Pretty Stykkishólmur is the largest town on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, on a natural harbour looking out towards the islands of Breiðafjörður Bay. The town’s colourful 19th-century wooden houses have been lovingly restored, and nearby attractions include Mount Kirkjufell and Snæfellsjökull National Park..

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is like Iceland in miniature, with a varied landscape of lava fields, waterfalls, beaches and basalt cliffs. Looming over everything is the ice-capped Snæfellsjökull volcano, and the peninsula is home to wildlife including seals, whales and puffins.

Remote and sparsely populated, the wild Westfjords region extends out from Iceland's northwest corner like a many-fingered hand. Highlights include the thundering Dynjandi waterfalls and the towering bird cliffs of Látrabjarg, where a staggering number of sea birds nest during the summer months, including puffins, razorbills, guillemots, cormorants, fulmars and kittiwakes.

The remote island of Grímsey lies some 25 miles to the north of the Icelandic mainland, straddling the Arctic Circle. This weather-beaten place has a year-round population of just 60 people, and humans are far outnumbered by the thousands of seabirds that nest on the cliffs, including puffins and Arctic terns.

Seyðisfjörður is one of the highlights of Iceland’s Eastfjords, a cute collection of colourful houses at the head of a dramatic fjord. The backdrop of snowy mountains and cascading waterfalls makes this one of the most picturesque ports in Iceland, and the town is surprisingly cosmopolitan.

The Westman Islands lie just off the south west coast of the Icelandic mainland, and most visitors head for the largest island, Heimaey. The jagged landscape is a reminder of Heimaey's volcanic origins; the most recent eruption, back in 1973, created the volcano now known as Eldfell, which looms over the island.