Unartoq

In a land of ice and stone, the hot springs of Unartoq stand as a geological anomaly of almost miraculous character — natural thermal pools on a small island in southern Greenland where water heated by the Earth's interior rises to the surface at a blissful thirty-seven degrees Celsius, creating open-air bathing conditions surrounded by icebergs, glaciers, and the vast silence of the sub-Arctic. Unartoq is one of only three places in Greenland where natural hot springs reach swimmable temperatures, and by far the most scenically spectacular.

The Norse settlers who colonised southern Greenland a thousand years ago certainly knew these springs. The ruins of their farms — stone foundations, collapsed byres, the outlines of longhouses — dot the coastline of the surrounding fjords, testimony to a civilisation that thrived here for five centuries before mysteriously vanishing in the fifteenth century. Whether those medieval Greenlanders bathed in these same pools is unrecorded, but it seems inconceivable that they did not — the comfort of warm water in a climate of such severity would have been impossible to resist.

The experience of bathing at Unartoq is elemental and unforgettable. The pools, lined with stones and aquatic plants, are modest in size — accommodating perhaps a dozen bathers in comfort. The water is mineral-rich, slightly sulfurous, and perfectly warm. Lying in these pools with icebergs drifting past in the fjord below, glaciers gleaming on distant mountains, and no sound but the occasional call of an Arctic tern, is to experience a quality of serenity that the modern world has almost entirely eliminated.

The island and its surrounding fjords offer more than thermal bathing. The rugged coastline is home to Arctic hares and foxes, while the waters support ringed and harp seals. In summer, the hillsides bloom with Arctic wildflowers — purple saxifrage, Arctic poppies, and cotton grass — creating unexpected bursts of colour against the grey-green tundra. The ruins of the Norse Eastern Settlement, the most extensive in Greenland, are scattered throughout the region, and the reconstructed Norse farmstead at Qassiarsuk (the site of Erik the Red's Brattahlíð) is accessible by boat.

Unartoq is reached by boat from the towns of Narsaq or Qaqortoq in southern Greenland, with the crossing taking approximately one hour. Expedition cruise ships anchor in the fjord and tender passengers to the island. The visiting season runs from June through September, with July and August offering the warmest air temperatures — though even then, expect conditions that make the hot springs feel even more luxurious by contrast. Visitors should bring towels and a willingness to change in the open air; there are no facilities of any kind.