The Dutch beaches, especially those on the Wadden Islands, are unique in their kind.

As wide as the beaches are here, they are nowhere in the world! Not only the beaches, but also the rugged dune landscape is breathtaking every season and different on every island.

But there are quite a few of them and before you can’t see the beaches through the dunes anymore, we have listed the best places for you below.

The nicest beaches on Texel

The largest Wadden Island with up to 30 kilometres of sandy beaches is Texel. Whether you are on a Slow travel holiday or looking for the best surf spot, with so much beach on an island there is something for everyone!

The beaches on Texel are indicated by numbered poles. Maybe not very creative or romantic, but easy and clear.

Pole 9 on Texel unspoilt dunes

To get to Pole 9, you first pass through one of the most pristine stretches of dune landscape on Texel. The roughness and colours that change in every season prepare you for what you will encounter on the other side of the dunes.

An amazing view and a wide stretch of beach where even on the busiest summer days there is more than enough space for everyone. Whether you come sunbathing, swimming or looking fora special Yoga place. The beach bars here have adapted their decoration to the pristine surroundings and the rough, unadorned atmosphere is popular with the locals and guests of Texel.

Here you will also find Beach pavilion Paal 9

At Paal 9 you will undoubtedly get the beach vibe. With a wide view, sand and sea, a holiday feeling is guaranteed. The menu & cocktail menu is more then fine as well. Fun with kids, romantic as a couple or alone, here you will certainly meet new friends.

Pole 17 The famous surf beach of Texel

If you have visited Texel before, there is a good chance that you have been to Paal 17. This is one of the most famous stretches of beach on Texel and can be nicely combined with a visit to Ecomare which is close to the beach entrance.

All kinds of activities and events are organised here throughout the year. So you never get bored here. Pole 17 is open all year round and you can park your car nearby.

Beach pavilion Paal 17 on Texel

AtPaal 17 you can enjoy cold drinks and tasty snacks while staring at the endless horizon. If you are hungry then the dishes that come from the ‘green egg’ barbecue are highly recommended.

Experience the peace and quiet at Pole 22

Would you like to enjoy the peace and quiet during your holiday in the Netherlands and meditate at your leisure in the dunes. Then it is best to go to the beach at Pole 22.

There are no beach pavilions, car parks, lifeguards or groups of young people here. In this special nature reserve you are really alone with nature and the many birds.

It is not for nothing that the unique sand dunes here belong to the Texel Dunes National Park. It is the most beautiful beach on Texel and, according to some, even of the world!

Special beaches on Vlieland

If you go to Vlieland on a sailing ship big or small, you can already see the beach next to the harbour. As soon as you get off you can walk up to the beach and you are directly on the Wadden Sea.

If you come by ferry, the advantage is that you are immediately in the only village of Vlieland. A short walk or a short ride on your bike and in no time you will be standing with your toes in the sand.

Beach Stortemelk

From the harbour of Vlieland you can walk onto the beach Stortemelk and when the weather is clear you can see Terschelling. The beach here is not very wide but the dunes, on the other hand, are really fantastic. You can feel lost there and choose your own private dune pan.

The beach runs all the way around the south side of the island and ends in nature reserve and sandy plain the Vliehors. You can indulge yourself if you like walking. But also if you like beer. Brewery Fortuna is located in the dunes near the harbour and can be visited. Book a tastery there, for example.

Relaxing at Beach bar ‘Oost’

Trendy decorated at a beach entrance and with a cosy terrace you are right at the top of beach bar Oost. You overlook Terschelling and the Wadden area and can taste beer brewed on the island. Even if you prefer a locally pressed juice or are hungry, this is the place to be.

The vast sandy plain Vliehors

If you are a real hiker, you can plod all the way to the Vliehors via beach Stortemelk. Another playful way is to take the Vliehors express. This beach truck will take you to this ‘Sahara of the North’.

Have we talked about the wide beaches before, nothing compared to this wasteland. It is very special to visit this vast expanse of sand.

Be sure to stop by the survivors house, where you can also get married and all the couples who were there before you have written their names on the beams. The decor around the house consists entirely of stuff found by beachcombers.

The most beautiful beaches of Terschelling

With 13 villages to visit and a sandy beach almost all around, you can cycle a lot on Terschelling if you like. Yet you don’t have to go far from the harbour or from the ferry to be able to stand with your feet in the surf.

The most famous beach of Terschelling ‘Groene strand’ (Green beach)

Not to be missed from the ferry or from the harbour is the ‘Groene strand’ or ‘Green beach’ on the Wadden Sea side of the island, near the village West-Terschelling. With an amazing view and perhaps a glimpse of Vlieland in clear weather, you can walk, sunbathe, swim, kite surf, blokart or cycle endlessly here.

