Life is Better on Ærø - 2021-2024

Some places just make an impression that sticks with you for the rest of your life - one of those places for us is the small Danish island of Ærø (please don't ask me to pronounce it correctly). We visited four times while living in Denmark and almost certainly will go back - the charms are plentiful, from the well-preserved historic buildings to the colorfully decorated doors, from the personality-aplenty tiny bath houses to the warm and receptive island residents.

Here are some highlights from our visits (with our trip in July 2021 documented in a different post).

May 2021

We first visited in 2021, as the world was starting to (temporarily) come out of pandemic hiding. Straight away from the ferry ride, we were sold. We immediately nicknamed the two ferry boats "business ferry" and "party ferry" based on the exterior paint jobs. Can you guess which one this is?

Upon disembarking, the quaint town of Ærøskøbing welcomes you with open arms. Tiny lanes lined with colorful houses and cute shops lead you through town, there's even honor system baked and hand-knit goods left out on some of the stoops. Paths hug the sea, leading you to the row of famed beach huts, just begging to have their pictures taken. A small square sits in the middle of town, a meeting spot for families, friends, and tourists alike.

The Jesper buses are free, driving you around the island to the other "big" towns, Marstal and Søby. The route offers stunning view of radiant canola fields in the spring. Marstal is known for its maritime past, we enjoy stopping by for a stroll and a drink by the water. Søby has a lovely lighthouse, which we have never seen because the hike out there is longer than expected.

Our first visit introduced us to many of our Ærøskøbing standbys: the art museum across from the elementary school; den gamle købmand, a favorite for its good vibes, whiskey distillery, and tasty sandwiches and cake; Restaurant Mumm, with its delicious dishes and lovely waitstaff. Our Airbnb also featured some fun surprises, offering great views of the water, some fun game options, and a friendly cat!

May 2022

It wasn't long before we were back for more. This time, we stopped for lunch in Svendborg before boarding the ferry, and stayed at a cute little bed and breakfast, which served up delightful negronis in addition to a tasty breakfast.

This trip also gave me an opportunity to continue to expand my collection of door photos.

In addition to stopping by many of our fave haunts, we also took a hike out to the beach huts in Marstal. I'm very glad we did this, as a storm destroyed many of them a year or two later - don't worry, there are already plans to rebuild them.

May 2024

Once we learned that we would be leaving Denmark, we knew we had to take one more trip out to our favorite island. It was a greatest hits tour of sorts, and we even found an Airbnb available right on the town square.

The visit was everything we were hoping for, with added surprises of finding silky chickens in one of the yards along the beach path, spotting several lazy cats in cottage windows, and having a Rick Steves tour coincide with our trip (if only we could have joined their nights watch tour).

I was sad to leave, but it wasn't goodbye - we'll see you later, Ærø.

---