Isfjord Radio

On top of the world, at the edge of the Greenland Sea, a former 1930s radio and weather station provides a comfortable retreat in an Arctic wilderness. With no roads, it’s reached by snowmobile or boat, and this far from civilisation the only neighbours are Arctic foxes and polar bears.

When the Isfjord freezes and Spitsbergen’s dagger-edge mountain peaks are blanketed with snow, the 90km journey from Longyearbyen to this remote outpost becomes an epic adventure, zooming through pristine valleys against a polar sunset of purple haze.

Set on Kapp Linné, where the fjord spills into open sea, 22 rooms are hidden in the lap of nature; beluga whales drift along the coastline, fulmars gather on rocks and curious polar bears have been known to raid the storerooms. Once engines have ceased, the Arctic silence is magical, and large glass windows provide a warm place to watch dramatic skies and scenes take shape.

A five-course tasting menu uses meats provided by a local trapper, all matched with a wine flight, and evenings can be spent in a mobile wooden and glass-fronted sauna – wheeled down to the water for anyone braving a dip.

When the fjord melts, boats are used for transport, and there are opportunities for bird watching and guided hikes.