A Week of Island Life on Texel

Texel is the largest of the five Wadden Islands in the Netherlands that can be visited. I have been to Texel several times but never had the opportunity to visit the lighthouse. So it was time to visit the island again.

Getting there

The only way to visit Texel is by ferry. There is a ferry service between the mainland of the Netherlands and Texel. The journey takes about 20 minutes, just enough time to get out of the car, have a coffee and explore the ship.

The arrival is always a bit chaotic. The ferry is large enough to carry a few hundred cars and a few large trucks. Landing with this number of vehicles takes time. Sometimes people lose patience, decide to make their own rules and ignore all signals from the ferry crew. And then you have the people who go to the upper deck but either don't know how short the ferry ride is or miscalculate as to how long it will take them to get back to their car. As a result, they block other vehicles from exiting the ferry.

Due to the limited number of roads on the island, the arrival of the ferry may cause some traffic jams. I recommend starting your visit by visiting the town closest to the ferry and waiting for the traffic to calm down. Explore the town, buy your first souvenirs or have a drink in a local café.

Tourism

Texel is very touristy. It was very noticeable during my visit. It was often difficult to find parking or even a place to store our bikes. You can avoid this by planning your visit outside of Dutch (and German) school holidays.

Things to do

There is plenty to do on Texel, no need to get bored. One of the most interesting places to visit during your stay is Ecomare, a seal rescue center and a great place to learn about the marine life of the Wadden Sea.

The lighthouse on the northernmost part of the island is another great place to visit. It majestically dominates the dunes that protect the island from the rough waters of the North Sea. From the top of the lighthouse you can see a large part of the island, the neighboring island and even the mainland. On warm days you can go to the beach, which covers the entire North Sea side of the island.

And you can always rent a bike and cycle around the island.

Cycling around the island

Renting a bike is a popular thing on the island. Texel is small enough to be explored by bike. There are many places to rent a bike and I mean any type of bike. Electric bikes, mountain bikes, even the famous Dutch bakfiets. However, my recent rental experience was not great. I rented three electric bicycles with two relatives, but one of them had problems. Instead of a relaxing bike ride around the island, we ended up cycling to the nearest bike shop multiple times.

There are many cycle paths, but not everywhere. Sometimes you have to share the road with cars, which isn't always the safest thing here. Cars pushing you off the road is something I've experienced a couple of times. Cycling on the road is not recommended if you have small children.

The verdict

Texel has always been a place of relaxation for me, but this visit was a disappointment. The island was crowded, there were too many tourists and the rental bikes were not very reliable.

If you are looking for a relaxed island experience in the Netherlands, I would recommend Terschelling. It's a much smaller island, less touristy, more beautiful and a much more fun place to cycle and relax.