Hohwacht Bay is a wide, shallow curve of the Baltic between the Bay of Kiel and the Fehmarn Belt, and the view from the shore on a clear day opens a long, gentle arc of pale sand and low green land. The beach at Hohwacht is a broad one, backed by low dunes and a wooded cliff, and the water in front of it is so shallow that you can wade out a long way before it reaches your waist. That makes it good for families, and for anyone who wants a cool dip without the effort of swimming.
The place began as a small fishing village, and the fishermen's cottages and the little harbour are still there, now surrounded by holiday flats and hotels. The harbour is a pleasant place to wander, with fishing cutters and yachts lined along the quay and a smokehouse nearby. The sea changes by the hour, from a flat blue to a choppy grey, and the sky is nearly always large and full of moving cloud. Gulls and terns wheel over the water, and in autumn flocks of geese pass overhead in long lines.
Behind the beach lies a lagoon, the Sehlendorfer Binnensee, a protected area where many birds breed and rest, and it is a good place for a short walk. The land between the sea and the lagoon is low and open, with reeds, meadows and grazing cattle, and the road along the shore passes through it. Riding here is a matter of flat, open tarmac with the wind off the sea, and the main hazards are tourist cars, cyclists and the occasional drift of sand.
If you want to swim, the main beach is lifeguarded in summer, and the water warms up quickly in a hot spell. The Baltic is nearly tideless and brackish, so it has no strong currents, but wind can raise a chop and you should watch the flags. Services are not on the beach itself beyond kiosks and cafés. For fuel and shops, Lütjenburg, about six kilometres inland, is the nearest town of any size, with petrol stations and supermarkets. Take sun cream, a towel and a layer for the evening. Sunset over the bay on a clear evening, with the water the colour of a peach, is a very good reason to linger.