible to swim in shallow water facing the Embiez islands and then reach the Grand Gaou Island through a footbridge crossing a small arm of the sea. On its southern side stands erect a woman’s sculptor inspired by Aristide Maillol. Over the years and the sea spray, its shapes have gradually shrunk, which amuses the local, envying her out of the corner of their eye!
The island is a protected natural habitat, home to numerous animal species (sea urchins, starfish, sea snails, anemones, octopus, livebearers and various fish species – goby, scorpion fish, moray eel…) and plants (wild olive tree, marine cyst, green cypress, papyrus…).
Once the island’s tour completed it is time to go back through the bridge and admire the moored fishing boats one last time.
2.
A Trek to the Gaou Island
A seaside town located at the southwest of Toulon (Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur), Six-Fours-les-Plages offers several options for hiking, specifically a trek path that stretches out from the port of Coudoulière [in French] to the Gaou Island via a coastal path passing through several beaches. Once you have reached the Le Brusc cornice , walk along a lagoon with calm, shallow, and translucent waters that extends all the way to the Gaou Island.
That one-meter deep expanse of water is a place where thrives the Posidonia oceanica (commonly known as Neptune grass), a protected endemic species. Closed to navigation and swimming , that protected area, called nursery, offers shelter for fish against predators. “For several decades it has suffered in various places, a retreat and an atrophy caused by human activity,” warns Frederic Elie [in French], a scientist
The way to the Petit Gaou Island goes through a bridge that spans the isthmus of Gaou, a passage between the open sea (the Mediterranean) and the lagoon. On the island, it is possible to swim in shallow water facing the Embiez islands and then reach the Grand Gaou Island through a footbridge crossing a small arm of the sea. On its southern side stands erect a woman’s sculptor inspired by Aristide Maillol. Over the years and the sea spray, its shapes have gradually shrunk, which amuses the local, envying her out of the corner of their eye!
The island is a protected natural habitat, home to numerous animal species (sea urchins, starfish, sea snails, anemones, octopus, livebearers and various fish species – goby, scorpion fish, moray eel…) and plants (wild olive tree, marine cyst, green cypress, papyrus…).
Once the island’s tour completed it is time to go back through the bridge and admire the moored fishing boats one last time.
3.
A Trek to the Gaou Island
A seaside town located at the southwest of Toulon (Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur), Six-Fours-les-Plages offers several options for hiking, specifically a trek path that stretches out from the port of Coudoulière [in French] to the Gaou Island via a coastal path passing through several beaches. Once you have reached the Le Brusc cornice , walk along a lagoon with calm, shallow, and translucent waters that extends all the way to the Gaou Island.
That one-meter deep expanse of water is a place where thrives the Posidonia oceanica (commonly known as Neptune grass), a protected endemic species. Closed to navigation and swimming , that protected area, called nursery, offers shelter for fish against predators. “For several decades it has suffered in various places, a retreat and an atrophy caused by human activity,” warns Frederic Elie [in French], a scientist
The way to the Petit Gaou Island goes through a bridge that spans the isthmus of Gaou, a passage between the open sea (the Mediterranean) and the lagoon. On the island, it is possible to swim in shallow water facing the Embiez islands and then reach the Grand Gaou Island through a footbridge crossing a small arm of the sea. On its southern side stands erect a woman’s sculptor inspired by Aristide Maillol. Over the years and the sea spray, its shapes have gradually shrunk, which amuses the local, envying her out of the corner of their eye!
The island is a protected natural habitat, home to numerous animal species (sea urchins, starfish, sea snails, anemones, octopus, livebearers and various fish species – goby, scorpion fish, moray eel…) and plants (wild olive tree, marine cyst, green cypress, papyrus…).
Once the island’s tour completed it is time to go back through the bridge and admire the moored fishing boats one last time.
Selon une enquête nationale menée en 2018-2019 [en anglais], la plupart des résidents du Groenland (55 %) estiment que le glacier le plus proche de leur ville ou de leur village a reculé au cours de ces dernières décennies et que cette évolution est périlleuse.
76 % disent avoir personnellement ressenti les effets du changement climatique, mais les sujets d’inquiétudes varient selon leur région : perte et amincissement de la glace de mer (principalement dans les régions situées au nord, nord-ouest et à l’est de l’île), fonte de la calotte glaciaire (surtout à l’ouest), imprévisibilité du temps (sud-ouest), tempêtes intenses et fonte des glaciers (sud). Cela s’explique par le fait qu’en fonction de leur lieu de résidence, les 56 661 habitants de cet immense territoire (2,17 millions de km2, près de quatre fois la France) sont soumis à différentes conditions météorologiques et confrontés à des phénomènes naturels et climatiques extrêmes plus intenses dans les régions du Nord, comme la nuit polaire et des records de froid – le Groenland a enregistré le 22 décembre 1991 la température la plus basse (-69,6 °C) de l’hémisphère Nord.
79 % des habitants de l’île pensent que la glace de mer locale est devenue plus dangereuse pour se déplacer – le bateau constitue le principal moyen de transport au Groenland, qui ne possède pas de réseau routier. C’est particulièrement problématique pour les familles (trois sur quatre) qui dépendent pour leur alimentation de denrées qu’elles chassent, pêchent ou cueillent. « La chasse et la pêche de subsistance font toujours partie du mode de vie groenlandais. Et les Inuits sont personnellement exposés aux dangers et aux difficultés d’un environnement qui change rapidement », souligne la géologue Karin Kirk, qui a étudié l’évolution du climat sur place.
Une majorité des habitants du Groenland jugent que le changement climatique nuira à la chasse, à la pêche et aux chiens de traîneau, autre moyen de locomotion utilisé par les communautés isolées d’Inuits. Pour Paulus Larsen, un Inuit de l’Est du Groenland, ces difficultés sont déjà présentes :
Il y a aujourd’hui plus de neige que par le passé – parfois deux mètres ou plus. La glace fine recouverte d'une épaisse couche de neige est très peu fiable. Sortir simplement sur la glace pour aller pêcher le suluppaavaq (perche d’océan) n’est plus possible.
