Antarctica is the most remote place on earth; a frozen world more than 50 times the size of the UK that spends half the year in total darkness. It's the coldest and windiest place on earth, cut off from civilisation by Drake's Passage, 1,000km (621 miles) of treacherous sea that would strike fear into the hearts of sailors in days gone by.

Yet the White Continent has also become one of the must-see destinations for adventurous tourists keen to tick off the last continent and see the vast wilderness that has spawned so many famous explorers over the past 100 years - including Amundsen, Cook and Shackleton.

It's a land of snow-capped mountains, dramatic rock formations and ice fjords, so cold that no plant life can exist and only a few birds and mammals survive. In summer, from November to March, there are floating icebergs the size of six-storey buildings; come winter the sea freezes into a layer up to two metres thick, effectively doubling the size of the continent.

Tourists can visit the White Continent on exploration-style cruise ships that sail around the Antarctic Peninsula, stopping at key sights so passengers can visit colonies of penguins, have a dip in the volcano-heated waters off Pendulum Cove in Deception Island or take a boat ride around giant icebergs in inflatable Zodiacs.

Typically, Antarctic cruises leave and return to Ushuaia, at the southern-most tip of Argentina, for 10-night cruises that visit all the top spots, although there are longer cruises that also visit the Falkland Islands.

As well as Deception Island, there are often landings on King George Island, home to elephant seals, Adélie and chinstrap penguins, skuas, petrels and other birds, and Paradise Bay, where gentoo penguins live surrounded by imposing mountains and creeping glaciers.

Sightseeing in Antarctica is not like visiting a big city or ancient monument. There are no restaurants or bars, no souvenir shops - although some scientists set up stalls for visiting tourists, selling maps and home-drawn pictures - and no old relics to see.

Antarctica is all about scenery and wildlife, which is carefully protected to make sure the natural splendour of the region isn't compromised. Only 100 passengers are allowed on land at a time, and then only for a limited period, sometimes just an hour, depending on the size of the ship.

Cruise ships have set itineraries, but Antarctica's weather is notorious, changing from glorious sunshine to a complete white-out in seconds, from clear water to thick ice floes in minutes, so captains navigate according to the conditions.

Highlights
• Take a dip in the thermal waters on Deception Island. The island you see today was formed by a volcanic eruption, which caused its peak to explode and left a huge caldera (crater) inside the island. The volcano is still active - the last eruption was 1991-92. Marine animals stay away from the caldera because the water is too warm but huge numbers of penguins live on the rocks.

• Look out for penguins at Half-Moon Island. It's only 2-km (1.3-miles) long, but the island has some dramatic rock formations, multi-coloured lichens and a large population of chinstrap penguins, which nest on the wind-swept outcrops of rock. Whales are often spotted patrolling the shores.

• Be on deck for a scenic cruise through the Lemaire Channel, a narrow passage -1,600m (5,249ft) at its widest point - separating the Antarctic Peninsula and Booth Island. The channel is often nicknamed Kodak Gap because the scenery is so stunning: steep cliffs, mountain peaks, icebergs, as well as the chance to spot minke or humpback whales.

• Walk among the world's southernmost colony of gentoo penguins on Petermann Island. Ships reach the island through the Lemaire Channel provided the latter is not blocked with icebergs. The 2-km (1.6-mile) long island is also home to a colony of Adélie penguins.

• Get kitted out in coats, boots and hats for a landing in Paradise Harbour, one of the most aptly-named places in Antarctica, with glaciated mountains and ice cliffs affording protection to the harbour. Most cruise ships take passengers ashore here, to walk amid the gentoo penguin colony.

• Have cameras at the ready for a cruise through the Gerlache Strait. The strait separates the Palmer Archipelago from the Antarctic Peninsula and is a popular spot with visiting cruise ships as it's a favourite hangout for humpback and minke whales, chinstrap penguins and leopard seals.

• See the light with the halo phenomenon. Halo displays occur frequently in Antarctica and are an atmospheric happening caused by the refraction of light by ice crystals. They are particularly bright when they form in diamond dust. The most common halo shows as a rainbow circle around the sun, sometimes with a secondary circle around it.

