Iceland boasts hot springs, volcanoes, the Northern Lights and now a World Cup football team

HAVING heroically completed a hike from Europe to America, I am relaxing in an outdoor geothermal bath, drinking a well- deserved beer, and . . .

Well OK, I say “heroically” but it was actually just a short trek through Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park, taking in amazing vistas and drinking glacial water from a lake.

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Iceland sits atop two tectonic plates, geologically straddling two separate continents. You can literally walk from one to the other, as I’ve just done.

The separation of these plates accounts for the volcanic activity, geysers and hot springs, and the truly stunning, otherworldly landscapes, as seen in TV’s Game Of Thrones and countless movies.

Ever more visitors are being drawn to this brilliant, bonkers country — almost 2.2million last year. That is six times the number of locals.

And this summer Iceland will become the smallest-ever country, in terms of population, to compete in a World Cup finals.

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With the countdown to the tournament now on, I’m here to sample some of Icelandair’s football–themed mini-excursions, available for free to transatlantic travellers making a stopover.

On June 16, tens of thousands of Icelanders will be rammed into ­Reykjavic’s Arnarholl Park watching giant screens as the national team, expected to feature Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson, takes on Lionel Messi’s Argentina in Moscow.

Two summers ago, an estimated 99.8 per cent of Icelanders watched their heroes eliminate England from Euro 2016. Which begs the question: what on Earth were the others doing?

“I don’t know,” says Siggi Anton, my allocated “stopover buddy”, who is briefly thrown by the thought of not watching his national team. “Maybe they were in a coma or something?”

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The footie-themed trips include “Train the Icelandic way”, “Support like an Icelander” and “Relax like a pro”.

But anyone visiting Iceland for a long weekend — as a growing number of us do — also has a number of compelling day-trips to choose from.

Number one attraction is the ever-expanding Blue Lagoon spa, but other popular options include Golden Circle tours (taking in the epic ­Gullfoss waterfall, spectacular geysers and more) and whale-watching.

Then, of course, you have the mercurial Northern Lights — but only during the dark winter months.

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Famously, Iceland stays light through the night from mid-May to mid-August, but it doesn’t get very warm here, even in summer. Temperatures in the capital Reykjavik have never topped 25.7C since records began.

Cultural attractions in the city include Hallgrimskirkja, a striking church which offers great views across the city, and the ultra-modern Harpa concert hall.

More left-field options include the Phallological Museum (yes, that’s male naughty bits) and Icelandic punk museum, which is based in a converted underground toilet.

But be warned, food and drink in Iceland is tough on your wallet. The standard price for a 500ml beer (around 90 per cent of a pint) is 1,200kr — that is almost £9.

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And a foot-long Tunfisksalat (tuna salad) sub at Subway cost me 1,399kr (£10).

It is best to book a hotel with breakfast included or stock up at supermarkets off the tourist track.

Regardless of the World Cup results, you can expect the proud ­Icelanders to party until the sun goes down… whenever that is.