Skrea strand out of season

Skrea strand is the beach most people mean when they talk about Falkenberg: a few kilometres of pale sand running south from the mouth of the Ätran, backed by low dunes, pines and a line of summer houses. In July it is busy. By the middle of September it is something else entirely.

The first thing you notice is the sound. Without voices and radios the beach is dominated by the wind in the dune grass and a steady, low surf. The Kattegat rarely produces big waves here, but a westerly is enough to keep the water moving and the sand drifting across the walkways.

The walkways

Wooden walkways cross the dunes at regular intervals. They exist to protect the vegetation — marram grass is what holds the dunes together — and outside the season they are the best way to see how much the beach changes from week to week. After a windy night, sand covers the lower boards; after rain, the dunes are dark and firm.

What to bring

• A windproof layer, even on a sunny day
• Shoes you do not mind filling with sand
• Something warm for the hands after half past four

There is very little tide on this coast, so the beach looks much the same morning and evening. What changes is the light. In late September the sun sets almost straight out over the sea, and the last half hour turns the wet sand into a mirror.

The cafés along the beach mostly close after the season, so plan coffee in town before you walk out.