Discover the Best Beaches in and around Copenhagen
Summer is here in Denmark and life is a beach! This is the best time of year for summer explorers to grab a backpack and take a look at our beautiful coastline. Paddle boarding, kayaking, or simply topping up your tan - Copenhagen has beaches that have all the activities (or relaxation) you could wish for!
Denmark has 7,400 km of beautiful coastlines - and none of the beaches here are private, so you are free to explore the coastline and take a beach walk anywhere in Denmark! This means you have a lot of beaches to discover -but remember that lifeguard’s are only on select public beaches so swim with care. Take a tip from us and find your perfect sunbathing spot just outside the city, or be daring and take a day trip out of town and find yourself miles of empty sand! Relax and enjoy, with our guides to Copenhagen’s beaches and beyond…. come and enjoy the Seaside in Denmark!
Calling all Beach Bums
We have a little secret. Ssshhhh!!! Copenhagen may be famous for canals and cute cobbled streets, but we also have city beaches and a beautiful coastline of sweeping sand leading out of the city centre. Just a metro or bus away, you can find clean beaches and natural sand dunes - just a short ride from the city.
Amager Strandpark – Copenhagen’s City-side Beach
Paddleboarding and swimming, volley ball and rollerskating - Amager is the favourite summer spot for locals and just a quick trip from the city centre. Follow the metro a few stops away from the city center towards the airport and you will find Amager Strandpark - Copenhagen’s biggest beach zone. With soft sand, a calm lagoon, wooden pier jump spots, and views of a nearby wind turbine farm, it’s a local hangout all year round, but busy busy in summer!
Lagoons and Sand Dunes
The beach front here does get busy with locals in summer, but there is plenty of space between the sand dunes, lagoon, and long swathe of sunbathing space. Enjoy the warmer shallow water in the lagoon, which is suitable for water sports like paddle board SUP or kayaks or beginner swimmers as there are no currents here. The beach front is followed by a long promenade you can walk, bike, or skate along, and the sandy beach is dotted with piers which are ideal spots to jump into the water from or take a break on the deck and enjoy the view of the windmill park. The lagoon side is more sheltered and shadier on a hot or windy day, and a shorter walk from the metro station.Stoll along the long promenade—you’ll see cyclists, skaters, and runners soaking up sea views. There are plenty of picnic spots, volleyball nets, and space to chill even when it’s busy.
Kajakhotellet
Here you can find Kajakhotellet, based near Amager Strandpark they have everything from SUP boards to sea kayaking courses, so you can take lessons or just head out and explore!
Take the metro to Amager Strand/St. and it’s just a short walk from the station through the dunes!
Bellevue Beach – Scandinavian Chic Meets Safe Swimming
About 20 km north of the city, Bellevue offers classic Danish charm. Blue-striped Arne Jacobsen lifeguard towers add a stylish touch, and the water is calm and inviting—perfect for a peaceful day of sunbathing and cooling off in clean water.
Svanemøllestranden
This little local beach isn’t as scenic and beautiful as the natural beaches a little further from the city centre, but for an urban beach (complete with a view of the power station), it works as a refreshing place to go right in the centre of Østerbro. Made in 2010 as a neighbourhood chill out spot, this beach consists of a long pier that stretches out 120m providing some deck area to relax or jump into the sea, and a little beach for sunning yourself between the promenade and the water. If you’re central and want a quick dip, then this is the beach for you! It’s about as urban as it gets so you can experience something very local!
Day Trips That Go Beyond the Beach
Tisvildeleje – Boho Bliss & Coastal Calm - Approximately 1 hour by train, Tisvildeleje offers colourful beach huts, soft sand, and gentle sea. Great for families or anyone after a relaxed Nordic beach day.
Gudmindrup Beach – Nature Power, Crowd-Free
Quiet, wide dunes and fewer visitors make Gudmindrup ideal for sunbathing with a view. Bring a book and enjoy some peace away from the city buzz.
Out of town
Hornbæk Beach – Golden Sand & Watersports
Hornbæk is one of Zealand’s most popular beaches. With fine sand, clean water, lifeguards on duty mid-June to mid-August, and swings and playgrounds nearby, it’s a vibrant spot for beachgoers of all ages.
Bonus Discovery: Humlebæk Harbour & Beach
Just a 40-minute train ride north, Humlebæk is a fishing village with a small sandy beach—great for a quiet stroll and quick swim. Nearby is the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, perfect if you're combining art and ocean vibes.
Stay With Us in Copenhagen
We have a beach! For our famous Full Moon Parties - with real sand, cocktails, and live music and DJS all night long. If you're lucky enough to be in Copenhagen for one of these epic parties then come along and join in the fun! If you love summer vibes then check out our happy hours and bar, we have the perfect drinks for you to cool off on our cocktail menu!
Book your bed with us at Copenhagen Downtown Hostel for the best party hostel in Copenhagen! We have a cool retro design hostel in the city center and a lively international bar, live music, parties, great atmosphere and awesome staff.We are also part of the Europe's Famous Hostels network, being the hostel of choice for the Genuine Backpacker, as part of a network of over 30 hostels across Europe.
Find out more about Famous Hostels here www.famoushostels.com Copenhagen Downtown is a proud member of Famous Hostels - stay with us for a #GenuineBackpacker experience.