Denmark
Satellite: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX (CC BY 4.0). Outline and points © OpenStreetMap contributors / Natural Earth. North up.
In numbers
112km²
Area
97km
Coastline
62m
Highest point
18°C
Warmest sea
August
11km
To the mainland
When to go to Samsø
Best to visit from July to August.
The sea is warmest in August (18 °C) and coolest in February (2 °C). The water never reaches 21 °C: bring a wetsuit.
Averages 1991–2020. Sea: NOAA OISST, the water within 35 km of the coast. Air, rain and sun: NASA POWER. Best months weigh warm afternoons (23–30 °C), sea of 24 °C or more and few wet days.
Island in Denmark
Samsø is an island in Denmark. It covers 112 km², with 97 km of coastline. Its highest point rises to 62 m. The nearest mainland is 11 km away.
Getting there
- Odense Hans Christian Andersen Airport (ODE)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 47 km in a straight lineCar hire at BLL airport (Billund)Discover Cars · Affiliate link↗
- FerriesHov - Sælvig, Samsøfærgen, Aarhus - Sælvig
- 11 km from the mainlanddistance to the nearest continental coast
- From July to Augustbest months to go (from 30 years of averages)
Plan the trip
Ferries, stays and things to do
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On the island
What you find on Samsø.
- 13beaches
- 10viewpointsGranhøj Udsigtspunkt, Dyret, Besser Udsigtstårn and 7 more
- 2lighthousesBallen Færgehavn Vinkelfyr, Vesborg Fyr
- 4ferry terminalsBallen Færgehavn, Hou, Aarhus and 1 more
- 4marinasBallen Havn, Langør Havn, Mårup Havn and 1 more
- 23named peaksBallebjerg, Dyret, Dyrbjerg and 20 more
- 1castles and fortsBrattingsborg
- 99ruins and archaeological sitesRisbjerg, Løghøj, Sønderhøi and 96 more
- 4waymarked walking routesBlå, Gul, Grøn and 1 more
- 13campsitesDallebækken Shelter, Sildeballe 3 Autocamperplads, Kolby Kås Havn Autocamperplads and 10 more
- 16hotels, guesthouses and apartments
- 35restaurants, cafés and bars
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit, inside the island's outline. A low number may only mean nobody has mapped it yet.
The shape of the land.
On average the island stands 12 m above the sea. 100 % of it is below 200 m.
- 100 %0–50 m
- <1 %50–200 m
Share of the island's area in each altitude band, from the Copernicus DEM (30 m, read at 30–240 m on large islands).
Size, for real
Next to islands you may know.
10 km
All outlines drawn to the same scale (Natural Earth and OpenStreetMap).
Towns on the island
- Tranebjerg839 people
Month by month
The weather on the island.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon high (°C) | 3 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 5 |
| Night low (°C) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Sea (°C) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 5 |
| Rain (mm) | 60 | 48 | 43 | 39 | 51 | 71 | 78 | 83 | 64 | 79 | 70 | 65 |
| Wet days | 13 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Sun h/day | 0.4 | 1.7 | 4.7 | 7.1 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 8.0 | 6.7 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| Wind (km/h) | 28 | 26 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
Averages 1991–2020 for the ~55 km NASA POWER cell over the island; the sea from NOAA OISST.
Recent years
Warmer and cooler years at sea.
Each month's sea temperature compared with its 1991–2020 average, in degrees.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.7 | +2.8 | +2.4 | +2.2 | +0.3 | +1.6 | −0.4 | +1.0 | +1.1 | +1.3 | +1.7 | +1.8 |
| 2021 | +1.6 | +0.3 | +0.9 | +1.3 | −0.3 | +1.1 | +2.2 | −0.2 | +1.1 | +0.8 | +1.3 | +1.2 |
| 2022 | +2.0 | +2.6 | +2.2 | +1.8 | +1.0 | +0.2 | −0.3 | +0.9 | +1.0 | +1.0 | +1.8 | +1.3 |
| 2023 | +3.6 | +1.9 | +1.6 | +1.6 | +0.5 | +1.9 | −0.8 | −0.6 | +2.3 | +1.2 | +0.5 | +0.4 |
| 2024 | +0.6 | +2.1 | +1.9 | +1.9 | +2.2 | +0.1 | −0.5 | +0.1 | +1.4 | +0.8 | +1.2 | +2.0 |
| 2025 | +2.2 | +0.9 | +1.7 | +3.3 | +1.9 | ±0.0 | +1.0 | ±0.0 | +1.3 | +1.0 | +1.3 | +2.2 |
+1 warmer than usual −1 cooler than usual
Photos
Seen by visitors.
Nearby
More islands nearby.
About these numbers
| Names, area, population | Wikidata (Q216422) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Outline | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Sea temperature | NOAA OISST v2.1 · 1991–2020 |
| Climate | NASA POWER · 1991–2020 |
| Relief, 3D model | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Beaches, ports, lighthouses, trails | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Towns | GeoNames · CC BY 4.0 |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
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