The kayak is a means of transport and hunting tool originating in the Arctic region, which spread to east Greenland with the first wave of immigrants arriving in the country over 4,000 years ago.
In Greenland, the kayak became a central part of everyday life in hunting communities. Even today, the kayak remains one of the most representative cultural symbols of the Greenlandic people's ability to adapt to their environment. Fibreglass kayak rental outfits are found throughout the country, a further testament to the popularity of this type of craft among the many visitors who come to Greenland. Try your hand at an ancestral activity that locals use in much the same way we use a car or the metro to get to work.
There is truth to the idea that this closeness to nature, the contact with the ocean's surface, the rhythmic motion of the paddle in the water, and the ability to propel oneself forward using only the human body, come together to form a fitting match for the need for daily excursions and adventurous expeditions characteristic of the peoples of the far north.
Add to this icebergs, whales, seals, flocks of birds, small towns and typical villages, and a jagged coastline, which lend a unique arctic dimension to an activity that, for many locals, is more about camaraderie among travellers than a true wilderness experience.
