Does everything on the island of Texel slow down in the autumn? The hustle and bustle of the high season is behind us, so it seems. An island at rest? This is relative. The ferry sails of course and the island also welcomes its guests in the autumn with all love. The perfect season to rest here, while the temperature is still fine for exploring the island. For us, this is a reason to visit Texel now and to discover the island tranquillity for yourself.
Texel is the largest of all the Dutch Wadden Islands and belongs to the province of North Holland. It has 7 villages. More than 30 kilometres of sandy beaches. More than 130 kilometres of walking routes and cycle paths. Approximately 40 nature reserves. A lot of nice restaurants, boutiques and shop addresses. The boat sails every day from Den Helder and the crossing takes about 20 minutes. You can cross over by bicycle, car, motorbike or as a pedestrian. We take the car. GWe enjoy the view outside and the holiday feeling immediately takes hold of us.
After arriving on the island, we drive to our hotel at our leisure and 20 minutes later we step into Boutique Hotel Texel. On paper a real Listed residence, about which they themselves say the following: "Wake up rested with a view over the farmlands, dunes and towards the Wadden Sea? Relaxing in Spa Woolness or in a superior suite with private terrace and sun shower? Our family hotel offers the best of three worlds: 45 luxurious rooms & suites, fresh local dishes and a unique Woolness Spa. All this in the middle of the island of Texel, a stone's throw from De Slufter & De Muy nature reserves and 4 km from the seaside resort of De Koog and the water village of De Cocksdorp". We are going to experience it with pleasure.
What a warm welcome and that we are going to relax here we feel immediately. Partly because of the eco-chic, warm, quiet and homely atmosphere inside and outside by the ever-changing landscapes of the island. The lounge bar has a relaxed atmosphere and the fireplace is burning nicely. The hotel is located in the middle of the countryside overlooking the fields. This is where the potatoes and vegetables grow, which they process in their own farm after harvesting and then serve in Gusta Restaurant. So nice and good to know: the farm and the hotel generate their own energy.
We start our stay by the fireplace in the lounge bar with a glass of port and delicious beetroot croquettes. There are fine wines on the menu, as well as an island beer brewed from their own barley and a TX Gin tonic, distilled from their own potatoes. Want to relax even more? Then book one of the Woolness treatments. Choose a wool bath like us and relax in a cot made of Texel sheep's wool. Exclusive and genuine Texel. Or, for the enthusiast, book a yoga lesson.
You can spend the night in one of the seven types of rooms. Whatever type you choose, you will always dream away on a lovely box-spring bed and under a real Texeler quilt. It has a nice bathroom, flat screen TV, air conditioning and coffee and tea are ready for you. There is always a luxurious bathrobe waiting for you and you can leave your own slippers at home. And how nice, access to the swimming pool and spa is always included.
For a gastronomic highlight, this is the place to be. At Restaurant Gusta they live with the seasons, each season has its own menu. They attach great importance to their own cultivation and local products. Ingredients from their own farm form the basis and in cooperation with local suppliers they combine their passion. And you can taste that! They are proud that Gusta can be called a Dutch Cuisine restaurant. They contribute to the objective of Dutch Cuisine: promoting the Dutch kitchen and food culture.
Interesting to get a glimpse: "Taste the passion, Feel at home & Celebrate the day! A lifestyle that Arnoud & Gusta Marie Langeveld have always stood for. That is why in 1965 they started Hoeve Nieuw Breda next to their farm. Days were spent in the fields and in the kitchen to provide their guests with the most delicious potatoes and vegetables. Today, the crops from their own farmstead Hoeve Nieuw Breda still reign supreme in the local cuisine. Together with other products from their own island and country, they form the basis. They call this the 'onion philosophy', in which the inner ring of the onion, the heart, is closest to us and from here they work outwards. In the "onion", the potato is the heart. The potato combines the best properties a product can have: It is a nutritious ingredient and is sustainably grown. It is healthy and a culinary jack-of-all-trades. That is why they have given the "ordinary" potato a sexy outfit. No complicated menu but simply: different, regional, sometimes classic and a little exotic. Here, the potato gets the leading role and is the star of the restaurant. They also want to get the potato out of its negative corner. The potato is not bad, fattening or boring. Just the opposite! The potato is very tasty, contains few calories and is gastronomically versatile and tasteful. What more could you want?"
We do indeed wake up rested and enjoy a beautiful view of the rising sun. There is no better way to start the day than with an extensive breakfast (buffet). Stressed already? Almost, because the choice here is huge. If you want to stay a bit longer, order breakfast in bed and for extra luxury, just order a glass of champagne with it!
