Travel Guide Vlieland – the Netherlands

Visiting one of the Wadden islands should definitely be on your bucket list for The Netherlands. The five little islands are located just above the Netherlands and are part of the other Wadden islands which belong to Germany and Denmark. The five islands of the Netherlands are named Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog.

A few weeks ago, I spent the weekend on the Wadden island Vlieland and I definitely enjoyed it: the beach, the small village and the nature, it was great! A nice getaway in my opinion. Although the island is very small, there are many things to do. In this article I will tell you some more about the must-sees and must-do’s when traveling to Vlieland.

Visit the lighthouse
Just next to the village of Vlieland, you can find a lighthouse from where you can have some amazing views over the island. With clear weather, there is a chance you can even see the neighbour islands Texel & Terschelling and the coastline of the mainland. There are only a few moments in the week when you can pay a visit to the lighthouse. On Wednesday the opening hours are from 14.00 until 16.00. On Saturday and Sunday, the opening hours are from 10.30 until 12.00. However, you have to look at the actual opening hours, because sometimes it can be different. The entrance fee is around € 3,- per person.

Take a ride with the Vliehorsexpress
The Vliehorsexpress definitely is an unique experience and a must-do when paying a visit to Vlieland. This kind of transportation makes tours over the Vliehors, a sand plain of 20 square kilometres at the west side of Vlieland. This plain is also known as the Sahara of the North. At the point of the Vliehors you can almost always see the seals. During the tour, you also pay a visit to a rescue house, which is located in the middle of the sand plain. This used to be a place of refuge for stranded persons, but nowadays it’s equipped as a “museum” where you can find all kinds of stuff which has been found on the beach.

The tour is planned for the whole year and costs € 16,50 per adult. Children from 4 until 12 years pay € 11,- and children from 0 until 3 years pay € 5,-. You can take your dog as well, for free.

Wander around the beaches
You can have some beautiful walks over the beaches of Vlieland. There also are some beach houses where you can eat or drink something. Close to Beach Hotel Seeduyn you can find the “Strandpaviljoen” and close to Camping Stortemelk you can find “Strandpaviljoen Oost”.

Shop a little in the only town of Vlieland: Oost-Vlieland
Vlieland only has one town, named Oost-Vlieland. It’s small, but you can find everything you need. In the main street you can find some small shops where you can buy clothes or other nice stuff. There also is a little candy shop with some traditional Dutch candy and there are shops like a bakery, a supermarket and a butcher.

Have lunch/dinner at one of the nice restaurants
In combination with a nice day of shopping and walking around, you can have some lunch or dinner in one of the eateries in town. A nice place to have lunch, is Leut; they have some really delicious dishes.

Nice places to have dinner are Plezant, Restaurant Zeezicht and a restaurant which is located at the port of Vlieland, named De Dining.

Take a walk through the green inlands
Vlieland not only has beautiful beaches, but also beautiful inlands. How sandy the coastline is, how green the inlands are. You can have some nice walks through the forest and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.

Rent a bike and go cycling around the island
Biking is a popular activity in the Netherlands and there are many possibilities to rent a bike on Vlieland. For tourists it’s not possible to drive around the island by car, so a bike is the easiest way. It’s so much fun to rent a bike for a day or two and just bike around the island.

Where to stay?
Camping Stortemelk
Would you like to sleep between the dunes of Vlieland? This is definitely possible at Camping Stortemelk! You can rent a tent on the camping, but you can also rent a little house. In the Bolder you can have something to eat, drink or play some games with your company. For more information click here.

Appartments Vlierijck
If you would like to stay more “luxurious”, than maybe Appartments Vlierijck is something for you. This accommodation offers appartments, so you still have the chance to cook for yourself. Located in front of the port and in the middle of the center, this accommodation could be perfect. For more information click here.

Beach Hotel Seeduyn
If you would like to stay in a hotel which is very close to the beach, than this may be the accommodation for you. The accommodation offers both hotel rooms and appartments. For more information click here.

How to get to Vlieland?
From Harlingen the shipping company Doeksen goes every day to Vlieland. Each year and each season there is another sailing schedule, so pay attention when planning your trip to Vlieland. It’s definitely worth to book the tickets beforehand. Adults pay in summer time € 26,66 per person and in winter time € 25,76 per person. Children and elderly will get discount. All the actual information for the cross from Harlingen and Vlieland you can find here.

Have you ever been to Vlieland before?

Author: Tamara

This article is part of the GPSmyCity iOS app. You can download it, read this article offline and obtain travel directions (by foot, car or bicycle) to the places mentioned in this article. Click here to download it.

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