VLIELAND, WINTER WEEKEND
A pristine coastline, endless quiet spots, high dunes, white sand, tranquil forests, fresh crispy air, quaint houses, the Frisian island Vlieland is the perfect destination for a nature getaway. From the moment you set foot ashore you literally enter a different world. On Vlieland peace and quiet reign. You can completely unwind here. The island is almost car-free and has the most beautiful beaches of the Netherlands.
With only 1138 inhabitants Vlieland is the smallest inhabited Wadden island. There is only one village on the island: Oost-Vlieland. There used to be a West-Vlieland too, but during a flood in 1736, the sea swallowed the West side of the island and the village disappeared.
HIGHLIGHTS
Explore the island with a local knowledgeable nature guide
Visit the Vliehors, the Sahara of the north, in the west part of the island
Climb the Vuurboetsduin with the lighthouse situated at its peak
Visit the ‘Drenkelingenhuisje’, a little house where castaways once found a refuge
ITINERARY
DAY 1: HELLO VLIELAND
Today our Vlieland weekend starts. At 2.00 PM we take the ferry from Harlingen to Vlieland (https://www.rederij-doeksen.nl/). We are staying in a cosy little guesthouse in the charming village Oost-Vlieland. Because we arrive quite early, we can already explore the village and its surroundings together. In the evening we’ll have a delicious dinner in our guesthouse (not included).
Meals: no meals included today
DAY 2: VLIERHORS, KROONS POLDER AND SJOERD
Today our local nature guide, Folkert, will pick us up in our guesthouse to show us the most beautiful places of his island. Our walk will take us to places most tourists never see, we’ll walk along the wide beach, through forests with heather-covered dune valleys, past woodland lakes and through open dune areas where Scottish highlanders and Saoy sheep graze. We’ll explore the nature reserves Kroons Polders and Vliehors on the west side of Vlieland. Nature reserve Kroons Polder is special because of the transitions from a salty to a sweet environment. The inner polder is primarily fed by fresh water and therefore has a very different vegetation structure than the outer polders bordering the Wadden Sea.
Vliehors, also called the Sahara of the North, is a mini desert of 24km². At this end of the island you can almost touch the neighbouring Island Texel. Often you can see seals here. Today’s walk is around 15-20 km. We will walk from A to B, so it is not a circular walk and we return by bus (bus ticket not included).
In the evening we have dinner in one of the local restaurants. If we have some energy left after dinner we can enjoy the performance of Sjoerd, a local singer/ songwriter.
Meals: breakfast buffet, packed lunch
DAY 3: VUURBOETSDUIN & LIGHTHOUSE
After a delicious ‘islander’ breakfast we continue our exploration of Vlieland with our local guide. One of the places we’ll visit is the lighthouse. The Lighthouse is small, only 16,8m, and has the nickname “the Red Dwarf”. Because it is located on the highest dune of Vlieland, the “Vuurboets dune” boats can still see the light from the water. From the Vuurboets dune we have a magnificent view over the village Oost Vlieland and the ‘bokkendal’, a dune area inhabited by goats. Today’s walk is around 10km.
At 16.45 we say goodbye to this beautiful island and we take the ferry back to Harlingen.
Meals: breakfast buffet, packed lunch
ACCOMMODATION
We are staying in a cosy guesthouse in the village Oost-Vlieland, at walking distance from the beach. The whole guesthouse is reserved for Nature Connects. The rooms have a comfortable seating area, private shower and two single beds (bedding is provided). You will share a room with one other person. There is a common area where we’ll have a delicious breakfast buffet in the morning with juices, bread rolls, yogurt, cheese, ham, jam etc.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
INCLUDED:
2 guided walks by a local knowledgeable nature guide
2 nights in a cosy twin room (shared room)
Transportation of our luggage to the guesthouse
2 delicious breakfasts (buffet on Satuday and Sunday)
2 packed lunches (Saturday and Sunday)
Bed linen and towels
Booking fee
NOT INCLUDED:
Transportation to and from Vlieland
Tourist tax (around 3,50pp)
Travel insurance/ cancellation insurance
Meals that are not already included
Bus ticket on Saturday
