Villas in Limfjord

Fur and Mors suit island stays, Salling and Struer suit families who want calm fjord water, and Løgstør is closest to Aalborg airport. The Limfjord is a sheltered, shallow inland sea across north-west Jutland, so beaches are small and the water is gentler than the North Sea. Expect ferries, oysters and cycling rather than big surf.

Where

Villas: 260
From, per week: £379
Cheapest month: September
Nearest airports: Aalborg is nearest for Løgstør and the north shore; Norwegian has run a twice-weekly London Gatwick service, so check it is flying on your dates. Billund, with British Airways flights from Heathrow of around one hour 45 minutes, is about as close for Struer and Vinderup. Karup, near Skive, has flights from Copenhagen only.

Where to stay in Limfjord

Løgstør, Farsø and Aars (Himmerland shore)

Løgstør has as many of our houses as anywhere on the fjord. Frederik VII's Canal, dug in the 19th century to get ships past the shallows, now has a towpath for walking and cycling, and the Limfjord Museum tells the story of the fishing. A ten-minute ferry from Hvalpsund, near Farsø, crosses to Salling. Aalborg airport is around 45 minutes from Løgstør.

Best for: Families who want a harbour town and the shortest airport transfer

Not for you if: You want long sandy beaches; this shore has small fjord beaches and grassy foreshore.

Salling (Roslev, Spøttrup, Glyngøre)

Salling is the peninsula between Skive and Mors. Roslev is in the north, a few minutes from Glyngøre's harbour and the ferry landing at Branden for Fur. Spøttrup, on the west side, is one of Denmark's best-kept medieval castles, with a moat and a herb garden. The houses here are mostly near the shallow beaches of the fjord. Karup airport is around 40 minutes away; Aalborg and Billund are around an hour and a half.

Best for: Families who want calm water, a castle and the Fur ferry nearby

Not for you if: You want a lively resort; villages here have a shop, a pizzeria and not much more.

Fur

Fur is a small island reached by a ferry from Branden that takes about four minutes and runs every 15 minutes through the day. The north coast has pale moler cliffs, layered clay with ash bands from ancient eruptions, and at Knudeklint you can walk below them. The Fur Museum shows fossils found in the moler, and the island has its own brewery. Aalborg airport is around an hour and a quarter.

Best for: Couples and walkers who want cliffs, fossils and a small island

Not for you if: You need supermarkets and choice on the doorstep; Fur has one village and a few shops.

Vinderup and Struer

Hjerl Hede, near Vinderup, is an open-air museum of old farm buildings and workshops, staffed in summer by people in period dress. Flyndersø, beside it, is a long forest lake. Struer is the harbour town where Bang & Olufsen started, and a tiny ferry crosses from Kleppen to the island of Venø. Billund airport is around an hour and a half.

Best for: Families who like history days out and lake swimming

Not for you if: You want sea views from every house: many around Vinderup are inland.

Højslev, Løgstrup and Skals (around Skive and Viborg)

South-east of Skive the fjord splits into narrow arms, Hjarbæk Fjord among them, with reed beds and small harbours. Skive is the shopping town for Højslev. Løgstrup and Skals are on the Viborg side, and Viborg's twin-towered cathedral and old centre are a 15 to 20 minute drive. Karup airport is about half an hour; Billund is around an hour and a quarter.

Best for: Anyone who wants towns, shops and inner-fjord sailing

Not for you if: You want a classic beach holiday; this inner arm of the fjord is narrow and muddy in places.

Mors (Nykøbing Mors, Øster Assels, Redsted)

Mors is the largest island in the Limfjord, linked by bridges to Salling and Thy, so no ferry is needed. Nykøbing Mors is the main town, with Jesperhus, a flower and amusement park, on its edge. The Hanklit cliff in the north shows the same layered moler as Fur. Every October the town celebrates the start of the oyster and mussel season. Øster Assels and Redsted are quiet villages in the south.

Best for: Families who want an island with a theme park and oysters

Not for you if: You prefer to stay close to an airport; Mors is around an hour and a half from Aalborg or Billund.

Thyholm and Hurup Thy

Thyholm is a narrow peninsula reaching into the fjord, joined by a causeway to the small island of Jegindø. Hurup is the town for south Thy, around 20 minutes from the North Sea beaches at Agger. Vesløs is near Vejlerne, a large wetland reserve where geese and waders gather in spring and autumn. Aalborg and Billund airports are each around an hour and a half to an hour and three quarters.

Best for: Birdwatchers and families who want fjord and North Sea within reach

Not for you if: You want shops and restaurants close by: Thyholm is farmland and small villages.

When to go to Limfjord

Danish school holidays, from late June to mid-August, are the busy weeks, with Saturday changeovers and the warmest water. The fjord is shallow, so it warms faster than the open sea, though jellyfish are common in late summer. May, June and September are quieter, good for cycling and walking. Oyster season starts in October, with a festival in Nykøbing Mors. In winter Hjerl Hede, Jesperhus and many summer cafés close, but birdwatchers come for the geese.