Oqaatsut

Oqaatsut is a settlement of a few dozen people about twenty kilometres north of Ilulissat, once a Dutch whaling station, and it has no road: the boat runs in summer, dog sled or snowmobile in winter, and a hiking route follows the coast in around five hours. A restaurant in an old building serves visitors and there is a small guesthouse. The name means cormorants. The Disko Bay icebergs are visible from the shore.

What you actually see

• The whaling station history - the Dutch use of the site before the colonial period.
• The coastal hike - the five-hour walking route from Ilulissat.
• The winter sled route - the dog sledding access when the sea ice forms.
• The settlement - a few dozen people with no road connection.

When to go

June to September for boats and hiking. February to April for dog sledding when the ice is firm. Shoulder seasons can leave it unreachable.

Honest expectations

There is a period in spring and autumn when neither boat nor sled works and the settlement is effectively cut off. Facilities are one restaurant and a small guesthouse. The hike is unmarked in places.

Nearby

Ilulissat is south, and Eqi Glacier is north.