Beach holidays on the great Danish coast

With over 7000km of coastline and some of the cleanest and finest white sandy beaches in Europe, it’s no surprise that increasing numbers of British visitors are choosing to head for the Danish beaches to relax and unwind on warm summer days when the prevailing currents of the Gulf Stream, heat the sea temperatures to a pleasant 18-22 degrees.

The geography of Denmark, which comprises the ‘Jutland’ peninsular in the West and ‘Sealand’ and ‘Funen’ in the East plus over 400 named islands and islets, also means that visitors are never more than 60 kilometres from the sea. And its very efficient infrastructure of bridges to link the islands makes it easy to get around by road or rail.

The quality of the beaches and the water has been recognised by the EU Blue Environmental Flag scheme. This has approved over 200 beaches and more than 70 recreational harbours with its award for water quality, environmental efforts, safety and facilities and distinguishes Denmark as the European country with the largest number of Blue Environmental Flags in proportion to its size and length of coastline.

Virtually the entire coastline is accessible and free of charge to the public with good facilities for disabled visitors. The largest, and traditionally, most popular beaches lie between Skagen at the northern tip of Jutland and Romo on the West Jutland coast, whilst the East Jutland or ‘Mild Coast’, as the local call it, is growing in popularity with a wide variety of family attractions especially around the Djursland region. In East Denmark the northern coast of Sealand has many sheltered bays whilst Falster, Lolland and Møn in the South, are also famed for their calm and pristine beaches.

Getting there …

The UK is well served by ferry and air to Denmark, with DFDS Seaways offering a regular service of daily departures between Harwich and Esbjerg, in West Jutland, during June, July and August and crossings three times a week between September and May. Prices start from only £29 per person one way.

Passengers simply drive on board and can then enjoy quality cuisine and facilities for the 18 hour crossing, which is overnight on each leg of the journey therefore making best use of the holiday time. For passengers with a ‘Camping Card Scandinavia’ caravans travel free from Harwich to Esbjerg on Sundays and from Esbjerg to Harwich on Thursday. Visit Dfds.co.uk for further details.

By air the journey time is approximately two hours with a range of airlines from Scandinavia’s national carrier, SAS which offers direct daily flights from London Heathrow, London City Airport, Birmingham, Manchester and Aberdeen to Copenhagen. Visit Flysas.co.uk.

Alternatively Sterling Airways, Scandinavia’s first low-cost airline, has daily flights from Gatwick to Aalborg or Billund in Jutland and to Copenhagen, with a new direct departure from Edinburgh to Copenhagen starting on 25th March. Visit Sterling.dk.

On arrival Europcar offers car hire rates from £145 per week. To book visit Europcar.co.uk.

Where to stay on the coast . . .

For travellers with children from tots to teens, Denmark’s family friendly clean, safe and uncrowded beaches are equally matched by its superb range of accommodation options. With an extensive choice to suit all budgets from holiday cottages to camp sites and holiday centres, Denmark’s reputation for quality and affordable accommodation makes it a refreshing and cost effective alternative to more traditional summer destinations.

One of the easiest ways to rent a holiday cottage is through Novasol. With over 6,500 properties scattered along the Danish coast their range includes cosy wooden cottages that sleep four up to large holiday houses for up to 22 people. Most cottages are well equipped with modern facilities and some even have indoor swimming pools, saunas and Jacuzzis.

The average size of a cottage takes from six to 12 people and as prices are quoted per cottage it makes travelling as a large group a very cost effective option. For example a cottage for six people for a week in August starts from just £240. Visit Denmarkcottages.co.uk or Novasol.co.uk for more details.

Alternatively, Denmark has some of Europe’s best camping and caravan sites, with over 500 approved sites, many of which are located close to the water’s edge so campers are only a few feet away from a refreshing dip in the sea.

Each one is classified by a star rating, ranging from one star camp sites with basic facilities up to a small number of five star sites with restaurants, spas and swimming pools as well as outdoor activities such as cycling, fishing and horse riding along the beach. Some have facilities which are specifically aimed at families whilst others offer quieter accommodation.

A ‘Camping Card Scandinavia’ is required in order to stay on a site. It costs £8.20 for the year and can be purchased online. Visit Danishcampsites.dk for more details.

Holiday Centres are another popular option, especially for families, as the high quality accommodation also includes access to a huge range of family friendly facilities, are mostly free of charge. Holiday Centres are located all over Denmark.

The newest is the SeaWest Holiday Centre, which is only 45 minutes from the ferry port of Esbjerg in West Jutland. Situated in an area of natural beauty and close to magnificent beaches and extraordinary sand dunes, this unique resort has been designed using the latest technology to offer luxury ‘Skipper House’ accommodation and numerous recreational facilities. For information visit Strandhotellerne.dk.

The most popular Holiday Centre, for its wide range of facilities, is Skallerup Klit which is situated on the North Jutland coast, about 45 minutes from Aalborg Airport or three hours from Esbjerg. Attractions include a wellness centre inspired by the interior of an ancient Roman bathhouse; a 1950’s style farmyard where guests can help out feeding the animals, collecting eggs and milking the cows. There are also a range of sports available from badminton to basketball. For details visit Skallerup.dk.

The most traditional holiday centres are those owned by FolkeFerie. The centre at Gilleleje Holiday Centre in North Sealand is perfectly located for a two centre holiday with Copenhagen and is an easy distance from a range of family attractions.

Lalandia Holiday Centre is on the most Southerly island of Lolland. It is the largest Holiday Centre in Denmark and known for its vast indoor tropical waterpark. It is located on the Baltic Sea coast and ideal for cyclists with a large number of marked routes. And on the neighbouring island of Møn, the new GeoCenter attraction is due to open at the end of May. For details visit Lalandia.dk.

For further information on Denmark visit Visitdenmark.com.