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Greenland

Prince Christian Sund, Greenland

Prince Christian Sound: A Narrow Fjord Passage at Greenland's Southern Tip

Prince Christian Sound, Ikerasassuaq in Greenlandic and Prins Christians Sund in Danish, is named for the Danish prince who later reigned as Christian VIII. It is seen from the deck rather than ashore, so wear warm, windproof layers and bring sunglasses, because the sun is strong on the water even when the air is cold.

Good to know

What to Expect Navigating Prince Christian Sound

This is a passage, not a port call: the ship sails through the sound without landing, slowing among the icebergs, and you watch from the deck as the channel narrows between mountains that mostly rise above 1,200 meters. Your itinerary shows the hours set aside for the transit.

  • The sound separates the Greenland mainland from Christian IV Island and the other islands of the Cape Farewell archipelago.
  • At its narrowest the channel is only about 500 meters wide.
  • Many glaciers reach the water and calve icebergs, and strong tidal currents limit how much ice forms in the channel.
  • One peak along the sound reaches 2,220 meters.
  • A weather station stands at the eastern entrance, and the village of Aappilattoq lies near the western end.
  • The climate is polar and maritime, and cold air from the nearby ice sheet keeps summer temperatures low.

Aappilattoq and the Southern Greenlandic Coast

Aappilattoq, the only settlement on the sound, had 86 inhabitants in 2025 and takes its name, meaning "red" in Greenlandic, from the red mountain that rises above it. Its people live mainly by hunting and fishing.

  • The village is practically impossible to reach by land; supplies and people come by sea or by helicopter.
  • It has a school, a church and a general store.
  • Its Danish name is Rødførde.
  • Aappilattoq has been part of Kujalleq municipality since 2009 and shares a joint council with the villages of Narsarmijit and Tasiusaq.
  • Like many settlements in southern Greenland, it is shrinking: its population has fallen by more than a third since 1990.
  • The sound's Greenlandic name, Ikerasassuaq, means "great sound".

A Brief History

The sound takes its European name from a Danish prince, and its recorded history is mostly that of a remote weather and radio station and one small village. The Nanortalik district around it saw some of Greenland's earliest Norse settlement and some of its latest Inuit settlement.

  • The sound was named in honor of Prince Christian, who later became King Christian VIII of Denmark.
  • Nanortalik, the district's main town, was founded in 1770 and moved to its present site in 1830.
  • People have lived around Aappilattoq since the 19th century, and the present village was founded in 1922.
  • During the Second World War the United States set up a weather station at the eastern entrance to the sound, and Denmark took it over soon afterward.
  • On January 7, 1959, the ship Hans Hedtoft struck an iceberg off Cape Farewell, and the radio operator at the Prince Christian Sound station was the first to pick up its distress call.
  • The station also served as a radio relay for shipping and air traffic rounding Cape Farewell.

Prince Christian Sound with Children

A scenic passage means a few hours on deck, so the plan for children is warm clothes, a spot by the rail and things to look for. Dress everyone in layers with a windproof jacket and a hat, and bring sunglasses and sunscreen, because the sun is strong on the water even when the air feels cold.

  • Younger children: Icebergs and glaciers are the things to spot, so keep binoculars handy and come inside to warm up between turns on deck.
  • School age: Follow the route on a map: the channel links the Labrador Sea with the Irminger Sea, and its narrowest stretch is only about 500 meters across.
  • Teenagers: Watch for Aappilattoq under its red mountain, a village practically cut off by land, supplied by boat and helicopter.
  • The wind on deck is cold even in summer, so take gloves as well.
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