Discover Upernaviarsuk & Greenland’s only Agricultural Research Station by Boat
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Port
Qaqortoq, Greenland
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Activity Level
Moderate Activity
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Excursion Type
Information Not Currently Available
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At (prices in USD)
$190
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
2 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
In the late tenth century Eric the Red, an Icelandic Viking was exiled here and gave the island its name in a marketing ploy to attract settlers to come and farm the southern part of Greenland. And today, who says that tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries can’t grow on the green fringes of this white land? Certainly, vegetable gardens boasting a view of icebergs drifting majestically by are few and far between. This experience will transport you from Qaqortoq on a picturesque cruise some seven kilometres (five miles) in a northeasterly direction to the Upernaviarsuk Agricultural Station. Located in the outer fjord region that is free of ice during winter but often blocked by large quantities of pack ice during the spring, Upernaviarsuk is administered by the Greenlandic self-rule government and is the island’s only experimental farm research centre and agricultural school. Here you will be guided amongst the outdoor areas, hotbeds and two large greenhouses, and learn all about the on-going experiments and possibilities wrought by climate change to expand the range of vegetables cultivated (all of which are grown organically and go to supply supermarkets throughout the island). In addition to the horticultural experiments, you will see the trials of livestock and trees and bushes specially adapted to the sub-arctic climate while your guide informs you about Greenlandic agriculture and discusses the challenges of farming in a subarctic climate. With the tour complete you will take the return cruise back to Qaqortoq.
Please Note: Please remember to dress warmly and bring your own beverages. There is about 30 minutes of walking involved.