You might not know of the Wadden Islands, sometimes called the West Frisian islands, but I bet you would recognise them if I pointed them out on the map (writes Andy Hayes). They’re that series of tiny islands that look like a dashed line extending across the top of the Netherlands into the North Sea. While Amsterdam is where the party is at, if you want to see the idyllic Dutch lifestyle in action, head for the islands.  

Getting there

Part of the Dutch island experience is just getting there; there are no bridges, and several of these islands are car-free, which makes for a very rural experience, and also some interesting travel planning. You really need to plan in advance, because you’ll likely need a combination of trains and ferries, so you can’t just hop on the next one and hope there is a boat waiting for you.

Here’s a quick rundown of how to get to reach each island from the mainland:

• Texel: train or car to ferry from Den Helder
• Vlieland & Terschelling: train or car to ferry from Harlingen Haven (train connections in Leeuwarden)
• Ameland: train or car to ferry from Holwerd (train connections in Leeuwarden)
• Schiermonnikoog: train or car to ferry from Lauwersoog (train connections in Leeuwarden & Groningen)

A tour operator (here) does allow you to hire sailing boats that will take you to several of the islands, and there is limited inter-island service by smaller ferries.

So, once you’ve got there, what is there to do?

Compare and contrast

Texel (pronounced ‘Tessel’) is the closest to the mainland and in some ways one of the more popular – I’m not sure if it’s because cars are allowed or because there are more trains and ferries.  It’s surprisingly diverse for being an island; the main attraction is the Lighthouse at De Cocksdorp (and the enormous sandy beach near it). From there, touring the island you can see wetlands, flatlands just like on the mainland, and also hills carved out by glaciers long since gone.  The popular thing to do on Tessel is to walk – and the routes are simply gorgeous.

Next we have Vlieland, a very quiet place that is tourist-friendly but is definitely not on the bustling backpacker route.  There’s only one village with a handful of B&Bs – the second town was washed back out to sea in the 1700s. Tourists cannot bring cars here, which is not a problem as a bike can get you everywhere you need to go and a bus meets the ferry and goes directly to where all the hotels and campgrounds are. 

Terschelling is noteworthy for its many shipwrecks, and some say the surrounding sea is full of shipping containers which continue to fall off of ships. Much of the island is also a protected nature reserve, so walks and bike rides are a popular option. And perhaps the most odd (or seemingly out of place) feature of Terschelling are the cranberries. Yes, cranberries – they were brought here by sailors in the 1800s and are now a bumper crop - you will be spoilt for choice of cranberry-inspired desserts.

Ameland is the next-to-last Wadden island; believe it or not, you’ll find a couple of museums here – both are focused on the history of the island and its culture. The island’s lighthouse also serves as a mini-museum and is a must-see stop. The most popular souvenir to take away from Ameland is nobeltje, a liqueur; there are also other Ameland-only liqueurs which are difficult to find on the mainland. 

Last but not least is the difficult-to-pronounce Schiermonnikoog. Tourists cannot bring cars here, and this is the least populated spot in the entire country, so one would assume it’s quite quiet, but in fact there is a bustling tourist trade, as well as daytrippers from the mainland. There are a lot of holiday homes here, so you can make it very comfortable for yourself, spending your time alternating between bike rides around the island and just relaxing on the beach. What’s not to like?

Planning tip

As mentioned, you really must plan ahead to have a stress-free visit to the Wadden Islands. Thankfully, if you visit the official Dutch tourism website, you’ll find a handy page (here) with links, maps and schedules for all of the island transport links.

About the author

Andy Hayes is a UK-based travel journalist, published author, and tourism industry entrepreneur. When not exploring the backroads of Europe, he’ll be found catching a flight to a new, exciting destination abroad.

www.sharingtravelexperiences.com