Known in English as Amager Beach Park, this gem is an easily accessible Copenhagen favourite.
Despite Copenhagen’s age—it is after all, the capital of Denmark, home to the world’s oldest monarchy—the city embodies a youthful spirit and lively vibe that translates to the way city-dwellers enjoy their recreation time as well.
In addition to the bicycle paths and parks throughout the city, there are tons of popular day trips in the surrounding countryside where you can hike and bike along cliffs, visit islands, explore castles and hang out in protected wooded areas.
But for having some outdoor fun closer to home, one of the favourite spots for residents of Copenhagen is the Amager Strandpark, located right in the city itself.
Just a short ten-minute metro ride from the city centre, and easily accessible by bicycle, Amager Strandpark is a popular day-trip destination for city-dwellers and visitors alike.
Amager Beach Park (aka Amager Strandpark) is a gorgeous, 2 km-long spit of land featuring a total of 4.9 km of beaches, bike paths, trails, a skateboard park, and even a great open-air concert venue.
There are plenty of choices for restaurants in the Amager Strandpark area, with three metro stops serving the neighbourhood. It’s also easy to access via the famously pedestrian — and bicycle-friendly Danish roads.
The island is partly human-constructed, and swimmers, snorkelers, kayakers and windsurfers revel in the range of options for water activities at Amager Strandpark.
You can choose to hang out on the inland side where the water is calmer and warms up quickly in summer, or you can opt for the Øresund side, the seaward or Amager Strandpark open water side where the waves are a bit bigger and the water is more chilly.
On a clear day you’ll have a tremendous view not only of the mighty Øresund Bridge connecting Copenhagen to Sweden;
Getting there: Visiting Amager Strandpark
Given Copenhagen’s extensive and comprehensive public transportation system, as well as its bike-friendly culture and respectful drivers, there’s no reason visitors of any mobility level should feel excluded from the fun that Amager Beach Park has to offer.
There are a few different options for getting there, most of which involve no more than 20 to 30 minutes total travel time from the city centre.
By Metro
There are three stops within spitting distance of the Amager Strandpark metro, (the M2 or yellow line) depending on if you want to start out on the north, central, or southern part of the island.
From the Copenhagen Central Station, take the blue line train to the Nørreport metro stop and catch the M2 or yellow line headed for Lufthavnen St. Just five short stops later you’ll arrive at the Øresund stop.
Exit to Øresundsvej St. and hang a right toward the water. From there it’s an easy ten-minute walk across a foot bridge to the northern end of Amager Strandpark.
If you stay on the metro past the Øresund stop, the next two stops along the M2 route put you right on the Amager Strandvej, the avenue that runs along the city side of the waterway across from the island.
Both the Amager Strand metro stop and the Femøren metro put you within easy walking distance of the island. It all just depends on where you want to begin exploring.
Remember too that the Copenhagen airport is just an 18 minute ride away on the M2 as well, if you have time to kill before your flight leaves!
Bicycling
For cyclists heading out to Amager Beach Park from Copenhagen city centre, there’s a great, mostly flat route of about 27 minutes and 7.9 km that takes you along Uplandsgade St. past the lovely Kløvermarkens Idrætsanlæg park, and then on to Amager Strandvej, where you can choose where you want to cross over to Amager Strandpark.
Driving
You’ll take a similar route, except you’ll head out of the city centre on H.C. Andersen Blvd. to Amager Blvd., then on past the park along along Uplandsgade St. and on to Amager Strandvej.
From there you’ll drive south until you reach Lagunebroen and turn left, which takes you across the inlet or canal to the island’s south end where you’ll find Amager Strandpark parking lots available.
What to do: Amager Strandpark activities
First and foremost, Amager Strandpark activities are all about the sand and surf. The popular beach promenade is a broad, gorgeously maintained track that allows plenty of room for bicyclists and walkers to co-exist peacefully as they wind their way along the island.
But having said that, there’s a lot more going on here as well.
For one thing, the clever planners who created Amager Beach Park made sure to include plenty of areas where you can also do some sunning in the grass if you’re not fully committed to getting into the sand.
Starting a virtual tour of the numerous Amager Strandpark activities at the north end of the island, before you even cross the lagoon to reach the island proper you’ll find a surf school offering windsurfing, stand-up paddle-boarding and even a surf camp.
Copenhagen’s kayak club is also along the way through here. Crossing over to the island proper, you’ll soon encounter the Amager Beach Park Nature Center, (Naturcenter Amager Strandpark).
The centre offers a variety of hands-on activities for kids and adults alike to learn more about their environment and the other animals and plants who share the planet with us.
Heading further out to the Øresund or open water side of Amager Strandpark, you’ll soon reach Helgoland Badeanstalt, a classic Scandinavian bathing complex featuring three salt-water pools — one unisex and one each for men and women.
The complex is open from May 1 through September 30 according to their website, and there’s a lifeguard on duty from 10 – 6 during the months of June through August.
Keep in mind that during the month of August, the Amager Strandpark water temperature reaches a balmy 17.8º C (64º F) on average, but that dips considerably in other months!
