It’s been a while ago since last time I visited Texel Island.
Like all the kids from our primary school of the city I grew up (Alkmaar, Netherlands) when you have reached the final class you could go with a field trip by bicycle with your class to Texel Island. This is about 65km cycling to Texel and 65km cycling to get back to Alkmaar.
I can remember the weather was changing all the time on the bike, from sunny, rainy and windy. For me it was hard to cycle all that way to Texel Island and the only thing I remember from the Island is the farm where we were staying. Girls and boys seperate on each of the floors with single beds and Ecomare where we could see seadogs. I can remember the teacher being angry because one of the girs left bread in the room and she was warning us about mouses. I was crying when the lights went off to sleep because I was afraid of mouses. The day before there was a movie on TV about a rat named Ben who was leading a group of rats to kill a family. Nowadays for each movie luckly there is an age warning. Anways, those were the only memories of Texel.
This week I went back to Texel Island by car. I enjoyed it a lot and I would definitely want to go back to explore more of the Island nature landscape as well as the towns and places to eat. So for now here are already some recommendations for you in case you have time to visit Texel Island.
Video with impressions from the trip to Texel Island this week:
Nature:
The beautiful long and wide beaches with white soft sand are great to visit as well as the dunes and woods. There are plenty places to visit and plenty of walking trails or paths to cycle. Unlike the beach areas on the mainland, there long and wide beaches seem to be spacious enough for everyone on the Island!
Places to eat:
The beaches have plenty places to eat and drink but if you like to be in a town for dinner or shops I can recommend the Koog. If you want to eat fish or to be more specific like to eat haring, or kibbelingen please try Vis van Beek. They serve the best haring and kibbelingen I’ve ever aten. Both the haring and the kibbelingen were not as salty as everywhere else. The haring was so soft and fresh. The kibbelingen were so fresh too and even the meat was sweety. Usually the kibbeleingen elsewhere are tasteless, other then only salty and greacy.
The Ferry from the mainland to the Island:
You can go with the Ferry to the Island by foot, cycle or motor vehicles and you can also book the tickets online. I registered the license plate of my car when booking the ticket so at the gate my car was recognized, and I could drive through to the parking place on the Ferry. I’ve paid Euro 28,- for a standard car.
https://www.teso.nl/tickets-2/online-een-e-ticket-kopen/
There is a schedule online that you can see at what time the Ferry is leaving. Best is to take the Ferry when it takes off every half hour to avoid waiting. When we entered the Ferry on the way to Texel Island, it was going very fast and we did not have to wait. When we were taking off from Texel Island to go back to the mainland it took a while as we had to wait.
https://www.teso.nl/afvaarttijden/
Parking on the Island:
You can parc your car on Texel Island and pay on each of the parking lots every time you want to parc your car. You can also purchase online a day ticket. I’ve paid 10, – to parc for one day on all the public paid parking area’s.
Things to see:
The Ecomare nature museum and birds and seadogs reserve, the seadogs are very cute and if you have children especially this is the place to be. The lighthouse and the view from there is recommended to visit as well.
chicenzo.com 