The eerie ghost town on world's largest island, abandoned for 20 years & visitors have to arrive by dog sled or boat

Scottish Sun

6 days ago

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ON the edge of the Earth lies a village frozen in time – quite literally.
Itterajivit, is the hauntingly deserted Arctic outpost that's been abandoned for nearly 20 years.
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The village, also known as Kap Hope, was first inhabited in 1925
Credit: Tripadvisor
Once a bustling community in eastern Greenland's Scoresby Sound, Itterajivit is now a ghost town, crumbling quietly in one of the most remote spots on the planet.
The village, also known by its Danish name - Kap Hope - was first inhabited in 1925 as part of a trio of small communities surrounding Ittoqqortoormiit.
By the 1960s, its population had peaked at around 112 people, complete with a school‑chapel, workshop, youth club, and recreational spaces.
But life on the edge proved tough.
Isolation, limited job prospects, and government policies favouring larger hubs meant families gradually drifted away.
By 2005, just nine residents remained – and then, none.
A scattering of wooden houses still stands – some sagging, snow-filled, and forgotten.
Others are clung to by local Inuit hunters, used as seasonal shelters when braving the region's punishing conditions.
According to one traveller on BirdForum: 'Of the two dozen houses, only a couple are maintained. The rest are in decay, a broken window soon means a house full of snow.'
Most visitors arrive the hard way – either by dog sled or boat – depending on the whims of Greenland's brutal weather.
In winter, sea ice cuts off access altogether.
And getting to nearby Ittoqqortoormiit requires flying to Reykjavik, chartering a plane to Constable Point, then boarding a helicopter or boat.
So why go?
Because what remains of Itterajivit is nothing short of breathtaking.
Backed by jagged black hills and overlooking frozen shorelines, the village's stark beauty is pure Arctic drama.
Polar bears, musk oxen, Arctic foxes, and seals roam the surrounding wilderness – a wildlife haven untouched by time.
The village featured in Canadian travel series Departures, and in Expedition with Steve Backshall on the BBC, where the adventurer and his team kayaked through the world's largest fjord, passing Itterajivit's haunting ruins.
Greenland, officially the world's largest island that isn't a continent, is home to just 56,000 people – and this spot is one of its loneliest.
Governed by its own local parliament but still part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland sits so far north it experiences both Polar Night and Midnight Sun – meaning endless darkness in winter, and 24-hour daylight come summer.
For those craving extreme isolation, ghost-town intrigue, and jaw-dropping scenery, Itterajivit delivers.
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It is only accessible by dog sled or boat
Credit: Tripadvisor
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The village once had just over 100 inhabitants in the 1960s
Credit: Alamy
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The village is in one of the most remote places on earth
Credit: Tripadvisor
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The view from Itterajivit in February
Credit: Alamy
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Hunters still roam the land
Credit: Alamy