“Iceland isn’t cool anymore” is the (ironic) statement on which this review of Greenland as a touristic destination is built upon: “if you’re looking for Nordic cool, you’re going to have to go to Greenland.” […] its remoteness means that it remains largely under-visited and unexplored by casual travelers. The world’s largest island, Greenland is home to fewer than 60,000 people […] almost 90 percent of its population is Indigenous. It’s mostly frozen, dominated by the largest ice sheet in the Northern Hemisphere. […] The “green” in Greenland was largely a clever, Middle Ages marketing trick. Banished from Iceland in the late 10th century, Erik the Red established two Norse colonies here, and felt that a salubrious name would attract more settlers to his new community. (It didn’t really work.) But in summer […] this seemingly endless natural wonderland is almost indescribably beautiful. […] “On this trip, you’ll experience something truly unique,” says expedition leader Alison Gordon […] aboard Ultramarine, a brand-new ship operated by a company called Quark Expeditions. “Even in Antarctica, you visit ports frequented by other vessels. Here, we have the whole place to ourselves.” The itinerary is busy. Quark worked closely with Inuit-owned businesses and the Kommune Kujjaleq (regional government) to develop the schedule, and it’s the only voyage of its kind in Greenland. Rather than mass tourism, the goal here is to focus on high-value, low-impact tourism, welcoming small ships to engage in activities that are intimate, and leave a minimal footprint. […] Two big Airbus helicopters on the top deck shuttle hikers to remote ridge lines, as well as alpine kayakers and mountain bikers to landing sites that would be inaccessible […] “When you come here, you get the chance to find and discover things nobody else has seen.” […]
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