From chilling out in Lübeck to climbing Norwegian mountains, our tipsters are delighted with their high season escapades. Scroll to the bottom for the winning tip
We visited the low-rise, one-village island of Hrísey during our round-Iceland tour. It sits in the Arctic-facing inlet of Eyjafjördur, 20 minutes by ferry from Árskógssandur, north of Akureyri – the fourth largest town in Iceland. We wrapped up well for the crossing, before following a 6km trail around the south of the island. There was a warm welcome from the islanders we met, but the birds were the star attraction. Ptarmigans thrive here at sea level – they seemed almost tame. We encountered fascinating history too: fish-drying racks, antique tractors and the wonderfully named Shark-Jörundur house, built in 1885-86 using timber from Norwegian ships that ran ashore at Hrísey in 1884. We gained such a sense of the old way of life here.
Paul Gamble
