On our first full day aboard the M/S Sarfaq Ittuk ferry, traveling north up Greenland's west coast, I was up shortly before dawn to see the ferry make its initial stop at Arsuk. Steven is definitely not an early bird like I am, so I left him still sleeping.
As I mentioned in the previous post, the Sarfaq Ittuk ferry was exclusively for passengers and often the sole means of transportation for Greenlanders along the coast, typically making twice-weekly stops in each port. It usually called early every Wednesday morning in the minuscule community of Arsuk on its way south to Qaqortok and Narsaq. Typically, it stops again early every Thursday as it heads north to Nuuk and onward to Disko Bay. The people of Arsuk are fortunate, as there is also a heliport in Arsuk with weekly flights to Qaqortoq.
Overlooking Arsuk was the 4,652-ft-high Kuunnnaat Mountain, which blocked any way out over land.
With some of the stops at the ports lasting just 15 minutes, there was no time to tour some of the settlements. In the case of Arsuk, there was no chance to even get off the ferry, as its port was too tiny to accommodate the ferry. Instead, it had to dispatch a small boat to the port to transport those passengers going to Arsuk and pick up those going further north.
As we bid adieu to Arsuk, everyone on board either got something to eat in the on-board Café Sarfaq, retreated to their cabins, walked laps around the ferry, or relaxed in the lounge en route to our next pit stop, seven hours later at Paamiut, 97 nautical miles north.
Steven and I had chosen not to buy a meal plan on the ferry, opting instead to bring snacks and light meal alternatives aboard with us. I had brought tortillas and peanut butter (from home in Denver, no less!) for myself, but Steven, who's allergic to all nuts, brought packages of tuna, lots of mayo packets, and dried soups, likewise from Denver. We'd also stocked up on lots of apples, rolls, and other snacks before leaving Reykjavik several days earlier. The kettle in our cabin came in extremely handy!
I think Steven was a little apprehensive that one of his walking sticks might be thrown overboard by this rambunctious toddler!
Here is another view of our cabin, with Steven exiting the bathroom!
Paamiut sat at the end of a long rocky peninsula jutting out into the Labrador Sea. It was almost equidistant from Arsuk in the south and Qeqertarsuatsiaat to the north. Off the coast was an archipelago of over one hundred uninhabited islands, some of which we'd passed. If we had a chance to travel about 30 miles inland from Paamiut, we would have reached the vast, deserted ice sheet!
In hindsight, how I wish I had been ready to leave the ferry when it docked, so I could have gotten a better look at the town's church. It looked striking from the deck of the ferry - imagine what it looked like standing right in front of it! I just found out that the Fredens Kirke, or Peace Church, was built in 1909 in a Norwegian stave church style.
With some of the stops at the ports lasting just 15 minutes, there was no time to tour some of the settlements. In the case of Arsuk, there was no chance to even get off the ferry, as its port was too tiny to accommodate the ferry. Instead, it had to dispatch a small boat to the port to transport those passengers going to Arsuk and pick up those going further north.
The first people to settle at Arsuk were the nomadic Saqqaq Inuit, the archaeological designation of the earliest pre-Inuit culture of west and southeast Greenland. The time frame is approximately 2,500 BC to 800 BC. By the time the Norse settlers arrived in Greenland in 986, the Saqqaq had already left, as did the Norse shortly after. When the Thule Inuit came to Arsuk in the 15th century, they established a permanent settlement. A British engineer began mining silver in the late 18th century at Ivittuut in the Arsuk Fjord, but the operation was short-lived.
In the mid-19th century, a group of Danes discovered cryolite in the same mine. Used in the aluminium extraction process, the cryolite mine remained in operation for over one hundred years until 1987. The community's population has declined ever since, from over 300 in 1991 to just 72 now.
Arsuk's few homes were dotted around the port. I think the settlement's church was the red building with the large roof facing the port on the left. It dates to 1830.
