Villas in Djursland & Mols

Ebeltoft suits families, Knebel and Mols Bjerge suit walkers and the Glesborg coast has wide sand, but summer weeks book up early. Aarhus airport sits on the peninsula itself, so transfers are short, and Aarhus city is under an hour away. Beaches face the Kattegat and are calmer than the Jutland west coast.

Where

Villas: 442
From, per week: £444
Cheapest month: September
Nearest airports: Aarhus airport is on Djursland, about 20 minutes from Ebeltoft, with Ryanair flights from London Stansted taking around one hour 40 minutes. Billund is about an hour and three quarters by car, with British Airways flights from Heathrow. From Copenhagen, the fast ferry from Sjællands Odde to Aarhus runs all year, and a summer route lands at Ebeltoft.

Where to stay in Djursland & Mols

Ebeltoft and Femmøller (south Djursland)

Ebeltoft has about half of our houses in this region. Its old centre has cobbled streets, a tiny half-timbered former town hall and the Glasmuseet glass museum, and the 19th-century wooden warship Fregatten Jylland sits in dry dock by the harbour. Houses spread round the bay towards Femmøller, close to sandy beaches. Ree Park safari is just outside town, and Aarhus airport is about 20 minutes away.

Best for: Families who want a real town, sandy beaches and a short airport run

Not for you if: You want an empty beach in July: Ebeltoft is the busiest resort on the peninsula.

Knebel, Rønde and Mols Bjerge

Mols Bjerge is a national park of heather-covered glacial hills, and the climb to the Trehøje burial mounds gives views over the bays. Knebel sits on a sheltered inlet, Knebel Vig, with the Helgenæs peninsula to the south. Rønde faces Kalø Vig, where a causeway leads out to the ruin of Kalø castle. Aarhus is about 40 minutes by car and the airport around 25.

Best for: Walkers and couples who want hills and sheltered water

Not for you if: You want a long beach with kiosks and ice cream; the shores here are narrower and quieter.

Glesborg, Fjellerup and Bønnerup Strand (north coast)

Houses listed under Glesborg are mostly at Fjellerup and Bønnerup Strand, where long sandy beaches face north across the Kattegat. Bønnerup has a small fishing harbour and a fish shop. Djurs Sommerland, the region's big summer theme park, is roughly 15 minutes inland, which makes this the obvious base for families with children of primary school age. Aarhus airport is around 35 minutes away.

Best for: Families who want a long beach and a theme park nearby

Not for you if: You like to stroll to a café; these are summer-house areas with a kiosk or two.

Grenaa (east coast)

Grenaa is the largest town on Djursland. A long sandy beach runs south from the harbour, and Kattegatcentret, an aquarium with a shark tank, is a reliable wet-day trip. Ferries to the island of Anholt leave from the harbour. The Aarhus light rail starts here, so you can reach the city without a car, and Aarhus airport is about 25 minutes by road.

Best for: Families who want a town beach, an aquarium and public transport

Not for you if: You want rural quiet, as houses here are close to a working port town.

Allingåbro, Ørsted and Randers Fjord (north-west)

The north-west corner of Djursland is farmland and woodland running down to Randers Fjord, with fewer summer-house areas than the coast to the east. Allingåbro and Ørsted are small inland towns, and Havndal lies across the fjord to the north. At Udbyhøj, near the fjord mouth, a small ferry crosses the water. Randers, with its rainforest dome zoo, is about half an hour away.

Best for: Anglers and families who prefer space to resort facilities

Not for you if: You want to walk to the sea: most houses here are inland among farms.

When to go to Djursland & Mols

July is the busiest month: Danish school holidays run from late June to early August and Djurs Sommerland is open full days. June and the second half of August are quieter, and in June it stays light until late. The Kattegat is calmer than the North Sea but still cool, so children tend to swim in short bursts. Djurs Sommerland closes for winter after October, as do many beach kiosks, but Ebeltoft and Grenaa stay open, and a house with a wood burner makes a winter week workable.