The ‘Beef islands’, better known asOkseøerne, are two small islands lying in Flensburg Fjord close to the coast in Sønderhav. You see them every time you drive along the coast from Flensburg to Sønderborg and we have always intended to visit.

Of the two islands, only the bigger one, Store Okseø, is regularly accessible to the public. The island is nowadays owned by the Environment Ministry. The island is quite small, at 0.08 sq km. However, besides a restaurant and some other buildings, there is not much else besides sheep, trees and coast line.

Keeping this in mind, when Denmark got really nice weather for a weekend and we thought that a picnic on Store Okseø would be perfect. And in fact it was! The ferry taking people over is quite small, so the island doesn’t get overcrowded. This means that even on a nice day you can get a spot away from the others to enjoy the (great) views across the Fjord.

There is also a 1km path going around the island that you can follow. If you are interested in this, don’t forget to take a map at the bridge before taking the ferry across.

The ferry runs in summer (end of June – start of September; Tue-Sun 11-18) and the shoulder seasons (end of May – end of June + start of September – end of September Sat-Sun 11-18). At a cost of 45 DKK it is well worth it to spend a few hours in the peace and quiet of the island. Oh, and if after your trip there you are looking for a bite to eat, you can either grab something at the restaurant on the island. Alternatively, you can check out another of our 99 things to do: Annie’s Kiosk just across the road from the ferry departure point.