World’s largest island Greenland has 80% ice, zero connecting roads, and you can only fly in from Denmark or Iceland

Greenland is the ultimate unplug destination. Massive but only ‘56,000’ people live there. More boats than cars, 3,500 m thick ice, and no roads. Would you go?

Ever stared at a world map and wondered what Greenland is actually like? The massive Arctic destination is one of the most untouched and isolated places on Earth.

A report by Secretatlas.com breaks down the ultimate travel trivia and facts you need to know about the world’s largest island if you ever want to visit. Below are some of the reasons Greenland is so wild, remote, and fascinating — from why there are more boats than cars in Greenland, to why a place covered in ice is called Greenland.

It is massive, but almost nobody lives there

Greenland covers a staggering expanse — about the size of western Europe or one-third of the continental United States — making it the 12th-largest country on the planet. Yet, according to Secretatlas.com, its population is just 56,000. That translates to a population density of only 0.03 people per square kilometre. If you are looking to truly unplug, this is your sanctuary. In fact, 80 percent of the island is buried under a massive ice sheet that reaches up to 3,500 metres thick in some places.

Transportation in Greenland is not what you’d expect

Forget renting a car for a cross-country road trip. One of the most shocking facts highlighted by Secretatlas.com is that there are zero roads connecting any of the towns in Greenland. Because rugged fjords and giant ice sheets cut off settlements, the open ocean serves as the primary highway.

As a result, more Greenlanders own boats than cars. The longest paved road in the whole country measures roughly 35 kilometres — originally built by Volkswagen near Kangerlussuaq as a cold-weather test track onto the inland ice. Getting there requires a bit of planning, too. Currently, you cannot fly in directly from North America; travellers must transit through Denmark (Copenhagen) or Iceland (Reykjavik).

Why is a place covered in perpetual ice named Greenland?

You can thank an exiled Viking – Secretatlas.com notes that ‘Erik the Red’ coined the name as a clever promotional stunt to entice settlers to join him in the late 10th century. While Westerners know it as Greenland, native inhabitants call their home Kalaallit Nunaat (Country of the Greenlanders).

Today, modern Western culture exists side-by-side with rich Inuit traditions. Local hunters still use traditional Greenlandic sled dogs to navigate frozen frontiers in the winter — in fact, it is illegal to bring any other dog breed north of the Arctic Circle to preserve the lineage. Fun fact: Inuit hunters in Greenland are also the original inventors of the kayak (derived from the word qajaq).

Unmatched outdoor adventures

Whether you are cruising past massive icebergs calved from the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier (the Northern Hemisphere's most active) or hiking the famous 160-km Arctic Circle Trail, Greenland is an outdoor lover's paradise. Visiting during the summer months offers pleasant temperatures reaching 18–20°C under the midnight sun, while winter brings total polar darkness and pristine views of the Northern Lights.

To top it all off, Greenland boasts the world's largest protected wilderness — Northeast Greenland National Park — along with three UNESCO World Heritage sites. Whether you visit for the wildlife, the vibrant, colourful houses, or local delicacies like Greenlandic coffee (a fiery mix of whiskey, kahlua, grand marnier, and coffee topped with whipped cream), this Arctic destination promises an unforgettable journey.