Camping on the Island of Vlieland in Holland

It's the end of summer here so the crowds are gone leaving the camp sites empty. Renate's parents were at the end of their 3 week holiday on Vlieland so we decided to join them for a weekend. It was such as good idea that Renate's sisters both came along as well with their respective friends/partners.

I've been here before but its nice to be back in the place where Renate and her family spent many years for their summer holidays. It's difficult to describe as its more of a feeling but the words baron and wild come to mind.

Vlieland is one of the Islands just off the North coast of Holland. Although there are cars on the island they are just for the locals so you need to carry everything you need. After departing the ferry we balanced the tents and bags on the back of bikes and walked them to the camp but a horse and cart is also available.

The tents all have the same sturdy construction designed to take the wind and their sandy colour allows them to blend into the sand dunes. Mostly the camp sites are unnumbered so you can just find a spot in the dunes and setup however parts of the dunes are fenced off to protect them against erosion. Sites are also available if you need power or Internet access. Gosh everyone knows Internet access should be wireless :-)

On arrival we sat down for a spot of lunch after which we set up the tents placing a plastic sheet underneath to keep them clean rather than dry.  

Some keen campers rent a spot for the entire season. For their €1,300 they can come and go through the season leaving their tent where is stands. They normally decorate their tents with bits they find on the beach from old nets, buoys and driftwood adding real character to the place. The toilet blocks are very clean and warm include under floor heating. The kids even have miniature toilets and showers.

As all the tents look similar, small flags help distinguish your tent from others and help friends and family locate you  in the middle of the dunes.

The rest of the trip we took it pretty easy going out to dinner on the beach one night, exploring by bike but otherwise taking it easy.

If you want a good tent in Holland there is only one brand De Waard, and only 3 places in the entire country to get one.