Outside the relatively densely populated southwestern corner, the wilder side of Iceland begins - open spaces of vivid green edged by unspoilt coastlines of red and black sands all set against a backdrop of brooding hills and mountains. The main draw of the West Coast is the towns of Borgarnes and Reykholt and the surrounding countryside, where there's barely a feature that's unassociated with the sagas , such as Keldur , a farm where dramatic scenes from Njal's Saga were played out.

Away from the Ringroad, the SnA¦fellsnes Peninsula with its dramatic views of the glacier at its tip is one of country's most accessible hiking destinations. Arguably Iceland's most dramatic scenery is found in the far northwest of the country, the West Fjords , where tiny fishing villages nestle at the foot of table-top mountains or are tucked away in the neck of narrow fjords which offer protection from the ferocious Arctic storms which batter this exposed part of the country. A?safjA¶rA°ur is the only settlement of any size in the region and makes a good base from which to strike out on foot into the wilderness of the Hornstrandir Peninsula . Beautifully located at the head of EyjafjA¶rA°ur on the north coast, Akureyri is rightfully known as the capital of the north and functions as Iceland's second city. With a string of bars and restaurants it can make a refreshing change from the small villages elsewhere on the north coast. From here it's easy to make trips to reach the island of GrA­msey , the only part of Icelandic territory actually within the Arctic Circle , and nearby SiglufjA¶rA°ur , for an insight into the twentieth-century herring boom that once made this tiny village the country's economic powerhouse.

The country's biggest tourist attraction outside the capital is Lake MA?vatn , an hour to the east of Akureyri. The lake is a favourite nesting place for many species of ducks and other waterfowl and is surrounded by an electrifying proliferation of volcanic activity, including long-dormant cinder cones and the still-steaming lava fields at Krafla , which last burst forth in the 1980s. North of MA?vatn, the small town of HA?savA­k is one of the best places in the country to organize summer whale-watching cruises, while just inland to the east, the wilds of JA¶kulsA?rgljA?fur National Park offer superlative hiking along deep river gorges to the spectacular Dettifoss , Europe's most powerful waterfall. Across on the east coast, the Eastfjords centre on EgilsstaA°ir and the port of SeyA°isfjA¶rA°ur , where Iceland's only international ferry docks, and offer further walking opportunities - both coastal and around the fjords, and inland to the volcanic spire of SnA¦fell - in a part of the country which regularly receives the driest and warmest weather. The small town of HA¶fn in the southeast corner is a good base from which to visit Europe's biggest glacier, the mighty VatnajA¶kull , either on a skidoo trip or on foot through Skaftafell National Park . Further to the west the nearby glacial lagoon, JA¶kulsA?rlA?n , offers the surreal chance to cruise alongside floating icebergs which were once part of the glacier itself. Iceland's most rewarding long distance hiking route is also found in this corner of the country - the A?A?rsmA¶rk trail is one of the world's most exhilarating walking paths.

The south coast is marked by vast stretches of black, volcanic coastal sands punctuated by tiny villages that unfortunately are prone to some of the country's foulest weather - the town of VA­k is Iceland's wettest but boasts teeming seabird colonies. Just off the south coast, and easily reached by ferry from A?A?rlakshA¶fn, the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands) sport the world's largest puffin colonies and were propelled into the world headlines during the 1960s and 1970s by a series of volcanic eruptions that created a new island, Surtsey , and also threatened to bury the town of Heimaey under lava and ash.

Iceland's barren Interior is best tackled as part of a guided tour - it's much easier to let experienced drivers of all-terrain buses pick their way across lavafields and cross unbridged rivers than to try it yourself. Parts of the Interior's fringes are also feasibly explored on foot, however, and even by bus it's perfectly possible to break your journey anywhere and camp - you'll be sharing the stunning scenery with only the ghosts of the early settlers who perished in its bleak, grey-sanded lava deserts.