Scoresby Sund

Scoresby Sund branches inland from the east coast into a system of fjords covering a larger area than any other in the world, running some three hundred kilometres to its inner reaches, with walls of layered basalt, glaciers feeding in from several directions and icebergs of a size the west coast rarely produces. Most people see it from expedition ships in the short open-water window. There are no settlements inside it beyond Ittoqqortoormiit at the mouth.

What you actually see

• The scale - a fjord system covering a larger area than any other on earth.
• The basalt walls - layered rock faces along the inner branches.
• The icebergs - ice of a size rarely seen elsewhere in Greenland.
• The inner branches - fjords running some three hundred kilometres inland.

When to go

July to September is the open-water window when ships can enter. Sea ice closes the mouth for the rest of the year. Even in summer ice can block access.

Honest expectations

The window is short and ice can close the mouth entirely even in August. Access is by expedition ship or expensive charter. There is nothing inside the system in the way of shelter or facilities.

Nearby

Ittoqqortoormiit is at the mouth, and Northeast Greenland National Park is north.