Denmark is a cute beach town on the southern coast of Western Australia and, surprisingly, has zero connection to the country of Denmark!
We're currently living full-time in our campervan, a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter, and exploring Australia, with a plan of "driving the lap" (completing the entire perimeter of the country). I first visited Australia in 2019, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport. This time, with the freedom of our campervan, we're trying to hit the lesser known spots and go slower.
Denmark is located about halfway between Margaret River and Esperance.
For over 40,000 years the Bibbulmun and Minang people of the Noongar nation have lived on this land, long before the first Europeans (the Dutch) arrived in 1624. A British outpost was set up in nearby Albany in 1826 at which time surgeon Dr. Thomas Wilson explored Denmark, naming the area after his colleague Alexander Denmark. The first permanent European settlement was established in 1895 by the Millar brothers who opened sawmills and a town to support the families of the workers.
Today, Denmark is a town of about 7,000 people, mostly surviving on tourism, farming and fishing. We spent a few days exploring the town, beaches and nearby activities.
We first visited Denmark in November 2025 and returned in March 2026 and updated the original post with all the new things we did. This post was first published on 27 November 2025; last updated 29 March 2026.
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Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to Denmark. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In Denmark, the traditional language of the Bibbulmun and Minang people of the Noongar nation is Mirnang.
→ Learn more about the language of the Bibbulmun and Minang people of the Noongar nation.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data/WiFi: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
Free WiFi is available at Denmark's Community Resource Centre (CRC).
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. Denmark, situated on the southwest coast of the country, south of Perth in Western Australia, can get very hot in the summer and cool in the winter months. I recommend visiting in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days.
Length of stay: Across two visits, we spent three days in the Denmark area exploring the town, nearby activities and of course the gorgeous beaches.
By flight: The closest major airport is in Perth, a five-hour drive north. Most visitors to Denmark will arrive in Perth if coming by air.
→ Check out my complete guide to visiting Perth!
There is also a smaller regional airport in Albany which connects to Perth and other destinations across Western Australia. This airport is only about a 45-minute drive from Denmark, so you could fly into Perth and transfer to a smaller flight to Albany.
By car: If you're driving around the country as we are in our campervan, then the easiest way to get to Denmark is with your own wheels. This gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace, stopping whenever and wherever you like.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Perth or Albany.
You might want to start in Perth as your base for renting a campervan to explore Australia.
→ Rent a campervan in Perth with Apollo, Camplify, Indie or Juicy.
By bus: Transwa runs a bus between Albany and Bunbury with a stop in Denmark.
Denmark is located in southern Western Australia, about halfway between Walpole-Nornalup National Park and Albany. Many people will visit the Denmark area from nearby Albany.
Of course, the easiest way to explore is with your own wheels. We are traveling around the entire country in our campervan for a year and it gives so much freedom to get around.
→ If you don't have your own car, you can rent one in Perth or Albany.
If you don't have a vehicle, options are limited as there is no public transport in Denmark. Vines and Vistas offers a customizable Denmark tour, but it is mostly focused on wineries in the region.
Hotel: Not traveling by campervan? Visiting from nearby Perth or Albany? Driving in a car? Whatever your reason for needing a place to stay, there are some great accommodation options in Denmark.
→ Check out places to stay to suit your budget and accommodation type.
Camping: We are driving "the lap" around Australia, exploring the country in our campervan. As with the rest of Australia, Western Australia permits freedom camping on designated sites. These sites can vary greatly; some offer a variety of facilities such as toilets, trash bins, picnic tables, outdoor cooking stations and others have none of this and might simply be a pull-out on the side of the road.
The best way to find legal freedom camping spots is to use an app. We use Wikicamps Australia, a cheap app that has every single amenity listed (both free and paid) that you might need on the road. This includes things like where to fill up fresh water, where to dump grey water, where to empty toilets, where to stay, gas stations, information points and also has suggestions for things to do as you go.
→ Download the Wikicamps Australia app.
There are a few spots for freedom camping near Denmark, as well as a number of paid options. We visited Denmark on two different visits and stayed at a free campground along the peaceful Hay River and a paid campground right on the coast at rainy, cozy Shelley Beach in West Cape Howe National Park.
Hay River free camp
Shelley Beach
While in Denmark, we had brunch at Mrs Jones, a super aesthetic, airy old butter factory serving up amazing, creative breakfast and lunch dishes. It's a bit pricey for the portion size you get but a yummy meal, nonetheless.
We also stopped for an incredible Japanese dinner at Hiroko Cafe, a family-run spot with delicious sushi, soup, dumpling and noodle dishes. It's popular so it can get busy and the space is quite cute and small, but it's so worth the wait!
Hiroko Cafe
Mrs Jones
We visited the Denmark area twice during our time in Australia, spending a few days exploring. There is much more to do in this beautiful coastal town and its surrounds, but here is everything we did to get you started:
Catch a sunset at Hay River Bridge
We were on our way to our free campsite at the Hay River and stopped to watch a beautiful sunset from the Hay River Bridge, casting gorgeous sunlight across the Wilson Inlet.
Feed rescued animals at Denmark Animal Farm
Our afternoon spent at the Denmark Animal Farm was truly one of our favourite days in Australia. It's a special family-owned place, primarily in the business of breeding alpacas, but they later took in rescued animals, many of them orphans.
You can feed almost all the animals including alpacas, kangaroos, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, emus, donkeys and camels! Every day at 3pm, baby animals are bottle fed and you can take part in this, too. There are also bunnies and guinea pigs to snuggle, plus a whole host of birds running amok. Truly incredible place.
→ Check out the reel I made about the Denmark Animal Farm!
→ Check out the reel I made about feeding kangaroos at Denmark Animal Farm!
Spot the waterfall at Waterfall Beach
It might be small but it's the namesake of this beach. Wander across the soft, white sand and look for the waterfall that runs from William Bay National Park into the ocean.
Spot the waterfall!
Hang out in the rock pools at Madfish Bay
Madfish Bay is next to Waterfall Beach and a bit more exposed than its neighbour. A beautiful shallow stretch of ocean laps across the yellow sand and some pretty rock pools dot the shore perfect for lounging in.
Swim at Greens Pool
I truly think Greens Pool is one of my favourite beaches in the entire country. You walk down from the parking lot to a photogenic wooden set of steps and a platform overlooking crystal clear turquoise water in a safe bay full of fun rocks for clambering over. White sand stretches off onto the right while a little beach and cove is perfect for a picnic to the left. Swimming here was just dreamy.
Spot the rocks that look like elephants
Elephant Rocks is one of Western Australia's most famous beaches. A short walk down to the sand passes a few different viewpoints over the beach. It's named after and is most famous for its large boulders out in the water which can look like a herd of elephants. The water is so gentle and beautiful to swim here and so protected.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
