A weekend on Ameland

| Reading time: 13 minutes | By: Laura |

It is early September when we get into the car early towards Holwerd, the small town in Friesland from where you can catch the boat to Ameland. The closer we get to the boat, the vaster the Frisian landscape. The Wadden Sea lies wide before us, everyday life miles behind me. As soon as we board the boat and it docks, I sink back in my chair and give all my cares to the wind. My weekend trip to Ameland already feels like a real detox.

It takes about 50 minutes to sail and you can catch a boat pretty much every hour. On the way, we enjoy the many birds hopping around on the sandbanks and the vastness of the sea. After a while, land comes into sight and before I know it, we are moored in Nes harbour. Our bikes from rental company De Jong are already waiting for us. With my backpack on my back, I cycle into my weekend! In this blog, I will take you through my experiences during this wonderful weekend on Ameland.

Spending the night on Ameland

Hotel Bos & Duinzicht

After arriving at the port, we cycle straight to our hotel. For the next few days, we stay at Hotel Bos & Duinzicht in Nes, an incredibly hospitable family hotel with comfortable rooms. Every morning you can sit down in the restaurant for a nice breakfast and in the evening you can read a book in the lounge or have dinner on the terrace. Also handy: there is a bike rental at the hotel and both the beach and the centre of Nes are a 10-minute walk away. Yes, we are very satisfied.

The Kiekduun

Would you rather stay in a different kind of accommodation than a hotel? A few villages away, at De Kiekduun in Buren, you can spend the night in a dune lodge, a solar lodge, a hikers' hut or just in your own tent.

The nice thing about De Kiekduun is that they consider sustainability of paramount importance. For example, you will find solar panels in several places, they use water-saving equipment in the toilet blocks and they encourage guests to separate their waste.

At certain accommodations, they go a step further, such as the Solarchalet. This chalet has solar panels on the roof and is equipped with a heat pump, resulting in an extremely energy-efficient stay. A very good option!

Eating out on Ameland

Beach pavilion Sjoerd

If you stay on an island, you must have sat at least once at a beach pavilion, right? Right on our first day, we make an effort to eat at Sjoerd, the most sustainable beach pavilion of 2020.

They received the so-called Golden Green Key among other things because of the solar panels and solar collectors on the roof, the many alternatives to plastic and the use of local products. Things that we all get very excited about! And not only us, for instance, the beach pavilion is completely full on our first try and we can only get in on the last day. But it's worth it; the food is delicious, the staff nice and the beach pavilion itself extremely atmospheric. Highly recommended!

Restaurant StrAnders

Another great place to sit down for a good lunch or dinner is Restaurant strAnders in Buren. Especially for the fish lovers among us, this is a very nice place. Order, for instance, a Seafood Platter or Fish & Chips. There are also plenty of vegetarian options and if you have an allergy, they always know how to accommodate.

What really makes a difference for Restaurant StrAnders is that they only work with fresh seasonal products, preferably as locally as possible. Good for the locals, the environment and ultimately for you too.

Nature in

Something I really enjoy during my weekend trip to Ameland is the fact that you are always surrounded by nature. It therefore itches to explore nature a bit more, so we put on our walking shoes and set off.

Het Oerd nature reserve

In the east of Ameland, you will find Het Oerd nature reserve, an old dune area filled with high dunes, marshy dune valleys and salt marshes. This part of the island makes you feel very far away from civilisation for a while.

But you are certainly not alone, because this area is home to an impressive collection of birds. You will find a huge colony of herring gulls, various ducks, owls and even a colony of spoonbills.

The best way to discover the area is on foot, using the Staatsbosbeheer walking route. Keep an eye on the tides, as the route is almost inaccessible during high tide and waterproof shoes are no luxury during low tide either.

Beach walk

Something that is always close by in Ameland is the beach. As far as I am concerned, a good walk on the beach should not be missing from my visit. Nothing nicer than taking off your shoes and continuing your route with your toes in the sand. You can walk reasonable distances on the beach, although sometimes you have to go through the beautiful dunes. Oh well, no punishment at all.

On an adventure

Of course, a bit of adventure is never out of place either. And let being active and nature go hand in hand.

Surfing on Ameland

During my weekend, I planned a lesson in wave surfing at Ameland Adventure. Since my last time surfing was a while ago, I opt for the beginners anyway. Bravely, we get on our bikes towards the beach near Nes. The wind is strong. Somewhat overwhelmed by the high waves, I hoist myself into a wetsuit and choose a bright green board.

It will be a tough lesson in the raging surf of the North Sea. But it is refreshing and the enthusiastic instructor knows how to bring out the best in us. After a few bites of salt, I finally manage to stand. What a good feeling that remains!

After one and a half hours, we leave the surf behind us and I join a well-deserved hot chocolate with whipped cream in Ameland Adventure's beach tent. For more adventures, take a look at Ameland Adventure's website.

Did you know that apart from Ameland, other places in the Netherlands are also good for surfing? Honeyguide Yalou received surfing lessons in Wijk aan Zee from Dutch longboard champion Anne Albers.

Cycling on Ameland

I can also recommend cycling on Ameland. There are plenty of rental companies. We pass endless cycle paths through rolling dunes and unspoilt nature. We decide to cycle from Nes to the lighthouse in Hollum, a trip of about 11 kilometres. You can very well follow the signs for this cycle tour and I recommend cycling the whole route through the dunes. A lot nicer than along the road. Today, the weather is a bit kinder and around noon the sun peeks through. It is beautiful. Click here for more cycling routes.

Experiences on Ameland

The lighthouse

During the cycle tour, we see the tip of the Lighthouse coming closer and closer. So it's cool when we finally reach the base of the tower and peer up. Ameland's lighthouse is no less than 55 metres high and was built in the year 1880.

Since 2005, the tower is no longer used by the Coast Guard, so you can enter it yourself. On most floors, you will now find an interesting museum about the lighthouse and the coast guard. When you have finally climbed all 236 steps, you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of Ameland on the 15th floor. And believe me, it's worth it!

Bunkermuseum

While we're in Hollum, we pay a visit to the Bunkermuseum, located in a former World War II kitchen bunker. For €3, you can get an admission ticket from the vending machine at this unmanned museum. It is not big, but there is an awful lot of information to be found. Images from the war, personal stories from islanders, a memorial room: we easily spend an hour and a half there. Finally, we descend to the bunker in the dune behind the museum. It is very impressive!

Nature centre Ameland

Everything comes to an end, including our weekend on Ameland. Our last hours on the island have started when we pay a last-minute visit to the Nature Centre Ameland in Nes. Here you get to know Ameland's nature in a special way, something we don't want to miss.

The various rooms such as the Landscape Room and the Water Room explain to us about nature, the landscape and associated animal species. In the Water Theatre, we marvel at the huge North Sea aquarium where various fish swim by. We conclude our visit on the roof of the nature centre where you have a panoramic view of the island. If you want to learn more about the flora and fauna of Ameland, I would definitely not skip this museum.

There are many more museums to visit on Ameland. For an overview, please visit the Amelander Musea website.

And then the moment arrives. We return the bikes and check in at the boat. On to the mainland. Fully rested and feeling blissful, we take our seats on deck again. As the boat starts moving, I turn around and stare at the harbour, the coastline and the island's dunes until it is no more than a dot on the horizon. Ameland, thank you!

Love,
Laura

More travel blogs - Discover the Netherlands

Back to previous page

This website uses cookies

This website uses cookies (Functional, Analytical, Marketing) which are necessary for the website to function as well as possible. By clicking accept, you indicate your agreement with this.