Sankt Peter-Ording has one of the widest beaches in Europe, a vast plain of pale sand that stretches for some twelve kilometres along the western edge of the Eiderstedt peninsula and runs out so far at low tide that the sea is a thin line on the horizon. On the dunes stand the famous stilt houses, wooden restaurants and beach huts on tall legs, built that way because the North Sea sometimes comes right up to the dune foot at high water and storm tides. They look like something from a child's drawing, and they are a charming place for a coffee.
The air is the real attraction. The wind off the North Sea carries a salty, iodine-rich tang, and the town has been a sea-air spa for well over a century, with a tradition of treatments for chest complaints and allergies. Even if you are not looking for a cure, a long walk on the sand with the wind in your face clears the head after a day of riding. Kite-surfers, sand-yachters and horse riders share the beach, and in strong wind the sky is full of bright wings.
The way there is a flat, straight ride over the Eiderstedt marshland, which is a landscape of sheep, dikes and old farmhouses built on mounds, with big skies and long views. The wind is the main factor, and a crosswind on the exposed road can be tiring. Summer weekends bring heavy traffic, and the road into the resort can crawl, so go early or on a weekday. Be aware that access to the beach and the car parks usually carries a visitor fee, and that driving on the sand itself is allowed only in certain designated areas, not for motorbikes in general, so check the signs.
Water here is the Wadden Sea, a tidal zone with shifting sandbanks and strong currents, so swimming should be done in the supervised areas, and you should keep an eye on the tide. The nearest sizeable town is Tönning, some twenty kilometres away, but Sankt Peter-Ording itself has shops, restaurants and fuel in the village, and Garding is a small town on the way. A hot fish soup and a bench in the lee of a dune make a fine end to an exposed ride.