We have calmed down enough for now. So it's time to get a breath of fresh air, to genjoy the sound of the waves and discover the island. Texel inspiring and fun? Yes, it is! There are 7 villages. More than 30 kilometres of sandy beaches. More than 130 kilometres of walking routes and cycle paths. About 40 nature reserves. And a lot of surprising catering establishments, boutiques and shopping addresses.
We are happy to share our Listed tips:
Visit the Texel beer brewery and taste the island. Would you like to know everything about the brewing of the twelve special beers? Then book a Texel Experience. They are proud of their island and their beer and are happy to share this enthusiasm. After a total experience of approximately 45 minutes, you will end up in the Tasting Room with a tasting board of various Texel beers and matching snacks.
Go on the road with the Tessel's Oyster Man! Oysters are easy to find on the Wadden Sea of Texel, but you have to know where to look. During an approximately 1.5-hour oyster tour, oysterman Martin Zeeman will show you that oysters, cockles and periwinkles are for the taking along the Wadden Sea side of Texel. During the tour, the oyster is explained to you and while enjoying a glass of bubbly, there is of course time to taste extensively. Please note: this excursion has a minimum of ten participants. In case of too few participants or bad weather, we will inform you at least 2 hours beforehand whether the excursion can take place.
Walking Exploring Texel is real enjoyment. With so much natural beauty and a beach that is more than 30 kilometres long, you have come to the right place. We enjoyed it! Fancy bicycles? Rent a bike at Boutique Hotel Texel and ask the team for the best routes. A nice place to store your bike for a short or long time is Beach pavilion Cape North. From the terrace, you can see the wooden hippy jetty from where the boat to Vlieland departs (the jetty was closed during our visit). Inside, the hanging chairs by the stove and the many sheepskins complete the relaxed atmosphere.
Whether you like birds or not, with more than 300 bird species, Texel is the best place in the Netherlands for bird watching. Due to its location on the border of the North Sea and the Wadden Sea, Texel is the ideal place for migratory birds. Are you a real bird watcher? Then visit the various bird huts. But of course, there is much more to nature to find. For such a small island, Texel has a lot of green. The nature on Texel is unique because of the many different landscapes. A colourful dune area, dense pine forest, heathland, long beaches and the mudflats. But also the fields, meadows and polders. There are 14,000 sheep on the island, you see them everywhere. The Texelaar is the island's own breed. The seals are the symbol of the Wadden Sea. Large groups live off the coast of Texel. And Scottish Highlanders graze in the Bollekamer and De Geul nature reserves of National Park Dunes. According to Staatsbosbeheer, the Highlanders help to reduce the overgrowth in the dunes.
Time for some adventure? Texel Active is the destination for tough (beach) sports! Go block carting, rafting or kayaking in the surf, off road e-skating or book a segway tour. Both for small and large groups.
Texel is bursting with beautiful and special museums. About the war, culture and fishing. Get to know, for example, VOC finds and VOC ships at Cape Skil eand unique museum that received awards for its architecture. Or imagine yourself in 't Whalers House in Den Hoorn in the time of the whalers, over 300 years ago. Whalers lived here for a long time. And be sure to experience the tough world of beachcombing at Beachcomber's Museum Flora.
Hungry? At Fish restaurant 't Pakhuus You will eat the most delicious fresh fish, shellfish and crustaceans and enjoy a fine view of the harbour of Oudeschild. Enjoy delicious dishes and fantastic wines in a relaxed atmosphere at Restaurant & Winebar RJ in de Cocksdorp. A menu with delicious burgers, meat dishes from the Texel farmer and healthy salads can be found at Vibes Foodbar. And Bakker Timmer (to be found in several places on the island) has the best cakes and biscuits on the island.
Haven't done enough yet? Go sailing, walk across the mudflats, book a boat trip and watch the seals, drink Texel's most popular herbal bitters: Juttertje, make the jump of your life during a tandem skydive, go on a guided tour with a forester, taste the Texel Food Forest in the pick-your-own garden, discover the island by touring on a nostalgic solex. …. Weather or no weather. You will always have fun on Texel!
And it's true! At Boutique Hotel Texel, you wake up feeling refreshed and it's the place to relax in an energy-neutral way, because that's what really recharges you! Here in the middle of Texel It's all right. We are proud to say that a new Listed pearl has been added to the Wadden! Curious? Get inspired on this page.
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