Fehmarn is sporty

If you don't get moving on Fehmarn, you only have yourself to blame. Numerous great cycle paths make the island a hotspot for cycling fans. But there is also plenty to discover off the beaten track.

Water is clearly at the centre of any Fehmarn holiday. Fehmarn's roughly 78 km of coastline offers versatile opportunities for water sports enthusiasts – especially for those who like to roam the sea on a board, as the island provides ideal conditions for kitesurfing and windsurfing. If you prefer to discover what happens beneath the surface, you will find many places for diving and fishing.

In kitesurfing you stand on a board and are pulled by a steerable kite. Combined with wind, you can surf both in mirror-smooth waters and in high waves, as the interplay of kite and wind enables a whole range of jumps and tricks. The highest jump stands at 27.5 metres – and was set with a kite off the island of Fehmarn. Fehmarn offers ideal conditions for this water sport: with 2,000 hours of sunshine a year and constant winds, Fehmarn has perfect kitesurfing conditions, and not just in summer. In total there are around 20 spots on Fehmarn offering the right conditions for every wind direction and every level.

The various kitesurfing schools on Fehmarn give even complete beginners the chance to learn to kite. The many beaches with generous standing areas and the best use of the wind make the sunny island perfect for kite lessons. In addition to theory and practice, beginners and advanced kiters will usually also find the right equipment at the kite schools – for example at the “Windgeister” surf school in Orth, the “Boardflash” kite school in Lemkenhafen or the “Kitesurf-Guide” surf school at the Südstrand.

Unlike kitesurfing, windsurfing uses a sail rather than a kite for propulsion. The sail is connected to the board so that it can rotate and tilt, which allows many manoeuvres. Event organisers have also discovered the ideal conditions for water sports on Fehmarn: numerous cups and festivals take place on the island.

Fehmarn is one of Germany's most popular water sports regions, as the large number of surf shops on the island shows. The opportunities to buy equipment are huge and the number of windsurfing schools even bigger, so there is something for every level of experience – even beginners and newcomers become absolute windsurfing fans. Good places to start include the surf school in Orth with its huge standing area, the Wassersportcenter Fehmarn in Lemkenhafen with its own café, and the surf school in Wulfen, where you can learn to surf in just one weekend.

If, for once, there is no wind at all, you can take to the sea with a round of stand-up paddling. In stand-up paddling you stand upright on a buoyant board and move forward with a paddle. It is a combination of sport, full-body workout and team training: you have to keep your balance while covering several kilometres. In recent years, stand-up paddling has become increasingly popular as a recreational and water sport on Fehmarn. It is not difficult – after a short introduction you can get going straight away.

Many surf schools now also offer stand-up paddling courses. Trained water sports instructors teach you everything about the sea, currents, tides, rescue and much more. You can take taster lessons or even get to know Fehmarn's idyllic and unspoilt SUP territory (cliffs, beaches, etc.) on 2-3 hour tours.

Below the surface, too, Fehmarn has a lot to offer. On a dive you can explore old shipwrecks and, thanks to the salt inflow from Scandinavia, see particularly magnificent flora and fauna.

There are a total of 10 shore diving sites on the east and west coasts. From Westermarkelsdorf in the north to Staberdorf in the south, everything is usually easy to reach by car. As the island is only about 17 km wide, diving destinations can be changed quickly if the wind shifts. In general, you can dive in the Baltic Sea all year round, but the best time is from May to October, as flora and fauna only become active at temperatures above 14 degrees. Divers can discover starfish fields, mussel banks and seagrass meadows teeming with life.

10 wrecks around Fehmarn promise adventure. The wrecks are all beautifully overgrown – you will find plenty of plumose anemones. Eels are also spotted regularly, and with a little luck you might even see a school of cod.

Numerous diving schools offer courses for enthusiastic divers and beginners alike. In taster courses you can try out handling the equipment above and below water before taking full diving and advanced courses. The basic course for the diving licence can be completed within four days, before setting off on the first exploratory dives in a small group. The diving schools also offer trips to the wrecks off the island several times a day.

Fishing on Fehmarn is possible all year round, though the best times are February to May and September to December. As soon as you cross the Fehmarnsund bridge you will see the first anglers. And with 78 km of coastline there is something for everyone: surf anglers, spin and fly fishers, boat and cutter anglers – the island has something to offer them all.

If you want to go out fishing by boat, you should bring some experience, as the waters around the island are very susceptible to wind. If you don't have your own boat, you can rent one.

If you would like to fish during your holiday but neither live in Schleswig-Holstein nor hold a valid fishing licence, you can obtain a holiday fishing licence from the town of Fehmarn. This licence is valid for 28 days and can be extended by a further 28 days. You can also apply for it in writing two weeks before the start of your trip.