Iceland

Iceland is a country in the making, a vast volcanic laboratory where mighty forces shape the land and shrink you to an awestruck speck. The country’s natural features eruptions of lava; gushing geysers such as Geysir in The Golden Circle (the original after which all were named); hot springs; tearing fissures and slow, grinding glaciers are so cinematic that at times they seem unreal. Bathe in turquoise pools, stand behind a toppling cascade or walk across a glaring-white icecap to experience the full weirdness of Icelandic nature.
The landscape is infectious: hidden energy and a desire to shape the world are Icelandic traits. Head to the bohemian village of Seyðisfjörður in The East, and don't miss vibrant Reykjavík. That clean, green little capital, must contain the world’s highest concentration of dreamers, authors, poets and musicians; you'll meet them on the high-spirited runtur, the city’s wheeling weekend pub crawl. Iceland’s creatures are larger-than-life too: there’s no better place on earth to come eye-to-eye with sleek, spouting whales than in Húsavík. Fearless little puffins flutter and bill in their millions along the tops of towering sea-cliffs.