Oudeschild-Texel Island Netherlands North Holland
9
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Seabourn Cruise Line (5 Cruises)
SeaDream Yacht Club (2 Cruises)
Windstar Cruises (2 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
At Texel's fishing harbour, among blue-hulled trawlers marked TX. Only small vessels call here, between the green dyke and the village roofs. The call is lived at human scale and, very often, from a bicycle saddle.
The harbour and its daily ritual: boats coming in, fish crates unloaded, gulls in escort. The quayside counters serve that landing on a plate — herring, brown shrimp and fried fish eaten in front of the masts.
Texel's museum of the seabed, a short walk from the quays. The island's divers have gathered objects raised from wrecks: tableware, instruments, equipment and even seventeenth-century textiles in extraordinary condition. A giant model recreates the anchorage in the East India Company era.
Allow a good hour, more with children, who get plenty out of it. Outside, a working windmill crowns the site, surrounded by fishermen's cottages and craft workshops.
Yes, and it is the best way. The island is flat and gridded with cycle paths, and rentals are available near the quays or in the nearby village. A two- to three-hour loop reaches Den Burg, the island's main market town.
The red lighthouse guarding the northern point, and the west coast, where the dunes of Texel Dunes National Park stretch between salt meadows and beaches that seem endless. Sheep everywhere: islanders like to say they outnumber the people.
Yes. Traditional boat outings leave from the pontoons to watch the sandbanks where harbour and grey seals haul out. Trips last one to two hours, including a demonstration net haul and the skipper's commentary, and the seals show up with pleasing regularity.
A World Heritage sea, listed for its tidal ecosystems, which at low water uncovers flats where flocks of birds feed. That tidal rhythm still governs the harbour's working day.
Salt-marsh lamb, a fixture on island menus, and fish from the harbour: herring, brown shrimp, fried fish. It is all eaten simply, often standing, facing the water.
Very much so. The Kaap Skil museum appeals to children, the seal trip is a guaranteed hit and the island cycles easily with no gradient at all. It is a simple outdoor call with no queues.