Although the Arsuk settlement has a small population, the government still supports it with a grocery store open daily, except on Sundays, a school, and a health center. That was certainly far more than can be said for similar-sized villages here in the US, and I suspect the same is true for Canada as well.
The settlement's highlight must be the ferry's stops each week. Our ferry's boat had to make two trips to pick up passengers from Arsuk, with eight on the first trip and four on the second.
Even though it was raining, I still enjoyed watching the goings on at the early hour!
As we bid adieu to Arsuk, everyone on board either got something to eat in the on-board Café Sarfaq, retreated to their cabins, walked laps around the ferry, or relaxed in the lounge en route to our next pit stop, seven hours later at Paamiut, 97 nautical miles north.
Steven and I had chosen not to buy a meal plan on the ferry, opting instead to bring snacks and light meal alternatives aboard with us. I had brought tortillas and peanut butter (from home in Denver, no less!) for myself, but Steven, who's allergic to all nuts, brought packages of tuna, lots of mayo packets, and dried soups, likewise from Denver. We'd also stocked up on lots of apples, rolls, and other snacks before leaving Reykjavik several days earlier. The kettle in our cabin came in extremely handy!
In addition to the sandwiches, salads, and other items available for lunch and dinner in Café Sarfaq, two hot meals were also available for purchase à la carte. The Café also sold beer and wine. I can't remember the beverage prices now, but nothing seemed outrageous, especially as for most people, the choices were this or nothing!
One of the hassles with bringing our own food was that it could only be consumed in our cabin. It didn't seem that the rule was enforced, however, as we noticed plenty of people noshing in the lounge, on the decks, and in other areas.
When the weather cleared up, it was pleasant to gaze at the small chunks of ice from the upper deck. The water looked crystal clear, but I don't know how clean it really was.
As this wasn't a cruise ship, there were no visits to the bridge. This was as close as Steven and I got!
It was fun trying to figure out what some of the icebergs looked like!
We sure hoped we'd never have to use these evacuation chutes! I was surprised that there were no safety procedure announcements when we had boarded the night before. Nor did we ever hear any when others boarded the ferry.
Greenland's flag, adopted in 1985, featured a white stripe representing the glaciers and ice cap, which cover more than 80% of the island. The red stripe symbolizes the ocean and fjords. The red semicircle represents the sun setting on the horizon, symbolizing light and warmth. The red and white colors also signify Greenland's long-standing connection to the Kingdom of Denmark, as its flag features the same colors.
I think Steven was a little apprehensive that one of his walking sticks might be thrown overboard by this rambunctious toddler!
The ship's funnel looked like a witch's tophat!
I recommend clicking on the map photo to enlarge it. That way, you'll see the small towns and settlements I've mentioned in this or in previous posts: Narsarsauq, where we flew into from Reykjavik; Qassiaruk, the UNESCO-listed community we saw by boat for several hours; Qaqortok, the town with the Stone and Man sculpture trail; Narsaq, where Steven and I saw the young boy cleaning his father's fishing boat; and Arsuk and Paamiut, the stops today.
When the captain announced in English that there were whales on the right side of the ship, we scurried over as quickly as possible to see them. This was the best shot I could take.
Here is another view of our cabin, with Steven exiting the bathroom!
We knew from the weather beacon that we were thirty minutes out from Paamiut.
Paamiut sat at the end of a long rocky peninsula jutting out into the Labrador Sea. It was almost equidistant from Arsuk in the south and Qeqertarsuatsiaat to the north. Off the coast was an archipelago of over one hundred uninhabited islands, some of which we'd passed. If we had a chance to travel about 30 miles inland from Paamiut, we would have reached the vast, deserted ice sheet!
With just a thirty-minute stop in the port, Steven and I stayed on board. I didn't mind, as I amused myself watching some passengers leave and others bid fond farewells to their loved ones before boarding.
