How can you not love the WHS Wadden Sea? First attempt to dip your toes into the Wadden Sea in August 2024, return in October 2024.

The destination of the first trip was the island of Ameland, Friesland, The Netherlands. To get there, you have to take a ferry from Holwerd, which we hadn't booked. Be careful, the price is expensive for a mobile home, but it is possible to leave it in the parking lot at the pier. And we crossed the Wadden Sea to the island where we stayed for 2 days at a very nice little farm campsite.

We had fixed our bikes to the back of Wilson so we could cycle around the island to Het Oerd nature reserve, which is included in the WHS area. It is possible to enter the reserve on foot by following the Wadden Sea from an observatory. There is also a huge beach to the northwest of this observatory overlooking the North Sea, which is very impressive when the tide is low, as the water is so far out on the horizon. There was a warden there, so we thought that when the tide is in, you'd better be able to run well! We saw quite a few birds both on the banks and in the meadows of the island, to our great delight.

This excursion will undoubtedly remain in your memory for a long time: the colors of the vegetation, the sky, the passing clouds and the showers, the sand and the water are of a subtlety that you don't find on the Belgian coast, and you are often alone to admire it. And how changeable the landscape is: low tide is nothing like high tide. This permanent change in the landscape is very impressive for those who have never seen it, with the birds coming and going in the mudflats as they are revealed...

We were so delighted with our visit to the island that a few weeks later we decided to extend our exploration of this UNESCO site to the Lauwersmeer National Park in the far north of Friesland, The Nederland, in the hope of seeing more birds there, such as spoonbills for example? Note that the park itself is not in the listed area. This should not prevent you from touring it by bike: there are observation towers everywhere and the cycle paths are completely safe. It is possible to buy a map of the park with the cycle paths and trails marked on it. We bought it at the Lauwersoog campsite, which is very quiet and has a friendly atmosphere in the restaurant.

The Wadden Sea itself lies beyond the dike that forms the Lauwersmeer, with the island of Schiermonikoog in focus, which is also accessible by ferry.

In conclusion, the invigorating air of the Wadden Sea and the observation of the landscapes and animals will definitely get you back in shape for another WHS visit!