Founded in 1941 as a US Air Force base, Kangerlussuaq is home to Greenland’s main airport and a place that most visitors to the country will pass through at some point. The town also offers easy access to the magnificent Greenland Ice Cap, and the surrounding countryside is a great place to see the Northern Lights.

Disko Bay is one of Greenland’s most spectacular sights, where calving glaciers send huge icebergs floating out across the water. These bergs can be several kilometres in length, and are sculpted into weird and wonderful shapes by the weather. Whatever you do, don’t forget your camera!

The name Sisimiut means ‘the people living in a place where there are fox dens’, though these days the town is better known for being Greenland’s northernmost year-round ice-free port. Around 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle, it’s a common stop for ships making the journey north to Disko Bay.

The archaeological site of L’Anse aux Meadows, on the northern tip of Newfoundland, is the only confirmed site of Norse settlement in North America. Vikings arrived from Iceland and Greenland some 500 years before Columbus, and you can visit the reconstructed timber and peat-turf homes that they built.

The town of Woody Point is located in the heart of Gros Morne National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the west coast of Newfoundland. Just outside the town are the remarkable Tablelands, a barren and otherworldly landscape of peridotite rock that resembles the surface of Mars.

The picturesque town of Louisbourg, on the Atlantic coast of Cape Breton island, was the main port for the French colony of Île-Royale, named after King Louis XIV. The beautifully restored 18th-century Fortress of Louisbourg, which twice fell to the British, is one of Canada’s most important historical sites.

The natural harbour at Halifax is the second largest in the world after Sydney, and this charming city has a proud maritime heritage. Take a stroll along the historic waterfront, delve into the vibrant arts scene or explore the beautiful coastal scenery of Nova Scotia.

Lunenburg’s UNESCO-listed old town is the best surviving example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America, with its picturesque wooden buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. You can also see a replica of the famous schooner Bluenose, an icon for Nova Scotians, which was built at the port.

The vibrant maritime city of Portland is a culinary and cultural hotspot, with some fantastic restaurants, a thriving craft beer scene and a host of trendy galleries and shops. Lobster lovers will be in heaven, while history buffs will enjoy strolling the handsome Victorian streets of the Old Port district.