Kitsissuarsuit

Kitsissuarsuit (Danish: Hunde Ejlande, "Dog Islands") is a small island settlement of around 50 people in southern Disko Bay, western Greenland, in the Kommune Qeqertalik municipality, lying on a low 6-km² island some 21 km north of the regional town of Aasiaat. The site was used as a whaling station from 1817 and formally founded as a settlement in 1830, and it remains a traditional fishing and hunting community. Like many Greenlandic settlements it has been slowly losing residents to the larger towns, which only deepens its quiet, end-of-the-map character.

The appeal of Kitsissuarsuit is exactly its remoteness: a tight cluster of brightly painted houses on a flat, treeless island, ringed by the open waters of Disko Bay where icebergs drift past and whales pass in summer. It offers an unvarnished look at small-settlement Greenlandic life, with hunting, fishing and the sea governing the daily routine, and almost no tourist infrastructure to soften the experience.

The climate is Arctic: cold, dark winters and brief, cool summers. The practical visiting season is June to September, when the sea is open, boats run and wildlife is active; the rest of the year travel is dictated by ice and weather, with northern lights and a frozen seascape as the reward for winter visitors.

By Plane

Kitsissuarsuit has a small heliport (QJI) served by Air Greenland helicopters connecting it to the hub at Aasiaat (Aasiaat Airport, JEG), 21 km to the south, where fixed-wing flights link onward across Greenland. Service is sparse and weather-dependent; the heliport is a short walk from the houses.

By Car / Road

In the open-water season the Arctic Umiaq Line coastal ferry and local passenger and cargo boats connect the island with Aasiaat and the rest of Disko Bay, the cheapest and most characterful way to arrive.

Everything in Kitsissuarsuit is within a few minutes' walk and walking is the only land transport; there are no buses, taxis or ride-hailing. Beyond the island, movement is by boat in summer and by dog sled or snowmobile across the sea ice in winter. Local boat owners can be hired to reach the surrounding waters and icebergs.

• The settlement itself — a photogenic cluster of colourful timber houses on a flat island, the kind of remote Greenlandic community few outsiders ever see.
• Kitsissuarsuit Church — the small village church at the centre of community life.
• Disko Bay icebergs and seascape — the surrounding open water carries the drifting icebergs the bay is famous for, viewable from shore and by boat.
• Summer wildlife — whales and seals frequent the nearby waters in the warmer months.

Activity here means stepping into the rhythm of a hunting-and-fishing community. Boat trips among the islands and icebergs, usually arranged informally with local fishermen, are the main thing to do, paired with whale and seal watching in summer and hands-on sea fishing, the economic backbone of the village. In winter the frozen bay allows dog-sledding and snowmobiling, and the long dark nights bring frequent aurora displays. There are no organised tours or guides on the island; the experience is about quiet immersion, ideally including a kaffemik coffee gathering if you are welcomed into a home.

There are no restaurants or cafés in Kitsissuarsuit. The food culture is the traditional Greenlandic diet drawn from the sea — seal, whale, Greenland halibut and seabirds — supplemented by imported staples from the store. Visitors self-cater from the Pilersuisoq or share meals with hosts; anyone staying should arrive with provisions and not expect any dining venue. Vegetarian options are confined to what the small store stocks.

There is no bar or café. Beer may be sold in limited supply at the store, but social drinking is a private, home-based affair, as is the village's coffee culture of kaffemik gatherings. Tap water comes from clean Arctic sources and is safe to drink.

• Budget: Informal homestay or guesthouse arrangements with local families are the only accommodation, set up in advance through Disko Bay tourism contacts or directly; expect simple, basic rooms.
• Mid-range / Upscale: There are no hotels on the island. Visitors wanting hotel-standard lodging stay in Aasiaat and come to Kitsissuarsuit on a day or overnight boat trip.

The only retail is the village Pilersuisoq store (part of the rural KNI chain), selling groceries, fuel and basic necessities, paid in Danish kroner (DKK). There are no souvenir shops or markets, though carvings and sealskin goods may sometimes be bought directly from residents. Bargaining is not customary and imported goods are expensive.

• Aasiaat — the regional hub 21 km south by helicopter or boat, with hotels, shops and onward flights.
• Ikamiut — another small island settlement in the same archipelago on the south side of Disko Bay.
• Qasigiannguit — one of Greenland's oldest towns, across the bay, with a well-regarded museum.
• Ilulissat — across Disko Bay, gateway to the UNESCO-listed Icefjord and its giant icebergs.
• Qeqertarsuaq (Disko Island) — to the northwest, famous for basalt cliffs, hot springs and hiking.