Husavik

Husavik sits on Skjalfandi Bay in northeast Iceland, and the bay is a dining hall for whales. Humpbacks are the stars — breaching, tail-slapping, and feeding close enough to the boats that you can hear the exhale of their blowholes — but minke whales, blue whales, and dolphins also patrol these nutrient-rich waters. The whale-watching boats leave from the small harbour, and the success rate is extraordinary. This is not a hopeful expedition; this is a near-certainty.

The town itself is charming in the understated Icelandic way — a wooden church on the hill, colourful houses along the harbour, and the Whale Museum, which holds full skeletons suspended from the ceiling in a display that conveys the sheer scale of these animals better than any encounter at sea. The GeoSea geothermal baths, infinity pools perched on a cliff above the bay, offer hot water, cold air, and a view across to the mountains.

When to go: June through September for whale watching, with July and August offering the highest success rates for humpback sightings. The GeoSea baths are open year-round. Northern lights are visible from October through March. The town is quieter and many services close in winter.