The green dunes slowly turn into rough sand dunes and the view of the sea is one for a postcard. If you look closely, you will probably also see seals sticking their heads out of the water just off the coast.

Follow the path along the beach and through the dunes you will arrive at ‘de Noordsvaarder’ the highest dune of Terschelling. And even though the ascent of this mountain of sand does not seem to have come to an end for a while. The view over the North Sea in front of you and the vast dune landscape behind you is priceless.

‘De Walvis’ (The Whale) one of the first beach tents in Terschelling

On the Groen strand you will find ‘De Walvis’, they are open all year round and have a heated terrace. Favourite spot for many a skipper to drink a locally brewed beer around five o’clock with the special nachos and views of dry-falling sailing boats right in front of you.

Oosterend, the easternmost tip of Terschelling

On the other side of the island you will find Oosterend. This eastern tip of Terschelling is a beautiful extensive beach. Easy to reach from West-Terschelling or one of the other villages, with the regional bus but also on a[elektrische] bike or scooter it is a wonderful ride.

On this side of the island you will also find the Boschplaat nature reserve, if you are talking about being alone in the tranquil nature, then this is the place.

A visit to this nature reserve is also possible at night, as it has been declared one of the darkest places in the Netherlands. With almost no light pollution you can see the most romantic starry skies on a clear night.

Visit beach bar Heartbreak hotel here.

As a big Elvis fan, you can indulge yourself at Heartbreak hotel, because everything here breathes Elvis. But even if you have never heard of the best man, it is a good place to be.

A fine menu with something for everyone, a spacious terrace out of the wind overlooking the beach, open all year round and Elvis whimpering softly in the background.

The typical Dutch sandy beach of Ameland

The most western tip of Ameland has a typical Dutch sandy beach and in terms of location this is the spot to experience the best sunset. The beach bordersthe North Sea and provides impressive seascapes. The local beach pavilion is also worth a visit for a nice drink, lunch or dinner.

Lay down at The Sunset pavilion

At The Sunset you can choose where you want to lounge, they have several terraces on all sides and you can enjoy the view both inside and outside. Pick a nice table or tuck into one of the beanbags and turn on your chill mode.

The most sustainable beach pavilion can be found in Buren

Near the village of Buren, at beach road 65 you will find another beautiful piece of North Sea beach. Swimming, lounging and hiking are also among the many options here.

Here you will find eco beach pavilion ‘Sjoerd’

What makes Sjoerd beach pavilion a great place is that it really is completely eco, voted by Strand Nederland as the most sustainable beach pavilion in the Netherlands.

Not only is everything LED-lit here and all packaging is 100% biodegradable, and most importsntly only local, fresh and honest products are used. You can see this on the menu.

Highly recommended for an afternoon of relaxation and pampering. Even if you are sandblasted from the beach, you can relax here.

The widest beaches in Europe on Schiermonnikoog

Save the best for last, the beaches of Schiermonnikoog are truly the widest in Europe. One of the reasons for this is that the sandbanks created for the shallow North Sea coast are slowly moving in the direction of the island and are growing attached to it. So the beaches are still getting wider.

Seal spotting on the beach of ‘De Balg’

On the east coast of the island is the ever-growing sandbank ‘De Balg‘. The beach here is up to 2 kilometres wide and one of the youngest nature reserves in Europe.

During heavy storms, it is still completely submerged. Which also makes this place the best place to go beachcombing or at least to look for shells. You also often see seals lying down or swimming by. From the village you can take the Balg Expres, this bus will take you over the beach to the nature reserve De Balg.

Nude beach entrance ‘Reddingsweg’

As on all Dutch Wadden Islands, there is also a nudist beach on schiermonnikoog. Or in fact you can choose where you want to recreate naked as long as you don’t do so between Paal 2 and 7.

The beach at the Reddingsweg is so extensive that you can really hop around in your nakedness without encountering a soul. Don’t go too far, because you’ll come across the Lifeguard post and kiosk. By the way, you will get ice creams and a cold beer, provided you are wearing swimming trunks.

Beach marquee De Marlijn on Schiermonnikoog

On the West side of the island you will find De Marlijn, again with a view to lick your fingers and especially the sunsets. On the west side you are always in the first row. Enjoy a well-deserved drink here after all that natural overkill.

How do you get to the Dutch Wadden Islands?

You can reach every Wadden Island by ferry. This is how you get to Texel with the TESO from Den Oever. On Vlieland and Terschelling you come from the port of Harlingen with shipping company Doeksen. For Ameland you get on in Holwerd and on Schiermonnikoog you arrive from Lauwersoog.