Svalbard

The scenery is gob-smacking; at times, almost unreal, like some CGI fantasy backdrop. Glacial ice covers more than 60% of the land, with the rest comprising bare rock or wild tundra – the latter studded in summer with Arctic flowers such as purple saxifrage and Svalbard poppy. The coastline is all rugged fjords and looming cliffs, while mountains inland tower to over 1,700m and vast glaciers reach the sea as sheer walls of ice – some more than 7km across. In winter, the whole archipelago is enclosed by sea ice, which breaks up through the spring and summer, leaving a floating white rubble of pancake, drift ice and floating bergs calved from glaciers.

This sea-ice ensures that no cruise is ever certain of its itinerary. Conditions will dictate exactly how far you can travel, which fjords or glaciers you can visit, where you can land, and whether, come late summer, you might even be able to circumnavigate the whole of Spitsbergen. But whatever your route and the duration of your cruise – which will invariably start from Longyearbyen – you are guaranteed a lot of ice, and an abundance of wildlife.

The icon of Arctic wildlife is, of course, the polar bear. Most cruises offer an excellent chance of sightings – often several. The further north you go, the better the odds, but your expedition team will know the best areas and bears are often seen out on the sea ice, far from land. Other sea mammals range from ringed seal and walrus to beluga and blue whale. And birdwatchers daren’t put down their binoculars: these are among the world’s richest waters for seabirds, with teeming colonies of guillemots, kittiwakes and little auks, plus local specials such as ivory gull. Shore excursions open up other wildlife possibilities, from barnacle geese and snow buntings to Arctic fox and Svalbard reindeer. This is bear country, mind you, so all walks come with an armed guide and any onshore sighting – though very rare – will trigger a return to the zodiac. Expect to find yourself looking over your shoulder.

Svalbard – formerly known as Spitsbergen – also has an interesting human history. A base for whalers as far back as the 17th Century, with the Dutch whaling station of Smeerenburg established in 1619, it was largely abandoned until the advent of coal mining on the islands in the early 20th century. By 1925, the archipelago was part of the Norwegian kingdom, but there has also long been a Russian presence, notably in the mining community at Barentsberg. Ny-Alesund to the northwest is now an international Arctic research station. No road connects these settlements, which, in the perpetual frozen darkness of winter, remain as isolated as almost any on Earth.

Longyearbyen is an interesting place. Home to some 2,100 residents drawn from over 50 different nations, it boasts a university, church, library and several museums. A longer stay here offers plenty to see and do, including organising adventure activities in the interior. But polar bear warning signs at the edge of town remind you that nature is never far away – as do the Arctic terns, which nest on almost every scrap of ground and will subject you to a screeching aerial bombardment should you wander too close.