The town of Paamiut (note, not a settlement this time!) was established in 1742 as a small trading center for seals and whales, although it has been inhabited since approximately 1500 B.C. During the 20th century, cod fishing became Paamiut's primary industry. In 1967, it experienced a boom when a cod factory was built. Just like in northern Iceland with the herring industry, however, the cod did not last. Instead of closing down, the factory was able to pivot and process crab and shrimp. However, like Arsuk, Paamiut has experienced a sharp decline in its population over the last 20 years, with the current number standing at 1,173.
Except for a few seagulls we had spotted in Qaqortok the morning before near the Great Greenland sealskin processing factory, these were the only birds we'd observed in Greenland.
One of the new passengers had brought a salmon aboard. Fortunately, the ferry had a large freezer for passengers to store treasures like this!
Before you ask why I didn't leave the ferry, there were a few reasons: I was very hesitant to walk around by myself in a strange place in case I fell and got hurt, and Steven either didn't feel well enough to chance walking or hiking or was resting in the cabin, and there was scant time to go exploring before the ferry left.
Thirty minutes north of Paamiut, I saw six hunters in a semi-circle, perhaps on the lookout for whales. I was surprised to see so many hunters in the same area and wondered what the 'protocol' was for the hunters if there was only one whale. Whose property would the whale become - the hunter who had killed it, or was it a collective ownership because several had perhaps aided in its capture?
Other passengers remarked that they had seen a whale, but I didn't.
Dinner that night at Café Sarfaq included a choice of Beef Stroganoff or BBQ chicken, each costing approximately $18 per person, including salad. It was no fine dining experience, but the food was warm, plentiful, and filling. Although the café was open from 7 am until 10 pm, dinner was only available from 6 to 7 pm. If you missed the dinner hour, cold sandwiches and other snacks were available for purchase. Vending machines located near the lounge sold snacks, sandwiches, and a variety of hot and cold drinks.
Unrelenting cloud cover at 7:30 pm ...
... but gloriously sunny 90 minutes later, as you can see from our cabin. We could almost forget we were in Greenland, and not the sunny Caribbean waters!
The views later that night were among the best of the entire ferry ride, with snow-capped mountains in the distance, golden-hued cliffs at the sea edge, and lovely blue waters.
Basking in the Land of the Midnight Sun on deck chairs at 10 pm:
Nearing Qeqertarsuatsiaat, a small coastal town that relies on the ferry to make stops on Tuesdays heading to south Greenland, and very late on Thursdays on its way back to Nuuk:
Boats were the only means of transportation in or out, as there are no roads, heliports, or airports. The town is situated at the very northern point of the island of the same name, which means 'rather large island.'
As with so many western Greenland coastal towns, Qeqertarsuatsiaat began as a trading port before becoming an early hub for cod and salmon fishing. And, again, like other towns, its population has declined from a high of over 300 to just 177 now. After a Norwegian company took over a troubled ruby and pink sapphire mine approximately 11 miles east of the town in 2016, there is hope that Qeqertarsuatsiaat's fortunes may revive.
The company is mining into rock that is roughly three billion years old to extract the oldest rubies and pink sapphires on earth. Each stone can be identified as Greenlandic by the trace elements it contains. Although the mine is foreign-owned, it is considered very Greenlandic, with a 100% local workforce and 75% of its operating costs spent in Greenland.
I was surprised to see about ten preteen boys and girls playing atop the containers well after 10 pm. I envied their energy at such a late hour, but thought it was unusual that they were on the dock with no adult supervision.
Next post: Landlubbers again, exploring Greenland's capital city of Nuuk for the entire day!
Posted on October 3rd, 2025, from Denver, as we bask in the sun on an early fall day. Dare I complain about the possibility of a record-breaking hot day? Please be sure to remind me of today's uncomfortable heat when we're buried under a foot of snow in a few months! I hope you and your loved ones are healthy - make sure to take care of yourself and them, whether they're nearby or far away.
