Fyn and Ærø

Svendborg Harbour

Fyn is one of the large islands in Denmark. It is the second largest island in the country after Sjaelland. It is separated from Sjaelland by the Great Belt (water) and from Jutland by the Little Belt (water). To get to Fyn we took the bridge from Jutland over the Little Belt, the new Little Belt Bridge. Read in this blog about Fyn and especially the southern islands and the small island of Ærø.

The island of Fyn is very diverse and there is something for everyone to experience. There is peace, it is spacious, beautiful nature and there is plenty to do. For example, Fyn has 1,100 kilometers of coastline with some beautiful beaches. We chose the south coast because we also wanted to see and visit the South Fyn islands. And it is a beautiful area for cycling, hiking and boating. And for the fishing enthusiasts Fyn also seems to be a paradise.

On Fyn we chose a campsite that is located between the coastal towns of Faaborg and Svendborg. Camping Nab Strand is located on the coast near the beach of the small village of Nabbe and is a lovely campsite, perhaps a bit too lovely. From the campsite and the coast you look out over the islands that lie off the south coast of Fyn. There are dozens of larger or smaller islands off the coast, some of which are inhabited and many are not. There are 12 islands recommended to visit and to do that via an island hop tour. We ended up going to one of the islands for 1 day, Ærø, because it was highly recommended by many. More on that later.

Faaborg

The small coastal town of Faaborg when you enter the harbour

As mentioned, on the coast are the towns of Faaborg and Svendborg. They are typical small harbour/coastal towns with not many inhabitants, but nice to visit because they exude a typical atmosphere for the region. With the South Fyn islands in the front yard, Faaborg, with 18,000 inhabitants, is one of the oldest and nicest market towns in Denmark. Faaborg breathes history with its cobbled streets lined with quaint shops, well-preserved old merchant houses and the clock tower, the towns landmark. And Faaborg has a nice harbor with a small town beach where people like to congregate when the weather is nice.

Svendborg is located more to the east and has almost 30,000 inhabitants. Just like Faaborg, it has a beautiful old and historic center with a number of very cozy authentic shopping streets. The harbor is larger than that of Faaborg and many ships dock there and many ferries leave for various destinations. From the campsite where we stayed it was about 25 kilometers by bike to Svendborg and that was a nice way to explore the coast of Fyn by bike. Along the coast you have a beautiful view of the islands in the distance and as soon as you come a little inland the landscape starts to slope and you understand why Fyn is called the garden of Denmark.

Idyllic islands

There are so many small idyllic islands in the South Fyn archipelago

The highlight of Fyn was our visit to the island of Ærø. We deliberately went for Ærø because we had heard good things about it and because we didn't want to go island hopping but wanted to visit 1 island in good manor. In addition, we had the opportunity to use different ferries and to take the bicycle with us. We first cycled to Svendborg, took the ferry there to Ærø, cycled more or less from south to north on Ærø, took the ferry to Faaborg and from there we cycled to the campsite. You can plan it in advance, but it also has to turn out well and this certainly did. And, we were lucky that the weather was really fantastic this day, for cycling, for boating, actually to do everything. It is not for nothing that Ærø is the sunniest place in Denmark.

The boat trip from Svendborg to Ærøskøbing on Ærø takes approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. As soon as you leave the harbour of Svendborg you can actually see how beautiful the archipelago is because you can see the beautiful coastline and the islands in the distance. During the cruise you sail between a few of those idyllic islands, which are beautiful to see. As soon as you arrive in Ærøskøbing you immediately see how special it is. A small harbour, old traditional houses and a very relaxed and cozy atmosphere.

Ærøskøbing

Ærøskøbing is a fairy tale with cobbled streets and small colorful houses

Ærø is an island of only 88 square kilometers with a population of about 5000 people. The island of Ærø is known for its charming character, including beautiful nature, water sports, cycling paths, colorful beach huts and delicious local seafood. We started with a delicious coffee at the Sailaway coffee truck before we started our bike ride around the island.

The small village of Ærøskøbing is a fairy tale with cobbled streets and small colorful old mansions, which gives it a unique atmosphere. Because of its charm, Ærøskøbing has been awarded many times for the preservation of European heritage. After we had hobbled around here for an hour and really enjoyed the picturesqueness, we cycled a bit further to the southern tip. There lies the small harbour village of Marstal, which is also a parish of the Danish people's church.

From Marstal we have actually largely cycled along the west coast and now and then cycled a bit through the interior all the way to the northern tip. That is about 30 kilometers and a beautiful part for cycling. Large stretches go along the rather rugged coast with occasional high dunes and cliffs. Other parts pass through the green and hilly interior. And sometimes you come across a farm or tiny village. At the northern tip is Soby and from there the ferry departed that took us to Faaborg. This trip takes about an hour and goes along other idyllic islands. From Faaborg it was still a fifteen minute bike ride to the campsite.

Ærø

The westcoast is rugged with occasional high dunes and cliffs.

It was really a great day. While cycling and boating we got a great impression of both the island of Fyn and the island of Ærø. We are glad that we chose 1 island to visit from Fyn. Island hopping is of course also fun to do, but then it gets a bit rushed.

If you are going to visit Fyn, definitely go to the south coast and visit (one of) the small islands, then you will get a really good impression of Fyn. If you are also near the city of Odense, be sure to visit it as well. We didn't do that, so that we also have some left over for the next time we go to Fyn!.

For more photo material and information about Fyn and Ærø, check out our Instagram posts and our Polarsteps page!

Ella & Geert.