Fanø

Fanø is the northernmost island in the Wadden Sea National Park at the west coast of South Jutland in Denmark. The main attraction here is the white sand beach, which is also a popular playground for different types of sports, such as kite flying, surfing and buggies.

Understand

Fanø hosts Denmark's first golf course, the Fanø Golf Links, established in 1901.

1 Fanø Tourist Office (Fanø Turistbureau), Skolevej 5, Nordby, ☏ +45 70 26 42 00, mail@visitfanoe.dk. (updated Mar 2017)

Get in

• 1 Esbjerg ferry terminal. 
• 2 Nordby ferry terminal. 

You get to the island by ferry from Esbjerg. Travel time is 12 minutes, and sailings occur throughout the day. A return ticket for adults costs 35-45 kr, and a ticket for a small car in the tourist season (mid-June to mid-August) costs 415 kr. A timetable is available here. The ferry arrives at Nordby on Fanø.

Travellers arriving by train in Esbjerg can take the bus line #5 from the main station to the Fanø ferry port. The ride takes roughly 10 minutes and costs 20 kr for adults, you can search for timetables here.

Get around

The most convenient way to travel on the island is by car or bicycle. There is a bus line going from Nordby to Sønderho.

See

Fanø Beach

The beach, the town of Nordby, the town of Sønderho. Sønderho was named Denmark's prettiest town, and features quaint cottages and streets, as well as a windmill.

Drink

• 1 Fanø Bryghus, Strandvejen 5, ☏ +45 76 66 01 12, info@fanoebryghus.dk. M-Th 12:00-19:00, F Sa 11:00-22:00, Su 11:00-16:00. Craft brewery since 2009. The brewery has a sizeable production and their beers can be had all over Denmark. (updated Dec 2024)

Sleep

• 1 Nørby Kro, Strandvejen 12-14, ☏ +45 75163589, fanoe@noerbykro.dk. (updated Mar 2017)
• 2 Rødgaard Camping, Kirkevejen 13, ☏ +45 75 16 33 11, info@rodgaard-camping.dk. 7600 kr for 130 nights between April and October. Full list of prices here. (updated Mar 2017)
• 3 Sønderho Kro, Kropladsen 11, Sønderho, ☏ +45 7516 4009, mail@sonderhokro.dk. An inn, built in 1722, which claims to be "one of the oldest and most well preserved inns in Denmark", and has 13 rooms to stay in. There's also a restaurant here which offers an à la carte two-course dinner menu for 439 kr. Single room: 1300 kr. (updated Mar 2017)
• There are also houses available for holiday lets on the island, for example through http://www.feriefanoe.dk or http://www.danibo.dk.

Go next

Take the ferry back to Esbjerg, return rides are free (you have paid for it when you bought your ticket back on the mainland). From there, you could head south to the other Danish islands of Mandø or Rømø, even further south into Germany, and Sylt or Föhr; or head east towards Kolding and Odense.