Pangnirtung

Pangnirtung sits on Pangnirtung Fjord on Baffin Island with mountains rising more than a thousand metres directly behind, and it is known for two things. The Uqqurmiut Centre runs a tapestry studio where weavers translate drawings by local Inuit artists into large woven works, a practice begun in 1970 and now represented in collections and public buildings around the world, alongside a printmaking shop producing an annual print collection. The other is access: the hamlet is the southern gateway to Auyuittuq National Park, and the Akshayuk Pass route into it starts from here across the fjord ice or by boat.

What you actually see

• The tapestry studio - weavers working Inuit drawings into large woven pieces.
• The print shop - an annual collection of Inuit prints produced locally.
• The fjord walls - mountains rising over a thousand metres behind the hamlet.
• The Auyuittuq gateway - the start of the Akshayuk Pass route.

When to go

July to September for boat access and hiking; March to May for travel over fjord ice by snowmobile. Flights are weather-dependent year-round and cancellations are routine.

Honest expectations

Flights cancel frequently for weather and being stuck for days is normal. Costs are very high. Park travel requires registration, polar bear precautions and often an outfitter.

Nearby

Auyuittuq National Park lies north; Iqaluit is south by air.