Baagø is situated in the Little Belt approximately half an hour by boat from Assens on west Fyn. Baagø is a true agricultural island with wide expanses of fields – approximately half the island is under cultivation. Nevertheless, there are plenty of natural things to look at.

Baagø makes a perfect day-trip, but if you – or your whole family – love nature, peace and harmony, you can easily spend a few days on the island. Baagø has large expanses of meadow and two big lakes. As a result, the place is teeming with bird life; you can hear birdsong all over the island.

To those with an interest in ornithology, the greylag goose is worth noting as the finest. There are also lots of long-legged grey herons and buzzards, and an abundance of hares and pheasants, which however are hunted each year in order to keep stocks healthy and under control.

The beaches of Baagø are also very suitable for angling. The easiest and most pleasant way to get around Baagø is by bicycle. If you have not brought your own bicycles, Baagø Cykeludlejning has new bicycles available for hire at the harbour. To pay for cycle hire, just put your money in the box, take a bicycle and bring it back to the same place afterwards. A small island with a big heart!

The ferry leaves from Assens, and a return ticket costs DKK 70. It costs DKK 25 to take a bicycle with you. You can see the departure times at www.baagoe.info. There are four crossings on Saturdays and five on Sundays, and the last ferry to the mainland leaves at 8 pm. For more information, consult Assens Tourist Office, tel. +45 6471 2031.

Most of the small islands in the South Fyn Archipelago have tent sites or camp sites. Some islands have cabins or caravans available for hire, or inns/hotels with rooms for hire.

Øhavets Smakkecenter (the archipelago dinghy centre) on Strynø has a very spacious tent site. This has shower and toilet facilities, a well-appointed kitchen and a dining room. The tent site is down by the beach and offers the most beautiful sea views. Øhavets Smakkecenter has tents and camping equipment for hire.

You can also hire a smack dinghy and go sailing with friends and family to the many islands of south Fyn and spend the night at designated places amid the most beautiful scenery. Take a week-long sailing holiday and chill out while the children splash about and fish. The archipelago is teeming with fish, so bring your fishing rod along and catch your supper, or buy fresh fish from the fishermen at the harbour.

The ferry leaves from Rudkøbing, and there are lots of departure times to choose from. You can view sailing times at www.strynoe.dk. A return ticket costs DKK 65 and if you take your bicycle too, that costs an extra DKK 30. You can take your car; there are only a few spaces and you need to book by e-mailing strynboen@strynet.dk. Further information: “Det sydfynske øhav – øer, hav, natur, kultur og søfart” (“The South Fyn Archipelago – islands, scenery, culture and sailing”) by Poul Henrik Harritz. A revised, updated edition of the book was published on 1 June 2007.

15 km southwest of Svendborg and occupies 4.3 km2 in the water. The island has a population of 69 and offers plenty of scenic things to see and do for anyone interested in birds, botany, geology or village history. There is also plenty of scope for angling and bathing. This is a pretty, very idyllic island with lovely views and a beautiful coastline.

The village is well maintained, with a historic harbour environment. It is a pity that the long journey by sea still deters people from living on this delightful, scenic island. Two hundred years ago, one of the elders of the island uttered the legendary words: “Indeed, father!” (to the rural dean visiting the island). “One mile to Tåsinge, one mile to Fyn and one mile to Ærø – my goodness, Drejø truly is the centre of the world!”

But it is certainly peaceful here, and the tranquillity is palpable in its effect on nature and people alike. Drejø is one of the larger islands, however, so if you want to see it all on a day-trip, you will need a bicycle.

The Højestene ferry to Drejø departs from Svendborg.
You can view the timetable at www.drejo.dk/fartplan.html.

A return ticket costs DKK 80, and it costs DKK 30 to take a bicycle with you. Bicycles can be hired from Edith and Ejlif Rasmussen,

tel. +45 6221 0233.

Hjortø is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the South Fyn Archipelago. It is one of a total of five inhabited islands in Svendborg Municipality, and it is serviced by a mail boat. The island is 13 km southwest of Svendborg, covers 1 km² and has a population of 15 (as of 2007). The island is completely flat and is very suitable for short breaks, e.g. a day trip. If you wish, you can wade out to the tiny nearby island of Hjælmshoved. 

The mail boat from Svendborg can get you to the harbour on the north side of the island in an hour. There is a primitive campsite on the island where you can tuck in to your picnic. For a different kind of party, it is possible to hire the parish hall and holiday accommodation. The island is rich in bird-life, botany, insect life and, above all, peace and quiet.

The Hjortøboen ferry sails from Svendborg to Hjortø twice daily, but only once on Saturdays. Crossing times are available on www.visitsvendborg.dk. A return ticket costs DKK 70, and it costs an extra DKK 30 if you take your bicycle.

Romsø is a verdant island in the Great Belt, not far from the coast of Fyn. This 109 hectare island is a brilliant place for bird-watching: in fact, ornithologists have recorded 170 different kinds of bird on the island. In the inter-war years, the island had a population of about 50, but today there are no permanent residents. The only visitors are holidaymakers and the people who take care of the island. Romsø is one of Denmark’s 254 so-called habitat zones, i.e. areas designated by the Danish Forest and Nature Agency for the protection and preservation of particular types of scenery, flora and fauna. For example, the Danish Forest and Nature Agency has designated a number of trees that must not be touched before they die back naturally.

You can get to Romsø on the express passenger boat, approved by the Danish Maritime Authority to carry 17 passengers. The boat is owned by Hverringe Gods (manor house) and is operated jointly with Bøgebjerg Strand Camping. Bøgebjerg Strand Camping, Blæsenborgvej 200, Dalby/Kerteminde www.bogebjerg.dk.

From 1 April to 31 August, the following departure times to and from Romsø apply: Wednesdays and Saturdays: Depart Kerteminde 9 am,
arrive Romsø 2 pm. You must book in advance, tel. +45 6532 1377.
On any other days, the boat can be chartered for group tours.

Æbelø north of Fyn is a real gem of nature. Follow the path around the island and enjoy the peace and the beautiful scenery. The whole island has protected status, and there are no inhabitants. You can pick up a special brochure at the tourist office explaining about the fauna and thehistory of the island, and this provides good background information for a visit to the island. Otherwise, you can simply enjoy the unspoilt scenery north of Fyn. This is the only island north of Fyn, in contrast to the archipelago to the south, which is made up of lots of islands.

Start your walk from Lindø, cross the low water past Dræet to Æbelø Holm. If you follow the signposted trail, you should reach Æbelø Holm in about 30 minutes on foot. Children love this section, but be aware that the tide makes no allowance for little children with tired legs… Keep to a sensible schedule because otherwise your idyllic picnic on the deserted island might not turn out to be the pleasant excursion you had in mind. You can view the tide chart here: www.nordfyns-turist.dk

Birkholm, Store Egholm, Bredholm, Halmø and Store Svelmø are all little islands in the South Fyn Archipelago) that are probably easiest to reach in your own boat. I

f you do not have one, the Silden taxi boat is an option. Silden is a first-class sightseeing and taxi boat with prices that anyone can afford. The boat can be booked for tourist trips, sightseeing tours, tours of the harbour and taxi services. There are a number of daily 45-minute scheduled trips. In addition, special events are organised for companies or private parties.

You can agree a sailing trip on Silden directly with the skipper. Tickets can be purchased on board. Private taxi sailing/sightseeing has to be booked at least two days in advance, however, on tel. +45 2787 6969 or at www.silden.dk
A 45-minute trip costs DKK 100 per person.
Private taxi sailing costs DKK 1,000 per hour for up to 12 people.