Villas in Northwest Jutland

Families tend to base themselves at Løkken or Blokhus, couples at Skagen and surfers in Thy, and it's over two hours from end to end. The top of Jutland has open North Sea beaches on its west side, the Kattegat on its east, and the light that brought painters to Skagen. Aalborg is the airport.

Where

Villas: 1,670
From, per week: £348
Cheapest month: September
Nearest airports: Aalborg is the nearest airport. Norwegian has run a twice-weekly service from London Gatwick, so check it is flying on your dates. Otherwise fly to Copenhagen (around one hour 50 minutes from London) and connect to Aalborg, or fly to Aarhus, a little over two hours' drive from Løkken.

Where to stay in Northwest Jutland

Løkken (Jammerbugt coast)

Løkken has more of our houses than anywhere else in the north. The beach is wide and sandy, lined in summer with rows of white wooden bathing huts, and the small town behind it has a pedestrian street, bakeries and a supermarket. Houses spread north and south of town into the dunes. Aalborg airport is around 45 minutes by car.

Best for: Families who want a beach town with shops and ice cream within walking distance

Not for you if: You want peace in July, when the town centre and beach are packed.

Hjørring area (Lønstrup, Tornby, Tversted, Hirtshals, Bindslev)

Houses listed under Hjørring are mostly on the coast west of town. Lønstrup is a former fishing village with craft shops, and just south of it Rubjerg Knude lighthouse stands in a moving dune on a crumbling cliff. Tornby and Tversted have pine plantations running down to the sand, and Hirtshals has the Nordsøen Oceanarium and ferries to Norway. Aalborg airport is about 50 minutes to an hour.

Best for: Couples and families who want cliffs, woods and a quieter beach

Not for you if: You need a town on the doorstep: Hjørring itself is inland, and houses are by the coast a drive away.

Thy (Thisted, Klitmøller, Vorupør, Hanstholm, Vestervig)

Thy National Park runs along this coast through heath, dune lakes and plantation. Klitmøller is a known surf spot with a couple of cafés, and at Nørre Vorupør fishing boats are still winched up the beach. Hanstholm has a large wartime bunker museum. Thisted, on the Limfjord, is the shopping town. Vestervig is near Agger and the southern tip of Thy. Aalborg is around an hour and a half.

Best for: Surfers, walkers and anyone who wants to be far from crowds

Not for you if: You want calm, warm water: this is the most exposed stretch of coast in Denmark.

Blokhus, Saltum and Pandrup

Blokhus has a lively summer centre of cafés and shops just behind the beach. Fårup Sommerland, a large amusement and water park, is a few minutes inland near Saltum, which makes this stretch popular with families. Saltum Strand and Rødhus (houses under Pandrup) are quieter beaches on the same long sandy bay. Aalborg airport is roughly 35 to 45 minutes away.

Best for: Families who want a theme park and a beach in the same week

Not for you if: You want a quiet beach in high summer: Blokhus is a busy resort village.

Skagen and Ålbæk (the northern tip)

At Grenen, just past the town, the Skagerrak and Kattegat meet on a sandbar you can walk out along. Skagens Museum holds work by the painters who gathered here in the late 19th century, and the town's yellow houses and fish restaurants around the harbour fill up from June. Råbjerg Mile, a large migrating dune, is south of town towards Ålbæk, which sits on the calmer Kattegat side. Aalborg is around an hour and a quarter.

Best for: Couples who want galleries, harbour restaurants and long beach walks

Not for you if: You are budget-led: Skagen is the most expensive part of the north in summer.

Fjerritslev, Brovst and Frøstrup (Slettestrand and Svinkløv)

Between Blokhus and Thy the coast is less developed. Slettestrand has a small beach where fishing boats are kept on the sand, Svinkløv has hilly plantation with marked trails, and Bulbjerg is a limestone cliff with views over the bay. Fjerritslev and Brovst are the local shopping towns. Aalborg airport is around 45 minutes to an hour.

Best for: Walkers and families who want space and lower prices

Not for you if: You want shops and restaurants close by: villages here are small and spread out.

When to go to Northwest Jutland

Late June to mid-August is the main season, when Danish families arrive for the school holidays and Løkken, Blokhus and Skagen are busy. Long northern evenings mean light until late in midsummer. May, June and September are quieter, and good for walking the dunes and cycling, though the sea is cold. Surfers come to Klitmøller in autumn and spring for the bigger swells. In winter much of Blokhus and Skagen goes quiet, and storms can close beaches for days.