Svalbardseyri Lighthouse

The tower is painted a strong orange and stands out from a long way off across the water. A ladder is fixed to the outside of it and leads to the top, where the light is still in place. The view from up there runs across the bay to Akureyri, with boats passing on their way out to the ocean. Humpback whales have been seen from here. The stop is a short one: cars pull up to the base, and the climb is the only effort involved.

• The ladder is the only way up — it is fixed to the outside of the tower. Anyone uneasy with heights should stay at the base.
• Nothing here but the tower and the view — this is a few minutes on the way past, not an outing in its own right.
• Whales are a matter of luck — humpbacks have been seen from here, out across the bay, with no boat involved.
• Children need an adult on the ladder — the ground around the lighthouse is easy, the climb is not.

The lighthouse stands by the village of Svalbardseyri, a short drive from Akureyri on the far side of the bay. Cars come right up to the tower, so there is no walk at the end. One approach skips the tunnel and takes roads 83 and 84 instead, over the hill and down to the shore. The only climbing is the ladder on the outside of the tower.

Better: a clear morning.

Avoid: flat grey days.

The orange paintwork is what draws people in from the road, and it needs sun to read from a distance. On a bright morning the tower glows. Boats leaving Akureyri for the open sea pass in view, and humpback whales have been spotted across the bay.