Things to See in Iceland

Geysir is the original spouting hot spring; all the others around the world are named after it. The Great Geysir debuted in the 14th century, blasting a jet of water up to 80m (262ft) into the air. By the 1950s tourists had clogged it with rocks and rubbish, thrown in an attempt to set it off. The geysir ceased erupting and was mostly inactive for decades.

Iceland's most famous geothermal pool, the Blue Lagoon, is the country's top tourist attraction. It might be crowded and expensive; but there's nowhere else like it in the world.

This immense concrete church looms over Reykjavík like a set from a Norse opera. With a 75m (246ft) steeple flanked by concrete representations of volcanic basalt columns, Hallgrímskirkja is visible from 20km (12mi) away. Admire the elongated, ultrastark interior; then for an unmissable view of the city, take an elevator trip up the tower.

Europe's largest national park encompasses a breathtaking collection of peaks and glaciers and is the country's favourite wilderness: 160,000 visitors per year come to marvel at thundering waterfalls, twisting birch woods, and the brilliant blue-white Vatnajökull icecap - Earth's largest icecap outside the poles, weighing in at 3000 billion tonnes.

Iceland's most famous waterfall tumbles 32m (105ft) into a steep-sided canyon, kicking up a sheer wall of spray. The spectacle depends on what the weather is like. On sunny days the spray creates shimmering rainbows over the gorge and Gullfoss can seem simply magical. On grey, drizzly days the falls retreat into the mist and can be slightly underwhelming.