Texel boasts seven charming villages, each with its own character. We’ll list them for you. 

De Cocksdorp
In the north, you will find Texel's youngest village: De Cocksdorp. 'Achter de ruge diek' (‘behind the rugged dike’), as Texel residents refer to the north of Texel. There are a number of nice shops, restaurants and terraces here. In the summer, there is a tourist market on Thursdays. From the village, you can cycle to the lighthouse in just ten minutes.

Den Burg
This is Texel's largest village with about 7000 inhabitants, about half the island’s total. Thanks to its central location, you can't avoid Den Burg during your visit to Texel. Shops, cafes, terraces, supermarkets, lots of restaurants and a cinema, Den Burg has it all. You can also visit the Oudheidkamer, a lovely little museum in the centre. There is a weekly market on Monday mornings and a themed market on Wednesdays in high season.

De Koog
De Koog is Texel's number one resort. It is located directly on the North Sea beach and is known for its pleasant atmosphere and leisure opportunities. You can walk straight onto the beach from the village, where you can enjoy walking, sunbathing, water sports, eating & drinking and of course swimming. At the same time, De Koog is also near the woods and a number of beautiful nature reserves where you can bike and walk. There are lots of shops on Dorpsstraat, plus a wide selection of restaurants. De Koog also has great nightlife. In July and August there is a fair on Tuesdays and the shops are open every Sunday throughout the year!

De Waal
The smallest village on Texel is De Waal. It’s lovely and quiet there, a bit like the olden days. Which makes De Waal definitely worth a visit, for example as a stop off on a long bike ride. When the weather is nice, the garden of hotel Rebecca is a great place to sit. De Waal is also the village of the sommeltjes, a kind of goblin that supposedly danced on burial mounds in the moonlight. The Waelstee museum includes an exhibition of agricultural life on Texel a hundred years ago.

Den Hoorn
Texel’s southernmost village is picturesque Den Hoorn. At the edge of the village lies the famous white church, perhaps the most photogenic little church in the Netherlands. The pilots’ houses on Herenstraat and Klif are also very well known. The men who lived there piloted ships including the merchantmen of the Dutch East India Company through the dangerous Marsdiep into the harbour at Oudeschild. A number of beautiful hiking trails through the area start from the square by the Spar. In July and August, the Hoornder Thursdays are held here, which include a pavement market.

Oosterend
On the Wadden Sea side of the island lies the picturesque village of Oosterend. It is not very touristy, but definitely worth a visit – because of all Texel’s villages, Oosterend is perhaps the most authentic. It has a number of cafes and restaurants, which also makes it a nice stop during a bike ride along the dike. A walk around the church really takes you back in time. 

Oudeschild
The home port of the Texel fishing fleet is the charming harbour village of Oudeschild. Seal-watching and shrimping trips across the Wadden Sea also depart from here. Oudeschild is a regular fixture on their programmes for many tourists. They go to ‘grab some fish’ and get a taste of the atmosphere around the harbour. In Oudeschild you will also find the Kaap Skil museum, where you can learn more about the village’s historical significance. Just outside the village on the north side is the marina.