After you’ve had your fill of swimming, it’s time to head south along the Amager Strandpark promenade, where about halfway down there’s a lovely little ice cream shop, a nice stop for a break and a snack. Be aware that it opens seasonally and that according to user reports the hours can be a bit sporadic.
Continuing southward along the Amager Beach Park promenade, you’ll soon come across the Helgoland Surf Club, a private club for surfing, stand-up paddle-boarding, and kite-surfing enthusiasts.
If you hang a left here past the free public toilets (Amager Strandpark has several of these scattered throughout) you’ll see a pier that juts out into the Øresund providing some great views and selfie opportunities.
Heading south from the pier along the Amager Strandpark promenade you’ll pass by the beach area called Strandkanten, and soon you’ll reach the heart of the square on the southern end of the island, called the Strandtorvet.
This is the famous spot on Amager Strandpark where you can catch concerts and other events, just a few short steps away from a popular minigolf course that also has a small kiosk where you can get snacks and sodas.
Heading across the square in the direction of the mainland you’ll encounter Kajakhotellet, a great little shop where you can rent kayaks and a variety of other water-sports equipment.
Turning south again, you’ll come across Inipi, a popular Finnish-style sauna where you can enjoy a steam or a massage followed by a dip in the sea.
A bit further along you’ll find Bunker 5 at nearly the southern tip of the island, with a skateboarding area and popular workout spot. The adjacent beach is often occupied with outdoor group fitness classes of varying sorts, and there is also nearby parking and public toilets.
After all that walking you’ve likely built up an appetite. Never fear — Cafe Baaden is here! Set on a pontoon just off the southern tip of Amager Beach Park and featuring rooftop seating and a spectacular view of the Øresund Bridge, the charming cafe is popular with tourists and locals alike.
You can enjoy a great burger, fish and chips, and much more, all top-notch according to most reviews.
Depending on the famously fickle Amager Strandpark weather, you might prefer just a coffee and pastry in the best Danish hygge coffeehouse tradition, snuggled up toasty-warm inside the cafe, watching the cold waves and looming sky.
Or, if the weather permits, as it often does in the summer months, it’s hard to object to a cold beer or soda on the sunny rooftop terrace with a clear view of Sweden across the sea.
Don’t get too comfortable though, because it’s worth a stroll a little further south to see Kastrup Søbad, an enclosed seawater pool contained within a unique spiralling wooden structure and offering tremendous views as well.
Turning north and continuing to the mainland across from Amager Strandpark, you’ll soon encounter Cirkus Summarum, offering charming entertainment for kids of all ages. Just across from the circus you’ll see Kastrupfort, a wonderful old fortress that’s great for a stroll and has a kid’s playground.
As you continue up Amager Strandvej just across the water from Amager Beach Park, you’ll get to see another perspective on the island you were just exploring, a lovely view from afar. As you head further north you’ll pass more and more restaurants and cafes if you’re ready for dinner or a snack.
But especially once you get back to the area around the Øresund metro stop, dining options abound along Amager Strandvej and Øresundsvej. There’s sushi, Indian food, and a host of other options as well as a Lidl grocery store as you prepare to head out after your day of adventures at Amager Strandpark!
Amager Strandpark weather
A quick note about the weather when visiting the Amager Beach Park complex. Although this is a beach, it’s also still Copenhagen, Denmark, a rather northerly Scandinavian nation on the Baltic Sea. So you can’t guarantee sunshine, or that it won’t cloud up while you’re visiting.
However, that said, summers are often delightful at Amager Strandpark, bringing people from all over the world to enjoy some fun in the sun. If swimming or other water-sports are on the menu, most people aim for June through August.
Remember too that the water temperature on Amager Strandpark’s shallower inland or lagoon side gets significantly warmer. Here’s a breakdown of all the relevant temperatures you’ll want to be aware of when heading to Amager Beach Park.
Weather conditions in Copenhagen are notoriously subject to change, and rainfall and temperatures can vary in unpredictable ways. But let’s assume you’re not planning to hang out at the Amager Beach Park in winter. For the relevant months, the average daily air temperatures are:
- May 15.3º C (59.5º F)
- June 18.2º C (64.8º F)
- July 20.9º C (69.6º F)
- August 20.5º C (68.9º F)
- September 15.9º C (60.6º F)
Another factor to consider when thinking about a trip to enjoy outdoor activities at Amager
The sunniest month of the year comes around the summer solstice in June, with an average of about 8 hours of sunshine a day.
The hottest month on average is July, although Copenhagen’s record high of 33.8º C (92.8º F) came during August.
Get out there!
Suffice to say that any time of year Amager Beach Park offers great activities as well as a particularly Danish and particularly Copenhagen style of beauty, whether it be the sunny kind or the iron-sky, Scandinavian winter variety.
But whether you pack the bathing suits and bring the kids, or if you just grab some friends, a picnic basket and volleyball net, you’re sure to have a great time at Amager Strandpark, Copenhagen, just minutes away from the city centre!
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