Where to SUP in and around Copenhagen?

Mølleåen 

One of the most picturesque inland SUP adventures you can have around Copenhagen. Jump on the S train to Holte St. and take the bus to Frederiksdal Kanoudlejning (or you can get off at Sorgenfri St. and walk through the forest), where you can rent your SUP for the day. A nice trip is to paddle East from the rental place towards Lyngby Lake where there’s a massive lily pad area with a little channel to paddle through.

From Lyngby Lake you can paddle under the main road to the much larger Bagsværd Lake for an extended trip. For a full day trip, it’s possible to paddle all the way from the rental spot to the sea. The trip takes about four to eight hours and includes a few places where you need to get on land and carry the SUP for a few hundred meters. If you want to do the trip, ask for advice at the rental center or aim for the far East corner of Lyngby Lake for where Mølleåen continues all the way out to Øresund.

South to North in the harbour 

Paddling the entire stretch of the harbour is a great way to see the city and get a full day of exercise. It’s ideal to rent your SUP at Kingfish in the South end of the harbour and return it here as well. The entire loop should be about 13 km if you follow the harbour wall, but the whole fun about this route is to drop in and out of the tiny canals on your way. 

The Canal Loop 

Not the longest of trips but definitely the one steeped in most history and old school Copenhagen splendor. You want to do this trip counterclockwise. The 4km loop takes you from the SUP rental at KayakBar and KayakRepublic through Frederiksholms Canal around Slotsholmen, across the main harbour and into Christianshavns Canal, under Trangravsbroen out into the main harbour again and back to KayakBar for some post SUP drinks. 

Circumnavigate Amager Strandpark 

Do the 5 km loop around the man-made peninsula, Amager Strandpark. Full beach vibe with dunes, ice cream shops and people playing beach volley or skating along the boardwalk. Rent your gear at Kayakhotellet or Frozen Palmtree and challenge yourself on this more open water-based trip.

Amager Loop

This trip is not for the faint of heart or the unexperienced paddlers. Circumnavigating the entire island of Amager is more than just a challenge. Amager boasts a lot of nature, wildlife and nice beaches along the way. The whole route is about 50 km so an overnight stay in a shelter or tent on the way might be a good idea. Amager Strandpark is a good starting point and a great place to ask for advice on spots like Kayakhotellet. 

Elsinore to Copenhagen 

Another great long-haul is the stretch between the city of Elsinore in the North and Copenhagen. The coast is very beautiful with huge forests and a bunch of cozy harbours along the way to do pitstops in. The whole trip is 43 km. Bringing your gear on the train to Elsinore could be a bit difficult, but with an inflatable SUP it might be no problem. The Kystbanen train stops all along the coast, so you can cut the trip short if you want to. A beautiful stretch, fit for a shorter trip, is paddling from Skodsborg to Copenhagen. 

Arken 

The beach area around Arken Museum of Modern Art South of Copenhagen is an unlikely but very nice place for a summer SUP adventure. Right on the beach in front of the museum is the tiny café Ka’Nalu where you can rent your equipment. It’s a fun place to tour along the beach or in the two inland lakes by the museum.  

For more trip ideas, check the KBH Havn (Copenhagen Harbour) APP. And if you’re looking for great pit-stops along your SUP route for a bite, a drink or an ice cream, read this guide for a bunch of the best places along the water.