Isfjorden

Isfjorden cuts more than a hundred kilometres into the west side of Spitsbergen and branches repeatedly, and almost everything in Svalbard happens on it: Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, the airport, the old Soviet settlements and the ships that work the coast. Its mouth stays ice-free most winters because of the Atlantic water pushing north, which is why the settlements were placed there. Bird cliffs, glacier fronts and beluga are all within the system.

What you actually see

• The branching arms - Tempelfjorden, Billefjorden and the other side fjords.
• The ice-free mouth - Atlantic water keeping the entrance open through most winters.
• The settlements - Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and the abandoned mining camps.
• The beluga - the white whales that work the shallows along the shores.

When to go

June to September for boats, March to May for snowmobile travel over sea ice where it forms. The dark season runs November to February. Midnight sun runs late April to late August.

Honest expectations

Sea ice in the inner fjords has become unreliable, which affects snowmobile routes. Polar bear risk means travel outside the settlements requires protection and, in practice, a guide. Weather cancels boat trips regularly.

Nearby

Longyearbyen is on the southern shore, and Alkhornet is at the mouth.