About half of Greenland’s 56,000 inhabitants live in the large towns along the country’s west coast, including Nuuk the capital. Enormous fjord systems and skerries are typical of the whole region, and there are opportunities for boat trips during most of the year with a good chance of seeing seals and whales.
The Gulf Stream reaches this part of Greenland, preventing the sea from freezing over in the winter. The airport at Kangerlussuaq has regular scheduled flights to Iceland (via Kulusuk) and Denmark throughout the year, and also is also the hub for all domestic flights in West Greenland. In the area around the airport there is an extensive network of unpaved roads (extensive for Greenland, that is) along which you can cycle or take a 4-wheel drive vehicle to the edge of the inland ice. If you do this you are sure to see some of the many reindeer and musk oxen which roam through the mountains. The region as a whole offers many exciting activities during the spring, all connected with the snow and ice. Every year a Snow Sculpture Festival is held in Nuuk, with the participation of both novice and experienced snow sculptors from Greenland and abroad. Apart from this the powder snow at Maniitsoq is ready and waiting for the skiers who are carried up to the top of the mountains by helicopter. Further the Arctic Circle Race – the world’s longest cross-country skiing race at over 160 kilomerres/100 miles – takes place at Sisimiut each year, with competitors spending the night in tents. Furthermore, in Kangerlussuaq you can spend the night in a hotel made of ice, where the drinks are served in glasses made from ice as well! It is only to be expected that the hotel’s opening times are limited.