Lighthouses of Greenland

Greenland, the world's largest island, is a autonomous country under the protection of the Kingdom of Denmark. The interior of the country is covered by a thick ice sheet, so settlement is confined to the coast. The population is less than 60,000. Greenlanders call their country Kalaallit Nunaat. The coastline of Greenland is rugged and deeply cut by long fjords. Denmark has installed dozens of navigational lights along this hazardous coast. None are very tall, but this page identifies those that are large enough to be considered lighthouses. All the Greenland lights are painted in bright red and yellow colors for good visibility against the usually snowy background. Special thanks to Tom Zane of the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse museum in Florida. He first asked about Greenland lighthouses and then arranged to secure the information on this page from the Danish Farvandsvæsnet (Maritime Safety Administration), which maintains the lights. Thanks also to Torben Burlund Jensen, of the Farvandsvæsnet, for assembling the information and photos for us. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. DKF numbers are from the Dansk Fyrliste. Admiralty numbers are from volume L of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 110.

Agtorssuit Light, Nuuk (Godthåb) Farvandsvæsnet photo

Kujalleq (South Greenland) Lighthouses

Southeast Coast Lighthouse
Ikerasassuaq (Prins Christians Sund)

1975. Active; focal plane 90 m (295 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4.5 m (15 ft) round lantern, painted red. No photo available, and clouds block Google's satellite view of the area. Located high above the south side of the entrance to Prince Christian's Sound, on the east coast near the southern tip of Greenland. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-017; DKF-7820; Admiralty L5100; NGA 0008.

Qaqortoq (Julianehåb) Area Lighthouses

Note: With a population of about 3100, Qaqortoq (formerly Julianehåb) is the principal town in southernmost Greenland and a frequent destination for adventure cruise ships. Sardloq 1975. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); three flashes every 8 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted red. No photo available, and the area is not covered by Google's satellite view. Located at the west end of Sardloq Island off the south coast of Greenland, about 16 km (10 mi) southwest of Qaqortoq. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-021; DKF-7075; Admiralty L5226; NGA 0092. Paggivik 1977. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); two flashes every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) round lantern, painted red. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on an island about 13 km (8 mi) northwest of Sardloq. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-015; DKF-7080; Admiralty L5228; NGA 0096. Pârdlît 1950. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with one yellow horizontal band. A photo is at right, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory a short distance west of Qaqortoq. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-016; DKF-7085; Admiralty L5230; NGA 0100.

Pardlit Light, Qaqortoq Farvandsvæsnet photo

Kilagtoq 1975. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted red. A photo is at right, and the lantern is at the water's edge in a Google satellite view. Located on a rocky promontory near Qaqortoq. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-010; DKF-7090; Admiralty L5232; NGA 0104. Qassimiut Area Lighthouses Inugsugtut (Brede Fjord) 1977. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); three flashes every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted red. No photo available, and Google has only an indistinct satellite view of the location. Located on a small island at the entrance to the Brede Fjord, about 8 km (5 mi) southeast of Qassimiut. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-039; DKF-7150; Admiralty L5266; NGA 0156. Qajartalik 1950. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two flashes every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with one yellow horizontal band. No photo available, and Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the area. Located on Qajartalik Island at the entrance to the Arsuk Fjord. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-019; DKF-7185; Admiralty L5270; NGA 0160.

Kilagtoq Light, Qaqortoq Farvandsvæsnet photo

Sermersooq (Nuuk Region) Lighthouses

Paamiut (Frederikshåb) Area Lighthouse
Note: Paamiut has a population of about 1800 and is the largest settlement on the lower southwest coast of Greenland.
Sãtuarssugssuaq

1950. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with one yellow horizontal band. No photo available, and Google's satellite view has no detail in the area. Located on a skerry in the entrance to the harbor of Paamiut. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-027; DKF-7260; Admiralty L5346; NGA 0228.

Nuuk (Godthåb) Area Lighthouses
Note: Nuuk (formerly Godthåb) is the capital and largest town of Greenland. It has a population of about 15,000 (one fourth of the country's population) and has regular air service from Copenhagen via Air Greenland.

Qeqertarsuatsiaat Kangerluat (Fiskenæs Fjord) 1978. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) round lantern, painted red. A photo is at right, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the area. Located on a skerry in the entrance to the harbor of Fiskenæsset, about 125 km (80 mi) southeast of Nuuk. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-003; DKF-7305; Admiralty L5400; NGA 0248. Saatut (Satut, Sãtut) 1957. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with a small lantern. Lighthouse painted white with one red horizontal band; lantern painted red. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on an island at the entrance to Kangerluarsoruseq (Færingehavn), about 50 km (30 mi) south of Nuuk. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-022; DKF-7325; Admiralty L5500; NGA 0252. Agtorssuit (Nuuk) (2) 1964 (station established 1945). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); two flashes every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with one yellow horizontal band. A photo is at the top of this page, but Google has only a very distant satellite view of the location. Located on Agtorssuit Island at the entrance to Nuuk (Godthåb). Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-001; DKF-7385; Admiralty L5550; NGA 0304.

