Looking for a quick getaway and to take in some sea air without a long journey or too many other people with the same idea? The Wadden Sea island of Vlieland is the perfect place to escape from it all for a few days.

Vlieland is the second of the Wadden Sea island chain, located between Texel and Terschelling, and much less densely populated than either with a population of just 1,100.

The island is popular with weekend visitors from the big Dutch cities, but it is relatively easy to get away from everyone, thanks to its never-ending beach and extensive network of cycle paths. It has just one village, Oost-Vlieland, the other, West-Vlieland, having been lost to the sea in 1736.

Tourism is the island’s main money-spinner, and most of the attractions are open all year round. Vlieland might be mostly beach, but it is a perfect place for a spring or autumn break as well.

Things to do

Visit a World War II bunker
Vlieland’s bunker museum, officially known as Wn12H, is a large complex hidden in the dunes and well worth a visit. The bunker complex is part of the Atlantic Wall, built by the Germans from 1942 as a defensive line, and the only surviving one on the island.  The main building houses an exhibition, but the best part is the walk around the complex, leading to all sorts of secret buildings, housing relics of time gone by – even jars of preserved fruit and vegetables.

Get in touch with nature
Vlieland is great for walkers of any distance and there are several routes laid out to follow. Bird watchers may also spot the spoonbills which have taken to arriving on the island in August. The Kroon’s Polders, in the far west are a popular breeding ground for a wide variety of birds. If you want to get a glimpse of the island’s seal population, you can take an organised tour by boat.

Drop in at the oldest house
The Tromp’s Huys dates from 1575 and is the oldest house on the island. The museum houses silverware, maps, paintings, model ships and more, as well as a charming garden. Parts of the house are still in the style of its former inhabitants, the family Akersloot-Berg, who lived there from 1896 to 1922. Betzy Akersloot-Berg, who was Norwegian, was a noted seascape painter and some of her works are also on show.

Take in the beach
Like all the Wadden Sea islands, Vlieland’s beach is long and wide and backed by high dunes with plenty of space for everyone. If you are lucky with the weather, you could not have a better beach – and no better place to try out the particularly Dutch pursuit of uitwaaien. There are just two seaside pavilions, Badhuys, which is open all year round, and Strandpaviljoen Oost which is closed in winter.

Climb up a lighthouse
The lighthouse on top of the 40 metre high Vuurboetsduin offers splendid views of the island and across the water to the other Wadden Sea islands and the mainland. Check the website for opening hours.

The Vliehors is a 20 square kilometre area of sand that makes up the west of the island, much of which is reserved for military exercises. You can visit it on a special bus known as the Vliehors Expres.

Where to eat
There is plenty of choice on Vlieland when it comes to eating, and we had a great dinner at our hotel restaurant, Bravoure, which is Italian themed and said by some to be the best place to eat on the island.

The Posthuys at the far end of the island offers a traditional Dutch approach to fast food – chips with everything – but is a lovely place to stop at the end of a long cycle ride. The building itself is a reminder of the time that in the past mail was delivered by ferry from Texel. The Posthuys is also a small hotel and operates a shuttle bus service to the main village for dinner guests.

Hotel Zeezicht by the port is a great place to sit and watch the ferry arrive from mainland, bringing in the next group of holidaymakers.

Where to stay
Campsites, a bnb, holiday house or hotel – there is plenty of choice on Vlieland but be warned, it gets booked up quickly in high season and at holiday weekends. We stayed at the Badhotel Bruin, on Dorpstraat, which was perfectly fine – and the only option available given our last-minute booking. For a romantic get away, there are lots of cottages hidden in the dunes. Check Vlieland.net for the full listing.

How to get there
The ferries to Vlieland leave from Harlingen, which is easy to reach by train or car, and take either 45 or 90 minutes. Once on the island, all you need is a bike – you have a choice of three rental places – or your walking shoes to explore. And if you feel like visiting some of the other islands, there are ferries from the port to Texel and Terschelling.

Anything else?
Festival “Into the Great Wide Open” takes place at the end of August and offers alternative pop music with camp fires and oysters. In the summer months, there are also open air film screenings. Check out the timetable.