Skanör and Falsterbo – colourful beach huts, dunes and sandy beach

Skanör and Falsterbo was our first destination when we finally returned to Sweden after many years. At that time, we had only briefly visited the lido with its colourful beach huts in the dunes on the fine sandy beach on the last day before departing by ferry from nearby Trelleborg. Therefore, we really wanted to see the place again. This time, we travelled via Denmark, as we had chosen Copenhagen as an intermediate stop on our journey. From there, it was only a short drive over the Öresund Bridge to Scania, Sweden’s southernmost province. A few kilometres further south, we finally reached the Falsterbo peninsula and its magnificent sandy beaches.

The towns of Skanör and Falsterbo are among Sweden’s oldest cities. Between the 12th and 16th centuries, the beaches were an important trading post, partly for the abundant herring caught here. Today, tourism is the strongest economic sector. Scania and Halland are home to Sweden’s only coasts with long sandy beaches, making them popular holiday destinations, especially for tourists from northern Scandinavia. Many holiday homes and apartments are therefore well occupied in summer, and campsites are often fully booked from mid-June (Midsummer) to August. Sailing, fishing, swimming, kayaking, surfing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, golfing, horse riding, hiking – all these activities have their enthusiasts who find opportunities to pursue them here.

In Skanör, you’ll find the marina with its yacht harbour, restaurants and bars. It’s the best starting point to see the many colourful beach huts. To the north, they stand in the first row directly along the beach, alternately painted in a variety of bright colours. The huts serve as both changing rooms and beach houses, with a veranda and seating area at the entrance and ample space inside for water sports and bathing gear, cooking utensils, and much more. Over the years, the houses move – the wind constantly changes the dune landscape and causes the sand to shift. As a result, the huts become crooked or get buried by sand. Therefore, they are regularly realigned or raised on new stone or wooden foundations.

To the south, the wooden houses are set back slightly in or behind the sand dunes, some elevated and offering a great view of the sea. This is also where the path south to the Falsterbo Lighthouse and the bird observatory begins, where many migratory birds rest in spring and autumn. On a dune, I ended this summer day with an impressive sunset over the colourful beach huts on one of Southern Sweden’s most beautiful sandy beaches. The wind made the marram grass in the dunes sway, and clouds and brief showers moved across the sea towards the coast, leaving the necessary gap above the horizon for the last rays of sun.

At the marina, there is also a large (paid) car park where we spent the night in our roof tent. You can use the facilities for sailors in the harbour and even book electricity at a payment machine near the showers. For motorhomes, there are 10 separate pitches available, where electricity is included in the overnight price. In the bars and restaurants, you can enjoy excellent fish or a sundowner beer.