The island of Texel has something really special. Have you ever visited a place and cannot wait to go back again? To feel that fine sand under your feet? Taste products from local Texel soil? Discover fantastic beachcombing finds in the museums? Or is it those unforgettable moments that you long for? As islanders, we are still surprised, every day. De Slufter nature reserve undergoes a metamorphosis each season and the view from the lighthouse is never the same.
Northern Texel - our home base - is a beautiful area. Pioneers in the polder made farms, holiday resorts and other businesses here. If you drive a few kilometres further, you will be in the middle of the dune area, on green lanes of the Wad. Usually the only spectator, because tranquillity prevails in this part of the island. Rent a house at De Muy and see for yourself!
For example, book two weeks in early or late season and pay for only 13 days!
The area known as De Nederlanden comprises the eastern dunes between De Slufter and De Koog and is part of the De Muy nature reserve. In the 19th century, the area was reclaimed as cultivated grassland, but in 2008 the landscape was more or less restored to its original state. The straight drainage ditch was replaced by a meandering creek and nature was given free rein, creating a wonderful hiking area. To prevent overgrowth, Galloway cattle are allowed to graze here. Countless flowers grow and the area is rich in birds.
De Muy nature reserve, a few kilometres north of De Koog, is a popular hiking destination. You’ll find steep-sided dunes, bushes, trees and former pastures which have now merged with nature. It is a beautiful and highly varied landscape, where you can stroll for hours. Spoonbills breed in the dune lake, de Muyplas. Other birds at De Muy include grey herons, cormorants, bluethroats, owls and nightingales. Wild plants are also abundant here. In the outer part of the reserve (‘Buitenmuy’), the rare bog pimpernel grows and in the dune meadows on the east side you’ll find a variety of orchids.
Perhaps Texel’s best-known nature reserve, De Slufter attracts a million visitors every year. It is a beautiful salt marsh landscape – part of the Texel Dunes National Park – which is flooded during north-westerly storms. It is the only area in the Netherlands where the sea can flood the land unimpeded. Only the southern part is accessible, the rest is a bird sanctuary. From the entrance (at the end of Slufterweg), a track takes you between sand dunes and winding saltwater creeks straight to the North Sea beach. All the plants that grow here are salt resistant, such as sea thrift and sea lavender, which colour the area a beautiful pink, lilac and purple in summer.
