Over the last few years, our planet’s climate has been changing, transforming parts of southern Europe into a furnace during summer months. For the heat averse, it’s a good enough reason to turn around and head north, visiting remote regions that become accessible for just a brief few months.
The polar regions present some of the last true wilderness areas on our planet – but they are changing quicky.
So, if you want to beat the heat while experiencing some of our planet’s wildest wonders, here’s where to go.
A hat trick of Arctic escapes
Given the Arctic is a frozen body of water surrounded by land, much of the excitement in visiting the region lies at sea. Taking a cruise between key areas offers a chance to observe resident species and meet some of the communities who have survived in the far north for several generations.
Boarding the Ocean Explorer in Reykjavik, sail north through the Denmark Strait to Greenland’s remote and less visited east coast, where 40 per cent of the world’s musk ox population reside and communities live in towns with tongue-twisting names like Ittoqqortoormiit. Continue to Svalbard, home of the polar bear and thousands of seabirds nesting in steep cliffs. If conditions are good enough, the ship may even sail within 10 degrees of the North Pole.
How: A 15-day Three Arctic Islands cruise with Quark costs from £5,000, excluding flights. Departs August 25. exodus.co.uk
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Svalbard
A wilderness within remarkably easy reach, this Norwegian-ruled archipelago is one of the best places to observe polar bears in their natural habitat. As ice melts during summer months, when the sun shines for 24 hours a day, it’s possible to access many of the islands. Along with searching for bears on ice floes, there are chances to see walruses, Arctic foxes, and a sub-species of stocky reindeer endemic to the region. But the beauty of this place also lies in its dramatic landscapes: spikey mountains, deep curving valleys, and mighty glaciers twisting inland.
How: A 10-day Circumnavigating Spitsbergen cruise costs £6,590pp, including flights. Departures in June and July 2024. hurtigruten.com
West Greenland
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