5 things you need to experience in Greenland before Trumps (supposedly) buys it

Visit Greenland wants to turn the global attention toward Greenland to something positive. Picture: Instagram

Visit Greenland wants to turn the global attention toward Greenland to something positive. Picture: Instagram

Published Aug 30, 2019

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If there's one thing Americans know about Greenland, it's this: The island is not for sale, despite President Donald Trump's best efforts.

The country's official tourism site, VisitGreenland.com, recorded about 10 times as much traffic as usual that weekend, though it's not clear yet whether the interest will translate to bookings. Officials have since updated the site to add a section on "American interest in Greenland."

And Greenland has an interest in America. About 8 000 US citizens visit each year, and, according to a representative, North America is a "priority market" for the country of 56 000.

"Visit Greenland wants to turn the global attention toward Greenland to something positive, as our country is a unique adventure-tourism destination with a magnificent nature scenery, friendly people and a culture that goes far back in history," spokeswoman Idrissia Thestrup said in an email.

Here are some details travelers should keep in mind if Greenland is moving up on their bucket list:

You can't get there from here directly

There are no direct flights from the United States to Greenland; travelers must go to Iceland or Denmark and then connect. According to Hopper, a "good deal price" from the States to Greenland, with connections, costs between $1 000 and $2 000 (about R15 200 and R30 400). Additionally, some cruise ships have itineraries that include Greenland.

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Even if the welcoming comitee might not be this grand, getting to Greenland is not the hassle you expect it to be. Especially not with our insider knowledge! Check out the link in bio. - 🎥 Check out @teamcoco to watch the video! - #ConanGreenland #visitgreenland #greenlandpioneer #greenland #travel #arctic

A post shared by Visit Greenland(@visitgreenland) on Aug 23, 2019 at 9:52am PDT

Not a place for road trips

The country's towns and communities aren't connected by a network of roads, Thestrup said, so travelers should be prepared to get around by plane, helicopter, boat or, in the winter, dogsleds or snowmobiles. Greenland is the largest island in the world that isn't also a continent, so that's a lot of ground to cover.

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"Midnight sun lighting those windows up like a couple of cat eyes! Real good idea of scale here, you can see the water line below and the iceberg in the background is not close at all it's probably just under a mile away. This glacier is said to have created the iceberg that sunk the Titanic." - 📸 @ggunderson thank you for sharing this evening view with us! - #greenlandpioneer #visitgreenland #northgreenland #iceberg #midnightsun #colourfulhouses #ilulissat

A post shared by Visit Greenland(@visitgreenland) on Aug 16, 2019 at 6:42am PDT

Looking for a warm getaway? Look elsewhere.

Located northeast of Canada, Greenland sits between the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans. Not exactly balmy! According to Visit Greenland, even in the middle of summer, the mean temperature stays below 50 degrees in most of the country. Between November and April, expect temperatures below freezing. Ice is abundant but not ubiquitous, covering nearly 80 percent of the island - and it has been melting at an alarming rate.

Still, watch out for mosquitoes

In summer, when the sun doesn't set completely, giant mosquitoes can swarm. Visit Greenland offers tips on how to cope with the pests during the midnight-sun periods, including: dousing yourself with juice from Labrador tea leaves, going out in the fog, staying near the sea, wearing a mosquito net and spending time near sheep.

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"60.27°N 44.78°W 🇬🇱 This landscape marks the end of the Tasermiut Fjord, a 70-kilometre-long fjord in southwestern Greenland. No paths, no huts, no signal, no means of civilization, just this beautiful harsh northern landscape... 🙌🏼" - 📸 @rawmeyn thank you for this stunning photo from South Greenland! - #greenlandpioneer #tasermiutfjord #visitgreenland #sailing #arcticsummer #greenland #mountainscape #sailboat

A post shared by Visit Greenland(@visitgreenland) on Jul 22, 2019 at 5:37am PDT

Choose from three Unesco World Heritage sites

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has named three World Heritage sites around Greenland: Ilulissat Icefjord on the west coast, a huge collection of icebergs; Kujataa, an agricultural settlement in the south with both Norse and Inuit history; and Aasivisuit-Nipisat, Inuit hunting grounds in the central part of west Greenland.

The Washington Post

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