Three unmissable things to do in Iceland

VISIT THE WESTMAN ISLANDS

One of Iceland’s best-kept secrets (we didn’t even hear about it until shortly before we moved away), the dinky isle of Heimaey (below) is part of the Westman Islands, just a 45-minute ferry ride from the mainland. It is home to the world’s largest puffin colony and first beluga sanctuary, so wildlife lovers will be in heaven. Spend a night at Glamping & Camping Vestmannaeyjar (glampingandcamping.is), where you can sleep in rustic, Lord of the Rings-style cabins just off the beach.

TAKE A HELICOPTER RIDE

My fiancé was a helicopter pilot here and has flown a lot of wealthy customers who have been in a lot of choppers. They consistently reported this to be the most jaw-dropping country they have ever flown over – and there really is no other way to see so much of it, from such a vantage point, in a single day. Nordurflug’s Essential Iceland (helicopter.is) has a half-day tour that will take you over the highlights and costs £1,125pp. Private expeditions that offer glacier landings and customisable itineraries are also available (price on application).

SET OFF ON A PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR Photography enthusiasts looking for scenic sweeps (above) to capture on their next holiday would be hard-pushed to find a better place to do so than Iceland; it is an all-season symphony of volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls and geysers. The sheer number of tour operators offering photography-focused holidays can be overwhelming, but I can thoroughly vouch for Arctic Journeys (arcticjourneys.is), led by the acclaimed French photographer Kévin Pagès, who takes up to eight guests at a time on private tailored tours in his modified monster 4x4, both teaching his craft and snapping in situ, with professional prints available to take home. Packages cost from £860 per party.