Baffin Island
Baffin Island is the eastern Canadian Arctic, lying between Greenland and the Canadian mainland. Covering 507, 451 sq km, it is the largest island in North America and the fifth largest in the world. It was named after the British explorer William Baffin but the overwhelmingly Inuit population know it as Qikiqtaaluk. Photo by: mattalatta
With 60 per cent of the island lying above the Arctic Circle and summer temperature struggling to reach even 5 degrees Celsius, the rugged ice-covered landscape is not for the fainthearted. However the rewards for any visitors are great, with spectacular scenery and the chance to see the rich and diverse Arctic wildlife, including polar bears ans whales in their natural environment. Getting to Baffin Island is only reachable by air. The island has only one airport which deals with external flights and another six which handle internet transfers. Photo by: nic_kirschner
Most of the finest mountains are located on the Cumberland Peninsula at the head of the South Pangnirtuning Fjord. Much of the area is included within Auyuittuq National Park, and is accessible from Pangnirtuning, a small coastal Inuit settlement. From there access to the peaks is by boat, dog sled, float-plane or ski-plane, depending on the ice and weather conditions. Photo by: Simon -n- Kathy
The sheer vastness of the island is difficult to take in and any traveller should plan ahead, not to be ambitious and allow extra time for weather related delays, even in summer. Photo by: Pierre Lesage
When to go: June to August. Population: 11.000 (2005). How to get there: By air from Montreal, Ottawa or Yellowknife. You should know: During the summer season, local people leave their homes to live in tents and tourists are invited too. There is no better way to enjoy the midnight sun and discuss it with people who know the landscape best.
