Things to see and do in Iceland

The milky turquoise waters of the Blue Lagoon are perfect for a good, long soak. Located in a lunar-like landscape of lava fields, the lagoon is renowned for its health benefits and mineral-rich, geothermal seawater, which have made it one of the most visited locations in Iceland.

Until 1916, Geysir, located 125km (78 miles) northeast of Reykjavik, was one of the world's great geysers, spouting boiling water and steam 60-80m (165-220ft) into the air at three-hourly intervals. Mysteriously, it fell dormant (some say due to hundreds of tourists filling its chamber with objects) and has come to life only once since then, in 1935. The smaller Strokkur geyser nearby makes up for its big brother's silence by erupting every five to ten minutes. The entire area is a geothermal park, with belching mud pits, hissing steam vents, hot and cold springs, warm streams and primitive plants. The Geysir Center offers visitors year-round exhibitions on geothermal activity, and also contains a folk museum with displays on the history of the area and Icelandic flora and fauna.

Iceland's hiking is incredible. From Skaftafell National Park to the Westfjords, from the highlands to the Snæfellnes Peninsula, breathtaking vistas lurk round every bend.

Jokulsarlon, a glacial lagoon, is a favourite with photographers and film crews (the film Die Another Day was shot here). Giant floating icebergs make for a surreal landscape.

Landmannalaugar is the pearl of the central highlands. This eerily colourful landscape of green, yellow, red and orange rhyolite hills is dotted with many hot pools and streams, making this a definite must for walkers and artists alike.

One of nature's most awesome spectacles, the Northern Lights are visible from September to March. The ever-shifting, glowing patterns of light that twist and turn restlessly in the sky are created by electrically-charged particles that make the thin air shine, not unlike a fluorescent light.

Go for a skidoo (snowmobile) ride on a glacier. An unbeatable adrenaline rush is guaranteed when speeding through the immaculate white wilderness - a highlight of any trip to Iceland.

This spectacular setting of rugged coastline, known as the Westfjords, is home to some of the most isolated villages in the country. Latrabjarg, the westernmost point of Europe, is the largest known bird cliff on earth at 400-m (1,312-ft) high.