Above all, the Strönwai keeps Sylt’s posh image alive. The posh boutiques are lined up on the promenade in Kampen. But the island is also good for discoveries. In summer, the North Sea lures with water colors in Caribbean tones and mild bathing weather. In the off-season, the low pressure areas rage here, gray waves pound the coast. The beaches are endless and sometimes almost deserted. We present four of the lesser-known ones.
Best known as a hotspot for high society, the island with its 40 kilometers of sandy beach, contrary to some superficial clichés, still offers many wild corners where you only have to share the beach with a few people. One of these places is the elbow, which forms the north end of the island as a hook.
On its inner side, behind the large dune car park near the eastern lighthouse, we find a flat sandy beach that you only have to walk a few meters to. Depending on the water level, which is determined by the tide, 20 or 120 meters of beach can be seen here.
Since we are on the Wadden side, the water is extremely shallow. Therefore, the beach is ideal for families with children who are looking for a quiet corner for splashing, sheltered from the surf. Since there are kite and surf schools in the immediate vicinity, which bring their beginners onto the water, you should keep your distance.
Distance swimmers are better off looking for another section of the beach. There is a strong current further out. You should therefore definitely stay indoors. On the sea side of the elbow there are numerous dreamlike stretches of beach. List’s lighthouse, known from TV commercials, is photogenic here in the sand dunes. This corner just begs for long walks.
But you shouldn’t swim here! There is an extremely strong current near the shore. And there are numerous groyne remnants and steel struts hidden in the underwater, on which one can seriously injure oneself. Signs on the beach warn against this and should be taken seriously.
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After a good three-quarters of an hour, brisk cyclists have arrived from the Westerland train station through the dune cycle path at the Weststrandhalle. It is now only a few steps to the water. It goes down via a staircase, where there is also a payment station for the visitor’s tax.
Now you have to march another 500 meters north to escape the beach chair area and to enable a wild swimming feeling. Behind you are the dune mountains, in front of you the North Sea and below you the fine white sand with a few scattered shells: more is not possible!
A few small sandbanks invite you to swim alone. The water on the 80 meter wide beach quickly gets deep behind the sandbanks. Long puffs in the clear North Sea water are extremely refreshing here. The current can be a little stronger.
You should never swim too close to the elbow. Shortly before the western Lister lighthouse, directly at the bend of the elbow, you come to the area with very strong currents and numerous groyne remains in the underwater.
Right next to the beach entrance, a viewing dune awaits visitors, who are rewarded for the steep climb with a fascinating view of sea and dune waves. Of course, the beach does not stop here, but can score points with great lonely beach walks, especially in the north.
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From Westerland train station it is a good 14 kilometers to reach the large car park in the dunes. There always seems to be less going on here than in the other car parks. You then only have to cover the 350 meters over the chain of dunes to the beach.
On the way there, there is the opportunity to walk up Bunker Hill and enjoy a magnificent view of the seemingly endless sandy beaches and chains of dunes. Once you get to the beach, just walk another 500 meters north if you want the shore to yourself. But even in the area of the beach entrance itself, the 50-meter-wide strip of finest sand usually only has to be shared with a few visitors.
The water here is extremely clean. Small shifting sandbanks ensure breaking waves and lure surfers into the water. Where there is no sandbank, the waves break directly onto the beach. This is fun up to a certain size but can be dangerous when the sea is a little rougher. Currents on the shore are also present and should be observed. Small children should only go swimming on the sea side of Sylt under constant observation.
A surfing school offers courses here during the season. Beachcombers and shell collectors can head north or south for endless beach walks as they choose. Two steps north of the beach you will find the legendary restaurant “Sansibar” in the middle of the dunes.
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The Hörnumer Odde is a nature reserve as a whole, which can be hiked along the beach when the water levels are low. The North Sea constantly gnaws at the southernmost point of the island.
Similar to the northern tip of Sylt, all the water flows out of the Wadden Sea or wants to come back in. Therefore, this spot is characterized by strong currents. If you want to swim here, you should pay close attention to where the currents are, otherwise you will be sucked out towards England.
But there are also relatively quiet spots in between, such as the sandy bay 600 meters south of the Hörnum lighthouse. If you swim near the shore here, you can relax and enjoy the fascination of the Odde in the clear water. Depending on the tide, the beach here is 30 to 50 meters wide. The dunes in the center of the Odde may not be entered for nature conservation reasons.
The Hörnum lighthouse stands like a sentinel over the scenery and is waiting for a visitor. Sandpipers can do the entire loop around the Odde, covering just over three kilometers. The towering southernmost dune is particularly beautiful when the full current passes right by, causing swell.
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The text is an excerpt from the 2021 book “Hidden Beaches Germany” by Björn Nehrhoff von Holderberg, Verlag Haffmans
This article was first published in July 2021.
