A family trip to the island of Endelave

Nineteen km from the shore of Snaptun, a small harbour and fishing village in Horsens Fjord, lies the island of Endelave, one of Denmark’s many secluded and peaceful islands just waiting to be discovered.

On a warm summer day in early June, my family and I sailed to Endelave to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday. It’s a family tradition to go somewhere new every year for her birthday, and in the past we’ve been to islands such as Tunø and Hjarnø, and this year, the time had come for Endelave.

It had been constantly sunny in Denmark for almost a month when we went there, and thankfully the sunny days continued. The ferry ride over to the island from Snaptun was beautiful and we even got to see seals in the distance! Unfortunately, I was only able to see that they were seals when zooming in with my camera, but we could see them move about, although they looked like little dots.

The island of Endelave covers an area of 5,1 square miles and has just 185 inhabitants, most of whom reside in the tiny village on the island.

Endelave is mostly known for its large numbers of wild rabbits, but it’s also an important resting and breeding place for many seals and migratory birds. 1/3 of the island is a protected nature area because of its unique landscapes including heather moorland, beach meadow and oak forests.

We spotted many birds and butterflies and even saw seals in the distance on the way there, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any of the “famous” rabbits.

We spent four hours on the island, walking through the quaint village while studying all the old farmhouses and chatting with friendly locals, having a drink at Røghus Caféen surrounded by nature and fields, interacting with cows, pigs and cats, eating good food at the village restaurant, and finishing the day off with a much-needed ice cream.

Despite not bringing a car or bicycles, we got to see quite a bit of the island in those four hours, but I would’ve loved to explore more. I have a plan to come back to the island, maybe next summer, with my tent and bicycle, so I can see it all – and hopefully also some of the thousands of rabbits that roam the island!

I absolutely love the tiny and peaceful Danish islands, especially because of the laid-back atmosphere and unique landscapes, but I have yet to explore most of them. Once I’m done with my bachelor’s degree, I hope to find time to explore more of them and do some island hopping in my own beautiful country that really deserves more attention than it gets from me. But until then, I hope my family and I will continue this lovely tradition and visit even more quaint islands!