Fiskenæs Fjord Light, Fiskenæsset Farvandsvæsnet photo

Skibshavn Læmole (Lee Mole) (?)

1973. Inactive since 2002. 4 m (13 ft) lantern, painted gray. No photo available. The light is still listed as a daybeacon, but it has probably been removed; it can't be found in Henrik Greve's August 2007 photo of the quay. Located at the end of the mole in Nuuk. Site open. ex-Admiralty L5570.

Qeqqata (Central West Greenland) Lighthouses

Maniitsoq (Sukkertoppen) Area Lighthouses

Note: Maniitsoq, located about 160 km (100 mi) north of Nuuk, has a population of about 2900. Kitdliaraq 1950. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); three flashes every 10 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted yellow with one red horizontal band (the reverse of the usual Greenland pattern). No photo available, and the island is only a blur in Google's satellite view. Located on Kitdliaraq Island about 6.5 km (4 mi) south of Maniitsoq. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-012; DKF-7435; Admiralty L5580; NGA 0332. * Sukkertoppen (Maniitsoq, Anertusoq) (2) 1988 (station established 1950). Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white, red or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. A photo is at right, a 2010 photo is available, and Google has a good satellite view. Lantern painted yellow with a red roof. Located on a promontory on the northeast side of Maniitsoq. Readily accessible from the village. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS GRN-030; DKF-7440; Admiralty L5590; NGA 0336.

Sukkertoppen Light, Maniitsoq Farvandsvæsnet photo

Sisimiut (Holsteinborg) Area Lighthouses

Note: Sisimiut (formerly Holsteinborg) has a population of about 6000 and is Greenland's second largest town. Located about 75 km (45 mi) north of the Arctic Circle, it has the northernmost year-round port in Greenland. Qeqertarssuatsiaq (Itivdleg) 1977. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) round lantern, painted red. This is probably the world's hardest-to-spell lighthouse name. No photo available, and Google has only a very distant satellite view of the area. Located at the entrance to Itivdleg, about 32 km (20 mi) south of Sisimiut. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-020; DKF-7496; Admiralty L5640; NGA 0380. Annertusoq (Møllers Ø, Sisimiut) 1950. Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 3 s. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted yellow with one red horizontal band. A photo is at right, but Google has only a very distant satellite view. Located on an island in the entrance to the harbor of Sisimiut. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-013; DKF-7504; Admiralty L5660; NGA 0384. Ukîvik (Sydbay) 1977. Active; focal plane 90 m (295 ft); white flash every 5 s. 5 m (17 ft) round lantern, painted red. No photo available, and Google has only a very distant satellite view. Located on a promontory on the north side of the entrance to the Isortog Fjord, about 32 km (20 mi) north of Sisimiut. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-034; DKF-7560; Admiralty L5718; NGA 0424.

Møllers Ø Light, Sisimiut Farvandsvæsnet photo

Qaasuitsup (Northwest Greenland) Lighthouses

Disko Bay Area Lighthouses
Note: Aasiaat (formerly Egedesminde), population about 3100, is a town on an island at the south end of Disko Bay, a large embayment on the west coast of Greenland. Qasigiannguit (formerly Christianshåb) is at the southeastern corner of the bay about 75 km (45 mi) east of Aasiaat; it has a population of about 1300.

Killiit (Vester Ejland, Saqqarliup Nunaa)

1950. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted red with one white horizontal band. No photo available, and the light has not been found in Google's satellite view of the island. Vester Ejland, now called Saqqarliup Nunaa, is a 50 km (30 mi) long island south of Aasiaat. Located at the west end of the island, near the abandoned village of Manermiut, about 20 km (13 mi) southwest of Aasiaat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-037; DKF-7580; Admiralty L5800; NGA 0436.

Zimmers Ø 1950. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted red with one yellow horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on an island about 7 km (4 mi) north of Aasiaat. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-036; DKF-7655; Admiralty L5892; NGA 0456. Napissaq (Napidtlak, Napissak) (2) 1995 (station established 1974). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) round lantern, painted red. No photo available, and Google has only a distant satellite view of the area. Located on a skerry at the entrance to the harbor of Qasigiannguit. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-014; DKF-7709; Admiralty L5936; NGA 0560. Qaqqaliaq (Udkiggen) 1978. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white, red or green light, depending on direction, 8 s on, 2 s off. 5 m (17 ft) round lantern, painted orange. A photo is at right, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse stands on the southernmost point of Qeqertarsuaq (Disko) Island, the largest of the Greenland coast's many islands with a length of about 160 km (100 mi). It guides vessels to the nearby port of Qeqertarsuaq (formerly Godhavn), a village with a population of a little less than 1000. Site status unknown. ARLHS GRN-033; DKF-7675; Admiralty L5918; NGA 0508.

Qaqqaliaq (Udkiggen Light), Qeqertarsuaq Farvandsvæsnet photo

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Western Iceland | South: Labrador

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Posted November 23, 2008. Checked and revised October 10, 2012. Lighthouses: 21. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.