Things to do in Iceland

Iceland is a ring road with a highland core too rough for most of the year. The coast holds almost everyone. Reykjavík and the south-west hold most of Iceland's roughly 390,000 people, and everything else radiates out from that corner.

How the regions split

• South coast. Waterfalls, black beaches and the glacier lagoon at Jökulsárlón, strung along the ring road two to five hours from Reykjavík.
• Snæfellsnes. A peninsula two hours north-west, nicknamed "Iceland in miniature" for packing glacier, coast and lava into one day trip.
• The north. Akureyri, Mývatn and whale-watching Húsavík, a world apart from the south and usually its own separate trip.
• The Westfjords. The remote, thinly populated arm in the north-west, reached mostly by air or a long drive.
• The Highlands. The volcanic interior, crossed only by F-roads that open around June and close again by September.

What the country is for

Nature carries the whole country: waterfalls, glaciers, volcanoes, geothermal fields and the northern lights in season. Geothermal bathing is its own category. The Blue Lagoon started it, but smaller lagoons and natural hot springs now compete for the same afternoon.

Volcanic activity is part of the same package, with eruptions in recent years drawing their own sightseeing flights.

Practical

• Weather. Reykjavík summer highs sit around 14C, winter lows near 0C, with wind and rain a bigger factor than cold; daylight runs from close to round-the-clock in June to about five hours in December.
• Getting around. The ring road, Route 1, circles the island in about 1,332 kilometres; driving it end to end takes a good week with stops, not a weekend.
• Money. Iceland is one of the pricier countries in Europe for food and fuel; cards are used for almost everything, including small purchases.
• Booking ahead. Northern lights season and midsummer light both draw crowds; glacier and ice-cave trips depend on conditions and are often confirmed only close to the date.
• What to bring. Layers and a windproof shell matter more than a heavy coat; weather can change over the course of a single afternoon.