The archipelago of Svalbard is situated to the north of the Norwegian mainland, latitudes 74N to 81N, halfway between Norway and the North Pole, surrounded by the Greenland Sea and the Barents Sea. ”The northern end of the ocean” mentioned in the 12th century Icelandic chronicles, it is the nearest it is feasible to sail and land to the North Pole, the starting point for many of the greatest adventurers that raced to reach the northernmost point on Earth.

65% of the archipelago is covered by ice, a rugged cruising area, most spectacular and contrasting, offering expedition landings, hikes, kayaking, snow shoeing and bewildering Arctic landscape and fauna: Svalbard has more than 3’000 Polar bears (for fewer than 3’000 inhabitants).

From Longyearbyen (the northernmost inhabited settlement on the planet), there are no roads connections to the fjords that are the keepers of our preferred exploration areas.

Fauna in the Svalbard is most protected, with 20 natural parcs the home of Arctic wildlife. Gliding silently over the ocean on our sailboat we will approach wildlife unobtrusively, crossing paths with many bird species that migrate in the late spring and summer to breed (little auk, guillemot, puffin, Arctic tern, skua, northern fulmar, black legged kittiwakes, glaucus and ivory gulls, barnacle and brent geese), walruses, bearded seals, whales, deer, polar foxes and with the imposing polar bear.

Svalbard’s diversity of exposed geology is a dream for geologists and lovers of nature. As the Cruise Handbook for Svalbard puts it “No other place in Northern Europe displays such diversity of geological formations and no other place has so many geological eras exposed in outcrops”.

Combined with the archipelago’s fascinating history of polar explorers and cultural heritage from the coal mining, hunting and whaling eras, we are in front of an endless choice of anchorages and landings.

You can leave your watch in your cabin. North of the Arctic Circle the day has no beginning or end. The Midnight Sun brings out magical colors in the surrounding landscape. The soft rays of the low-hanging sun bathe it all in a wonderful palette of pink, purple, yellow, and orange and create unforgettable memories.