Hals and Hou (mouth of the Limfjord)
This is where most of our houses in the region are, in summer-house areas spread along the shore south of Hals towards Hou. The beaches are sandy and shelve gently, which suits small children. Hals has a harbour, a few restaurants and a short car ferry across the Limfjord to Egense. Lille Vildmose, a large raised bog with wild boar and reintroduced elk, is a short drive inland. Aalborg airport is about 40 minutes away.
Best for: Families who want shallow, calm water close to the airport
Not for you if: You want big waves and dunes: the Kattegat is flat by comparison.
Læsø (island in the Kattegat)
The ferry from Frederikshavn lands at Vesterø Havn after about an hour and a half. Læsø is flat and easy to cycle, with heath, salt marsh and long beaches on the north side. Its old farmhouses with thick seaweed roofs are unique to the island, and you can watch salt being boiled the traditional way at the saltworks. Shops are limited to a few small villages, so bring essentials.
Best for: Couples and families who want real quiet and are happy on bikes
Not for you if: You want a quick dash from the airport: the ferry alone takes about 90 minutes, and summer car spaces need booking.
Sæby and Asaa (east coast of Vendsyssel)
Sæby has an old centre of narrow streets and low houses, a working harbour and a sandy beach on the edge of town. Voergaard Castle, a moated Renaissance manor, is a short drive inland. Asaa, further south, is a small village with a fishing harbour and a long, shallow beach. Aalborg airport is around 50 minutes from Sæby, and Frederikshavn is 15 minutes north.
Best for: Families who want a proper small town with a harbour to walk to
Not for you if: You want empty beaches in July, when Sæby's shore is busy with day visitors.
Hadsund and Mariager Fjord (Øster Hurup, Mariager)
Most houses under Hadsund are by the Kattegat at Øster Hurup and the beaches running south towards Als Odde, where the water is shallow and the sand fine. Mariager Fjord cuts inland behind them, and Mariager itself is a small cobbled town with a veteran railway. Rold Skov, one of Denmark's largest forests, is around half an hour away. Aalborg airport is about 45 minutes to an hour.
Best for: Families who want a beach and a fjord, with forest walks inland
Not for you if: You want lots of restaurants: outside Hadsund the choice is small.
Frederikshavn, Jerup and Strandby (north towards Skagen)
Jerup and Strandby sit on the Kattegat shore between Frederikshavn and Skagen, with houses in pine plantation behind the beach. Strandby has a working fishing harbour. Frederikshavn is a port town with supermarkets, the ferry to Læsø and crossings to Gothenburg and Oslo. Skagen is roughly 30 to 40 minutes north. Aalborg airport is about an hour away.
Best for: Families who want easy day trips to Skagen and ferries to Sweden
Not for you if: You want somewhere remote: this stretch runs alongside the main road and railway to Skagen.
Around Aalborg (Storvorde, Gistrup, Kongerslev, Nibe, Gandrup)
A small number of houses sit on the edge of Aalborg, near the Limfjord at Storvorde and in the countryside around Gistrup and Kongerslev. Nibe is a small fjord town to the west. Aalborg has a zoo, the Kunsten art museum and a long, rebuilt waterfront on the Limfjord. Choice is limited, but the airport is 20 minutes away or less from most of them.
Best for: Families wanting a city's museums, zoo and shops within easy reach
Not for you if: You want to step out of the house onto a sea beach: these are fjord and countryside spots.
