Round Ærø

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The ultimate Ærø walk, taking in nearly the whole island and including most of its best sights and views.

The route. I have taken nearly all the existing Øhavssti, except (to avoid duplication and to make sure Vestre Mølle and Søby Volde are included) for a detour coming out of Søby. I have then modified the Kyststi quite a lot to make the loop, because although the Kyststi is fundamentally a great path, it misses some real highlights and duplicates chunks of the Øhavssti.

Direction. Check the weather and wind first - the Øhavssti part (east/north coast) is more sheltered than the Kyststi part. I avoid a headwind on the southern Kyststi part if possible. Check the sea level forecast too - if it is above 60cm or so higher than usual then think about rerouting from waypoint 15 to 18 (Eriks Hale to Drejet), and the km marks 56 to 59, Bregninge Mark to Borgnæs.

Information. for now I have not included much historical information on the Øhavssti part, simply because the map and guide book both already cover most of the points of interest.

Sections. The walking is fairly easy except for the beach sections.. But it is a serious challenge to do it in 2 days. The more enjoyable option may be to take 3 days, starting from Marstal and then overnighting twice at Gæstgiveri in Bregninge (both northbound and again southbound). But if you take advantage of the free buses you can split the route in any number of places.

Refreshments. The route is a bit short of places to spoil yourself for lunch, with the big exception of Ærøskøbing, and to some extent Marstal, and to a lesser extent Søby. Picnics for lunch and a bus back to town at the end of the day is probably the way ahead.

Accommodation. There are reasonable hotels in Marstal and some very good ones in Ærøskøbing. Gæstgiveri in Bregninge is nice, and the new regime at Vindeballe Kro (they used to have the Lille Cafe in Marstal) look like they will make it into a good option too. Marstal and Søby campsites are fine, and the “primitive” campsites and shelters are fine too. Ærøskøbing campsite had some issues in 2021 and you might want to check the reviews etc before committing.