Nuup Kangerlua, Arctic fjord in Sermersooq, Greenland.
Nuup Kangerlua is a branching fjord on the west coast of Greenland, stretching roughly 160 km (100 mi) from its mouth near Nuuk toward the interior of the island. Several large side fjords and mountainous islands divide the system into distinct basins connected by open water.
Norse settlers used these waterways during the Middle Ages as routes linking the coast to the interior, relying on them for trade and basic supply. Long before that, the area had been home to earlier peoples whose traces have been found along the shores.
The small settlement of Kapisillit sits near the inner end of the fjord, where fishing remains a central part of daily life. Locals travel the waterways by boat as a matter of routine, not recreation.
Boat trips from Nuuk are the main way to explore the fjord, with tours running throughout the year. Temperatures stay cold even in summer, so warm and waterproof layers are worth bringing regardless of the season.
At the inner end of the fjord, two glaciers from the Greenland ice sheet flow directly into the water, breaking off ice as they go. The resulting icebergs drift through the inner basins and change the look of the water from one visit to the next.
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