A Complete Guide to the Many Islands of Denmark

Without including Greenland or the Faroe Islands, many people are surprised to learn that Denmark is practically an island nation and home to 406 islands, although only about 70 are populated. Even the capital city of Copenhagen technically sits on an island. You might have never pictured Denmark as an island destination, but it's possible to have a lot of fun sightseeing and traveling through the Danish Isles on your next vacation.

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Zealand

Copenhagen — Bambu Productions / Getty Images

This is Denmark's largest island. On maps of Denmark, the island of Zealand is the smaller, eastern part of Denmark. The main attraction on the island is the country's capital city of Copenhagen, but there's also a lot to explore in other cities like the many fjords and small uninhabited islands that pepper the coastline like the quirky micronation of Elleore.

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Bornholm Island

Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, east of Copenhagen and technically closer to Sweden than it is to Denmark. It's a hugely popular summer destination and its largest town Rønne is typically the point of arrival for visitors. When in Bornholm, the thing to do is to visit the beach and explore the coastline.

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Lolland, Falster, and Møn

Boats Moored At Harbor — Susanne Leschke / EyeEm / Getty Images

Lolland is the fourth largest Danish island in the Baltic Sea, located south of Zealand. It's typically grouped with the smaller islands of Falster and Møn and connected to them via a highway. Among these three islands, you'll find sand dunes, fjords, and attractions like the sculptures of Dodekalitten, a modern Stonehenge equipped with a permanent sound system exhibit.

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The Faroe Islands

Colorful houses along the coast of Faroe Islands — TripSavvy / Lauren Breedlove

The Faroe Islands are a group of islands are one of the most naturally stunning and unspoiled places in Northern Europe with a population under 50,000. Made up of 18 small islands, the Faroe Islands are located about halfway between Iceland and Norway. It's a place known for beautiful scenery, fresh air, waterfalls, and a maritime atmosphere.

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Fyn

Red bike near the sea — Jenco van Zalk / Getty Images

Fyn is the third-largest island in Denmark and located to the west of Zealand, closer to the peninsula. With less than one million inhabitants Fyn, sometimes called Funen, is an idyllic destination with romantic houses, historic castles, and the little-known city of Odense, the birthplace of fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen.

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Greenland

View of buildings on the coast of Greeland — TripSavvy / Lauren Breedlove

Greenland, part of the Kingdom of Denmark, is the world's largest island. Greenland offers more than 840,000 square miles of arctic wilderness. Despite its tremendous size, Greenland only has a population of about 57,000 and the locals are especially friendly to everyone. The cold weather is harsh, so the best time to visit is during the summer when the fjords are open for boat trips.

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Amager Island

An empty Amager Strandpark on a Summer day with sun and a few clouds — Dorte Fjalland / Getty Images

Amager is the island that sits between Zealand and Sweden and is physically connected to Sweden via the international Øresund Bridge. Amager Beach is a popular spot for Copenhagen's city-dwellers to get away in the summer and enjoy the sand dunes and promenades along the water.

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Fanø

Sonderho village, Fanoe, Denmark — Snapper / Getty Images

On the opposite side of the peninsula, Fanø is a Danish Island in the North Sea. Famous for its stout houses and long sandy beaches, this a great place to enjoy outdoor activities like cycling and strolling through the villages of Nordby and Sønderho. The island is a part of the Wadden Sea National Park, which is the largest continuous system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world, and protected by UNESCO.