Car Hire Iceland - Mini guide to Iceland

Much of Iceland's popularity is due to its natural features, which include glaciers, hot springs, geysers, active volcanoes, portentous peaks and vast lava deserts.

Reykjavík is Iceland's capital, which means 'Smoky Bay'. Established as one of the northernmost capital in the late 19th century, Reykjavík boasts all the trappings of a modern European city as well as an interesting old town, white-washed wooden buildings, and rows of brightly painted concrete houses.

Modern Reykjavík sprawls eastward from the Old Town, and features several worthwhile attractions such as Hallgrímskirkja, an imposing church designed to resemble a mountain of lava.

Anyone remotely interested in Norse and Icelandic culture should head for the National Museum in the Old Town of Reykjavík. It inclused exhibits of religious and folk relics, and tools dating from the period of Settlement. The most renowned is a church door, carved around 1200, which depicts a Norse battle scene.

Other Viking iconography trace the history of Icelanders who fled the tyranny of medieval Scandinavia. Their flight to a new and empty country resulted in the building of sturdy settlements and farms, and the beginning of a rich literary tradition dominated by the sagas.

Iceland's most visited tourist attractions are in south central Iceland, a region renowned for its natural phenomena and historical sites. Gullfoss is a much photographed two-tiered waterfall, affording magnificent rainbows as the sun shines through the cascading mountain water.

Just west of Gullfoss is Geysir, an area that contains the country's best examples of spouting hot springs. The outstanding attraction is the 'Great Geysir,' which first began erupting in the 14th century.

The nearby ‘Strokkur’ faithfully spouts and sprays up to 20m (65.5ft) every three minutes. But photographers should be quick, as the eruptions last only a couple of seconds.

Mývatn, in northeast Iceland, is considered one of the natural wonders of the world. Easily reached by car from the capital, this reserve affords nature lovers spectacular views of volcanic or geothermal topographical features. And for bird watcher, this reserve's centrepiece is a lovely blue lake teeming with birdlife. Travellers can relax and settle in, spend a week camping, or set out on excursions to the Kverkfjöll ice caves; Námaskaro; or the Hverfell crater.

Iceland Air, the national carrier, has regular and direct flights to Europe and the USA. A pleasant way to travel between Europe and Iceland is by ferry, operating from late May to early September out of Hanstholm in northern Denmark (passengers are required to spend two nights in the Faroe Islands en route).