Dutch Wadden Islands

Once on Texel, we drive to the southernmost village of Den Hoorn, known for its romantic white church. It is probably the most photographed church in the Netherlands, so a photo cannot be missed. If you would like to take a look inside, this is only possible on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you travel in the spring, Den Hoorn is also a lovely place to walk among the flowering tulip fields, but there is not much else to do in this small village. We travel on to Den Burg, the largest village on Texel. It is located approximately in the middle of the island and offers a lot of nice shops and good restaurants. After a pleasant morning stroll on the bustling market square in the centre of the village, we drive towards the sea. Soon, we drive through the Dunes National Park, which stretches along the entire west coast of the island. It is ideal for getting a breath of fresh air on the beach, in the woods or among the dunes. There are many well-signposted walking and cycling paths to explore this varied landscape.

From De Cocksdorp it is a half hour walk or ten minutes by bike to the Waddenveer jetty. Here we take an early ferry for a day trip to Vlieland. However, the camper van, car or motorbike has to stay on Texel, because Vlieland is car-free. The island is fortunately only twelve kilometres long and nowhere wider than two kilometres. You can take your own bike on the ferry, hire one in Vlieland or explore the island on foot. Once we have arrived by ferry, we take the boat to the sandbanks in the village. Here you can see the seals up close during low tide. Have you spotted enough seals on Texel and would like to walk on the bottom of the sea? Then two hours before low tide you can board Phoca in the harbour for a three hour wadden trip. During the trip you walk in and along salt marshes, mud flats, sand banks and deep gullies. Prepare yourself well, because it is a tough trip with a big chance of wet socks.

Once we are back on the island of Texel, we take the ferry to the mainland. There we take the shortest route to Harlingen, where we board the next ferry. This ferry takes us to Terschelling. This Wadden Island can be rediscovered by motor home, car or motorbike. After the crossing of about two hours, you will be welcomed on Terschelling by the Brandaris, a majestic lighthouse. It is the oldest lighthouse in the Netherlands and is still in use. We drive further towards the north side of the island to take a break on the beach, sunbathe and walk. On our route, we pass the Bunker Museum Tigerstelling. Terschelling played an important role in the air war over the Wadden islands and the North Sea in the Second World War. Therefore, you will find numerous bunkers scattered across the island. In the open-air museum Tigerstelling, you will be taken back to the war history of the island and given a tour of some of these historic bunkers.

To go to Ameland by camper van, car or motorbike, we first have to take the ferry back to Harlingen. From there, it takes about 50 minutes to get to Holwerd, where we drive the camper onto the boat to make the crossing to Ameland. On the island itself, it is best to leave your vehicle on the parking lot and discover the surroundings by bike. The village centres of Hollum and Nes are car-free. During our first day, we will go by bike to Nes, Ballum and Hollum. In each of these three villages, you can still see many buildings and houses from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that show the history of Ameland. In Hollum, you can even find a number of Commandeurswoningen with richly decorated facades. The facade used to show the rank of the occupant in whaling. If you cycle a little further in the direction of the coast, you will arrive at Bornrif lighthouse. After climbing the 236 steps, an impressive view of the island awaits.