• See Elephant Island, where 21 of Sir Ernest Shackleton's crew lived for four months in 1916 while their leader went for help. The crew lived under an upturned boat, surviving on seal blubber, never knowing if help would arrive. The island is named for its large colony of elephant seals, but also has a large colony of penguins.

Landings are made at Deception Island, Paradise Harbour and Half-Moon Island - all by inflatable Zodiacs (there are no piers or terminals in the Antarctic) - and most cruise ships also sail down ‘iceberg alley' (so named for the giant ‘bergs that line the route), through the Gerlache Strait and Lemaire Channel. Most cruisers go to Elephant Island.

Antarctica

Antarctica is in the southern hemisphere, which means its seasons are opposite to those in the UK/northern hemisphere. Our winter is the austral summer; our summer is winter in Antarctica. The lowest temperature recorded in Antarctica was -129°C (-202°F), at Vostok Station on July 21 1983.

Tourists can't visit Antarctic in winter due to the pack ice, which makes it impossible for ships to get anywhere near, and as it's also extremely cold and dark for almost 24 hours a day there is little point in going then anyway. Cruises operate during the austral summer, from November and March, when there is less ice. Summer temperatures in the Antarctic Peninsula average 2°C (36°F).

When the sea ice freezes in winter, Antarctica doubles in size, covering 13,829,800 sq km (5,339,716 sq miles). Ice can be up to 4,776m (15,669ft) thick.

Mount Vinson, rising to 4,892m (16 050ft) above sea level.

Currently 58 ships are registered with the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO).

34,345 in 2006/07.

It is incredible to think that any wildlife at all can survive in Antarctica's freezing wasteland, but animal life doesn't just exist here, it thrives, having adapted to live in this most hostile of environments. Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed, of course, but most passengers get to see plenty of penguins and seabirds as they cruise the peninsula, and there are usually several whale sightings.

About 45 species of birds inhabit Antarctica, including albatrosses, petrels, skuas and gulls. Everyone's favourite is the albatross - the giant of the skies, with a wingspan reaching 3m (10ft) and a lifespan of up to 60 years - but the South Polar skua is worthy of note. Also known as the ‘raptor of the south', they nest near Adélie penguin colonies and raid them for chicks and eggs.

But none of the birds is loved as much as the penguins, comical as they waddle awkwardly on land or sunbathe on a passing lump of ice; beautiful as they dive gracefully into the icy water. Of the 17 species of penguin, just six live in Antarctica - the emperor, Adélie, chinstrap, gentoo, macaroni and king.

The emperor penguin is the only one to breed in Antarctica during winter - once the female lays her eggs, she passes it to the male for incubation. These males balance the eggs on their feet to keep them warm then huddle together, enduring biting winds and temperatures as low as -50°C (-58°F).

Many penguin species are very distinctive so after a few days in the Antarctic everyone can be an expert. Chinstraps have a black line under their chins, gentoos have bright orange beaks, macaronis, with their orange-tufted plumed eyebrows, are named after the ‘Macaroni coiffure' hairstyles favoured in the 18th century.

Then there are the 100 types of fish that have adapted to these freezing waters - the Antarctic cod, also known as the Antarctic ice fish, is the largest fish in the region and produces antifreeze glycoprotein, which allows it to survive in the icy waters.

There are also six species of seal. These include leopard seals, crabeater seals and elephant seals, all of which have developed a layer of fur on top of their blubber to give extra insulation against the cold. The Weddell seals are particularly amazing. They can collapse their lungs and dive to 610m (2,000ft), staying underwater for over an hour.

But it is the whales that cause the most commotion and when there's a sighting a ship-load of passengers rush to the side of the ship, cameras at the ready.

Eight species of whale live in Antarctica, but by far the most numerous is the minke. These are a type of baleen whale, as are blue, fin, humpback, sei and southern right whales, which means they live on krill and plankton. There are also two species of toothed whales - these live on squid, fish and other mammals - in Antarctica: the killer (orca) and sperm whales.

All the Southern Ocean whales are migratory, heading to warmer waters to the north during the Antarctic winter so calves can be born in a more hospitable climate. They return south in the austral spring, as the sea ice starts to melt.

No plants can live in this chilly land, but lichens, mosses and algae have adapted to survive the ice and snow. To help save this pristine environment, visitors should avoid stepping on them where possible when they go ashore.