Uummannaq

Uummannaq (Danish: Umanak) is a city in Western Greenland. Uummannaq is a town of about 1,300 people (2013) with another 1,300 residing in the surrounding settlements. The main industry in the area is fishing for halibut, which has overtaken hunting as the principal industry for the town. The town is about 500 km north of the Arctic Circle, and the midnight sun is experienced from mid-May through August.

Uummannaq is on a heartshaped island, hence its name, heartlike place.

Get in
Airgreenland flies from Ilulissat and Qaanaaq to the nearby airport at Qaarsut. From there a helicopter will take you to the heliport in Uummannaq. The easiest way to get to Uummannaq is to take a flight from Kangerlussuaq to Qaarsut with a layover in either Aasiaat or Ilulissat. Then take the 10-minute helicopter flight to Uummannaq, in the winter the journey from Qaarsut is easy by car, but by air is faster.

Get around
The city can be traversed on foot. The surrounding region can in the summer be visited by boat, and in winter by dogsled or snowmobile. Dog sleds are used during the winter months to travel around the city, to fishing sites, and to the nearby settlements.

Dog sledding
The best time to take a dog sledding adventure is from February to April, during this time, the fjord that surrounds Uummannaq is frozen and the dog sled is the main method of transport between the town and the settlements.

Heliskiing
Heliskiing near Uummannaq is unbelievable. The best place to go is the Sernersuaq glacier on the large peninsula Nuussuaqq.

Ice fishing
Ice fishing is a great way to get out on the frozen fjord in the winter and spend some time with the locals. The local fishermen travel out to the fishing sites on the fjord in the winter by dog sled to fish for halibut.

Skiing
Skiing is part of everyday life in Uummannaq, especially on the ice fjords. It serves as a method of transport and a great way to see the local scenery.

Snowmobiling
Snowmobiling is a great way for tourist to travel between the settlements at Uummannaq. The easiest way to rent one is to check with the local tourist office in Uummannaq.