Right in the centre of town, directly in front of the spa centre, lies the ‘Bad’ section of the beach . This is also the closest to your home base at Urban Nature. Short walks, plenty going on, a great atmosphere: here you’ll meet families, beach chair enthusiasts and anyone who just wants to dip their toes in the sand straight after breakfast. There’s also a dedicated water sports zone stretching between Bad and Ording. Perfect if you fancy a spot of stand-up paddleboarding or some kite-surfing. And if you’ve brought your four-legged friend along: Bad has a designated dog walking area where you can let them off the lead.

Just north of Bad lies Ording, the stretch with the most buzz and the best beach vibe. Restaurants, cafés and beach chairs line the shore here, and during the season you can even drive right onto the beach and park. Easy!

If you’re looking for a spot to play beach volleyball in the summer, this is the place to be: there are courts on all sections of the beach, but Ording is particularly buzzing with life in the summer.

Right at the northern end, things get quieter and a bit wilder. Ording Nord is the least visited section and therefore a real hidden gem for anyone seeking open spaces rather than hustle and bustle. Kiteboarders and windsurfers love the conditions here, and anyone who simply wants to stroll barefoot along the water’s edge will find peace and quiet here. Ording Nord is also designated as a nudist beach and, just like in Bad, your dog is allowed to run around off the lead on the sand here. A sunset with the salty sea air in your nose? It’s just the right place for it.

The southernmost of the central sections, Dorf, is the smallest and quietest of all the SPO beaches. An offshore sandbank shields the water at high tide, turning the beach almost into a small lagoon. It’s ideal if you’re travelling with children or simply want to really wind down.

Fun fact: the designated SPO riding area lies between Dorf and Böhl. With a riding pass (available from the tourist information centre), you can gallop through the sand on horseback here.

Böhl lies in the very south, right on the edge of the Wadden Sea National Park . This is the spot for anyone seeking pure, open space. One of Europe’s largest sandbanks stretches out here, and at low tide the view towards the horizon is simply endless. Birdwatchers will be in their element here: Böhl is situated in an important resting and breeding area for seabirds.

Here, too, you can drive right down to the beach and park your car during the season. And for a quick bite to eat, there’s the Pfahlbau restaurant right on the dyke: fish dishes with a view of the Wadden Sea – you can’t get a more authentic North Sea experience than that.