Copenhagen views from a SUP board

Conquer Copenhagen’s canals on a SUP board

Photo: Daniel Rasmussen

The approaching ISA World SUP & Paddleboard Championship on 16-22 September 2024 in Copenhagen is a perfect occasion to seek out the full extent of how to conquer the Danish capital on - or along - the water.

Copenhagen’s popular harbour area stretches some 12 kilometers from North to South, and in addition to this, the surrounding Greater Copenhagen coastline provides an even larger playground for SUP and kayak adventures, just waiting to be explored.

It’s always fun to paddle around the city’s canals. I’d probably start at Frederiksholms Canal. From there, you can rather quickly paddle through most of the city. Amager Strandpark and its lagoon is a nice spot for something less urban. If paddling north from the city, the coast is beautiful and offers great flat water options, and looking south, Ishøj Strand is yet another great spot for SUP.

Interview - Michael Lindberg, CEO, Surf & Sup Denmark

Copenhagen views from a SUP board

Photo:Daniel Rasmussen

Facts about Copenhagen harbour

  • Copenhagen harbour is twice the size of Central Park in New York
  • The water in the harbour was officially declared clean by the EU in 1999
  • The harbour is Coenhagen's blue gathering point and stretches about 12 kilometers from Svanemølle Beach in the North to Kalvebod in the South
  • There are 24 bridges in the harbour, connecting the various city district's crosswise
  • The city’s 100% electric public harbour busses transport more than 600.000 passengers around the harbour each year. It’s free to bring your bike
  • It is possible to walk or bike around the entire harbour. The route, dubbed the Harbour Circle, is 13 kilometers long
  • The first public harbour bath opened on Island Brygge back in 2002
  • Today, there are 14 bathing zones, including 4 harbour baths, in the harbour area
  • Already in 2019, CNN announced: “Copenhagen is the best city in the world for swimming”  
  • 200 Biohuts or “fish kindergarden” have been established in the harbour too to provide shelter and living spaces for smaller fish to grow
  • 6 stone reefs have been made to provide living spaces for fish to improve sea water biodiversity
  • There are over dedicated 350 SUP members and 5 designated SUP clubs in Copenhagen
  • There are 17 SUP clubs in the entire Capital Region
  • And there are more than 6.000 members of kayak and rowing clubs in the area
  • 2 million people use the harbour every year, including 23.000 swimmers.

Get to know Copenhagen harbour

Explore Copenhagen's waterfront

A water-based trip to Copenhagen doesn’t have to be all exercise, paddles, and boats. Copenhagen is a city that lives and breathes by the water. A lot of the city’s cafés, restaurants, hotels, open spaces, and life in general are deeply connected to our ‘blue urban space’. 

Here’s our guide to a trip including all things water based in Copenhagen:

Giuseppe Liverino

Senior Manager – Press & PR

glv@woco.dk