Aasiaat

Aasiaat sits at the southern edge of Disko Bay on a low island in the middle of an archipelago of several hundred small islands and skerries, which is what the name refers to: the place of spiders, for the pattern the islands make. It is the fourth largest town in Greenland. Humpback and fin whales feed in the bay through summer and the archipelago is worked by boat and kayak; icebergs from the Ilulissat icefjord drift down into it.

What you actually see

• The archipelago - several hundred islands and skerries around the town.
• The whales - humpback and fin whales feeding in the bay through summer.
• The drifting icebergs - ice carried down from the Ilulissat icefjord.
• The town museum - the collection in the old colonial buildings.

When to go

June to September is the season for boats and whales. Sea ice closes the bay in winter and spring. Flights are weather dependent.

Honest expectations

Sea ice closes the bay for much of the year. Flight connections are limited and cancelled often. The town is workaday with modest facilities.

Nearby

Qasigiannguit is north, and Ilulissat is northeast.