Iceland

Staggering

Hallgrímskirkja 'Church of Hallgrímur' is the largest church in Iceland, standing 73m high and taking 38 years to build, being completed in 1986. It is named after Hallgrímur Pétursson, a poet from the 1600s. The structure is inspired by basalt columns, which can be found in several places on the Icelandic coast.

The Sun Voyager

An informal car enthusiast gathering outside Harpa concert hall and entertainment venue

The suburban edge of central Reykjavik

Þúfa

Thufa is a new art piece by artist Ólöf Nordal – a turf mound adorned with a fish-drying hut. There is a relaxing view of Reykjavik's harbour activities from the top.

Artist's Vision

"Poor Ugly" street art in progress in central Reykjavík. See the finished art at tinyurl.com/zxnpmrx

Inter-continental swim

The crystal clear waters of Silfra attract drysuit-clad snorkellers and divers from around the world. Formed by the divergence of the Eurasian and American tectonic plates, it continues to widen by 1-2 cm each year. In Summer, the glacial runoff water 'warms' to 3 degrees Celcius.

Hardcore divers ahead

Not your usual road-side warning!

A diver negotiates one of the shallower sections of the crack. The deepest section of Silfra is 64m in a cave under the car park, however tours are only allowed in open water, to a maximum depth of 18m.

A diver heads back across an old lava field with 30kg of equipment at the end of the day. With hood, gloves, drysuit, insulation suit and thermals, you can remain pretty warm and dry for an hour or two in the near-freezing water.

Only the hardest plants grow in old lava fields, including moss and wild berries.

Menningarnótt (Culture Night) festival in Reykjavik is a day of art, food, music and fireworks. Laugavegur, shown here, is the main street in 101 Reykjavik [editorial use only, faces have been blurred]

Skálmöld

Skálmöld at Menningarnótt [editorial use only]

Mammút

Mammút playing at Menningarnótt [editorial use only]

Vilborg Ása Dýradóttir

Mammút playing at Menningarnótt [editorial use only]

Arnar Pétursson

Mammút playing at Menningarnótt [editorial use only]

Katrína Kata Mogensen & drummer, Andri Bjartur Jakobsson

Mammút playing at Menningarnótt [editorial use only]

Kata (R) and Alexandra Baldursdóttir

Mammút playing at Menningarnótt [editorial use only]

During the Culture Night festival, people could play Pong on the side of the Harpa building, using a free app

Culture Night

Over 100,000 people attended the Menningarnótt (Culture Night) festival which closed with fireworks beside Harpa

Seljalandsfoss, famous for the path that runs behind the falls

The ferry from Landeyjahöfn to Heimaey, a 45min trip.

A tourist boat lines up, ready to head through a cave tunnel at Vestmannæyjar

Herjólfurs Farmhouse

Perched in the middle of the Vestmannæyjar campground is a recreation of some 9th Century turf-roofed dwellings that were found nearby in the 1970s

A young kittiwake shelters between rocks in the Vestmannæyjar campground

Vestmannæyjar campground, sited in an old volcanic crater. The location is fairly sheltered and there are some short, exposed, hikes on the ridge above.

Ocean Vewe

A sheep in Summer dress sits atop the cliffs of Vestmannæyjar, Iceland. View from Stórhöfði in the SW corner of the island.

Suðeray, Vestmannæyjar. The building is a clubhouse for locals who sometimes visit the island for fishing or catching puffins. Some sheep are perched along the cliff edge, the only current residents.

Suðeray, Vestmannæyjar. The building is a clubhouse for locals who sometimes visit the island for fishing or catching puffins. The sheep perched along the cliff edge and thousands of birds are the only current residents.

A Kittiwake in flight above the southern cliffs, Vestmannæyjar [cropped image]

Ræningjatangi (Pirate Cove)

In 1627, Algerian pirates landed here, at the Southern end of Vestmannæyjar, before taking over the island by deadly force.

Icelandic sheep, Vestmannæyjar

Friendly Icelandic horses, Vestmannæyjar

Western coast, Vestmannæyjar

Heimæy

Sæheimar aquarium and natural history museum, Vestmannæyjar. Check out the friendly Puffin! www.saeheimar.is / www.sagnheimar.is

Puffin display, Sæheimar natural history museum, Heimæy, Vestmannæyjar [editorial use only]

Bird display, Sæheimar natural history museum, Heimæy, Vestmannæyjar [editorial use only]

Bird display, Sæheimar natural history museum, Heimæy, Vestmannæyjar [editorial use only]

Marine life display, Sæheimar aquarium, Heimæy, Vestmannæyjar [editorial use only]

A langoustine gets the attention of a Northern Stone Crab, while safely sheltered in a glass tube. Sæheimar aquarium, Heimæy, Vestmannæyjar