Klitmoller

Klitmoller was a fishing village that launched boats off the beach and later declined, and from the 1980s German and Danish windsurfers found that the reefs and sandbars off the point produce unusually consistent waves for a place with no swell-generating ocean fetch, which earned it the nickname Cold Hawaii. It is now the centre of Danish surfing and windsurfing, with schools, shops and a permanent community of surfers alongside the remaining fishing families, and it hosts international competitions. Thy National Park runs inland behind it, with dunes, heath and pine plantation. The North Sea here is cold year round and the best waves come with autumn and winter storms, which is when the serious surfing happens.

What you actually see

• Reef and sandbar breaks - the waves that made the town's reputation.
• A surf village - schools, shops and a resident surfing community.
• The old fishing beach - boats once launched straight off the sand.
• Thy National Park behind - dune, heath and plantation inland.

When to go

May to October for comfortable conditions and lessons; September to March for the biggest waves, which is when experienced surfers come. Two to three days. Summer is busy; winter is cold and serious.

Honest expectations

The water is cold year round and a full wetsuit is essential. Conditions can be dangerous with rips and shore break; this is not a beginner beach on a big day. Accommodation is limited and books out. The village is small with few services.

Nearby

Thy National Park is inland; Bulbjerg and Vejlerne lie east along the coast.