Holidays on Borkum

Beaches

Borkum has several lifeguarded beaches around the town in the west of the island:

• Nordbad: The beach by the promenade, with roofed wicker beach chairs (Strandkörbe), beach tents, beach entertainment and water sports schools. A sandbank off the island breaks the surf.
• Bathing area at the Nordsee-Aquarium: A bathing area between two groynes, good for families, with cafés and restaurants nearby.
• Südbad: Beach chairs, beach tents, milk bars and a dog beach.
• Naturist beach: About ten minutes by bike, near the airfield, with beach chairs, beach tents and its own area for dogs. In the dunes behind it you can rent small naturist huts.
• Jugendbad: No beach chairs and strong surf, reached by a boardwalk from the promenade.

The DLRG lifeguards patrol Nordbad and Südbad from May to mid-October, and the naturist beach and the bathing area at the aquarium in summer. Red and yellow flags mark the lifeguarded area, yellow warns of danger and red means no swimming.

Sights

• New Lighthouse: 60 metres high, built in 1879, the westernmost lighthouse in Germany. You climb 308 steps to the viewing platform. It stays closed in bad weather.
• Old Lighthouse: The oldest building on the East Frisian Islands, in the middle of town.
• Electric Lighthouse: The 27-metre tower dating from around 1890 now carries radar antennas.
• Borkumriff lightship: The former lightship lies in the New Harbour and is now a museum and national park ship. Former crew members show you round.
• Nordsee-Aquarium: 16 tanks with sharks, flatfish and crabs, open on several days even in winter.
• Dykhus local history museum: Island history in a Gulfhaus (a traditional East Frisian farmhouse) near the Old Lighthouse, with the 15-metre skeleton of a sperm whale.
• Borkum Island Railway: The oldest island railway in Germany. On selected days a steam train runs from the island railway station.
• Water tower: With a small water museum, kept going by a local association.
• Ostland: Dunes and woodland in the east of the island, about nine kilometres from town, with the Oostbake sea mark.

Watching seals

Off the north beach lies a seal bank that has crept closer to the island over the years. It is out of bounds all year round. From the beach and the promenade you can watch the animals through binoculars. The national park rangers run beach walks with a spotting scope. The pups are born from early June to early July.

Activities

Cycling and walking: Around 120 kilometres of waymarked footpaths lead through the dunes and the national park, plus eight climate therapy trails of between 4 and 11 kilometres. By bike you can ride the Borkum stage of the Dollard Route as a circuit from the harbour. You can hire bikes in town, or bring your own on the ferry.

Mudflat hikes: Several mudflat guides offer tours of about two hours, usually meeting on Reedestraße near the harbour. Never go out on the mudflats without a guide.

Gezeitenland: The spa and leisure pool covers about 8,000 square metres, with a pool landscape, a surf wave, a children's area and saunas overlooking the North Sea. It is open all year.

Surfing and kiting: The water sports schools for windsurfing, wave riding and kitesurfing are on the north beach. The Kite Worldcup is held there in early June.

Riding and sailing: A riding stable offers lessons and bridleways. Sailors will find several marinas in the harbour.

With children: The Spielinsel is an indoor play centre, and children with a guest card get in free. There is also a pump track, playgrounds, beach entertainment, the aquarium and the children's area in Gezeitenland.

Best time to visit and climate

Borkum lies far out in the North Sea, which brings mild summers and fairly mild winters. These are the long-term averages from the weather station at the airfield:

July and August are the best months for swimming. May and June are sunny and drier. In autumn the surf gets rougher, and winter is quiet. From November far fewer ships sail, but Gezeitenland, the aquarium and the museum stay open.

Events

Fixed points in the year are the New Year's Day dip on 1 January, the wine festival in spring, the Kite Worldcup in June, the Beach Days in August, the “Lücht up Börkum” light week in October and the Advent markets. Dates are in the island's events calendar.

Dogs on Borkum

Dogs may run free on the dog beaches at Nordbad, at Südbad and between Jugendbad and the naturist beach, except during the breeding and nesting season. Dogs must be kept on a lead on streets, paths, squares and the promenade all year, and from 1 April to 15 July on the beach and in open countryside too. Dogs are not allowed on the swimming beaches, on playgrounds or in Gezeitenland. On the ferry your dog needs its own ticket.

Visitor's tax and guest card

A visitor's tax is due for every night on Borkum, and your host collects it. Children under 12 pay nothing. Day visitors aged 12 and over pay a day visitor's tax. Amounts, luggage and the traffic zones for cars are covered in Where to stay on Borkum.

Day trip

For a single day, the best choice is the catamaran from Emden. It takes about an hour, carries a supplement and must be booked. In summer it sails out in the morning and back in the evening, which leaves you several hours on the island. From Eemshaven in the Netherlands the ferry takes about 50 minutes. Departure times on Borkum are given from the island railway station, and the island railway takes you to the ship.

Excursion boats also sail from Borkum to Norderney, to Juist and out onto the Wadden Sea.

The timetable, prices and parking in Emden and Eemshaven are covered in Ferry to Borkum.