We love to visit the Dutch island Schiermonnikoog at least once a year. Tickets for the boat are valid for several months so you can go whenever you want! We decided to go last weekend, after hearing on the news about temperatures getting higher and higher up to around 32 degrees. Because the weather is always a bit different at the Dutch islands (colder, more windy), it would be the perfect timing to get away from the heatwave back home and enjoy the best beach day ever!
Holidays don’t always need to be long and tiring. A short day-trip to a Wadden Island is enough to fully recharge your batteries. There is always plenty to do for people who like sightseeing, but also a day of doing absolutely nothing on the beautiful beaches in the sun are just as amazing!
About Schiermonnikoog ~ The island is 16 km long and 4 km wide and is the site of the Netherlands’ first national park. There is only one village on the island, with the same name. Having around 940 permanent residents, this municipality is the smallest in the Netherlands, and almost always the winner in the voter turnout during Dutch elections. Schiermonnikoog is also almost car-free; only the residents may apply for the license to use a car on the island.
Unless you’re a very good swimmer, there is only one way to spend a day on Schiermonnikoog: by boat. From Lauwersoog, about five boats sail daily to and from the island. If you want to leave very early, you can do so from 06:30 in the morning and on Sundays from 09:30 am ~ which is exactly what we did! From the harbor you can take the bus to the center, which will only cost you a few Euro’s. Within five minutes you’re already in the only village on the island: Schiermonnikoog. But you can also take the bus to… the beach!!
This was Joya’s first time swimming in the actual sea. We’ve been to beaches before, even this one, but at the time it was way too cold for a swim. This time was just perfect! The temperature of the water near the shore was great and Joya had the best day ever, spending over 6 hours in the water!
