East Greenland

An area the size of France and Spain combined, the National Park’s enormous fjords, ringed by sheer mountains and gigantic glaciers can only be explored from the small handful of expedition ships that briefly venture into these waters in late August and September.

There are no permanent human inhabitants in the park, the small trickle of annual visitors being composed of scientific researchers, military personnel of Denmark’s dog sledding Sirius Patrol and those visitors who travel by ship. Totally unspoilt, it’s home to much of Greenland’s most remarkable flora and fauna, including a healthy population of polar bears.

The largest fjord system in the world, whose longest channel - flanked by jagged cliffs, precipitous peaks and sheer walls of ice - takes you 216 miles (347 km) into the heart of a landscape that seems closer to myth and legend than reality.

Icebound for most of the year, you only get a brief opportunity each year to access this awe-inspiring waterway by ship in late August and September. At that time the rolling tundra wears a rich cloak of autumnal hues, the weather is pleasant making trekking a real pleasure, musk ox can be sighted on the higher ground and at night there’s the chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

Located at the entrance to Scoresby Sund this small community is ice bound for most of the year. It’s the most isolated community in Greenland, and probably the whole planet – only accessible by helicopter, or by ship for a few weeks in late summer.

Sitting on the world’s largest fjord system and next to the world’s biggest national park, with only 450 locals for company, two tiny guest houses and almost total reliance on hunting for survival, merely getting and staying here is a unique adventure. In summer you can explore by kayak or on foot, while in winter dog sleds or snowmobiles provide opportunities for longer expeditions into the interior.