Texel surf is remoter than the beaches of the southern Netherlands. It takes you to the dune-topped Wadden Islands, where there are endless beach breaks largely suited to learners.
An introduction to Texel surf
Texel is probably the third best-known surf destination in the Netherlands after Scheveningen and Domburg. It’s got consistency because it sits in one of the most exposed corners of the Low Countries – think the North Sea to the north (obviously) and the English Channel opening up to the west. Sadly, the exposure here – most of Texel, which is an island – is just low-lying dunes that let winds from the east and the south brush over and play havoc with the waves.
The upshot? Texel surf is often favored by kitesurfers and windsurfers. They’ll be here in droves when there are warm southerlies pushing through. Cleaner days for us folk are rarer but do happen, especially when the winter storms have been kind and aligned the sandbanks along the main strands into something capable of throwing out A-frames with longer shoulders either side.
Don’t get to excited at the sound of those, though. Really, Texel is for whitewash and beginners. There are some great schools that capitalize on that. You’ll find them on the main promenade behind the beach. Oh, and the area is downright lovely in its own right. Off the board, you’ll be lazing on sandy Dutch beaches and walking boardwalks between wild dune scapes. Nice.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in the Netherlands
Texel surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Texel surf?
Where is Texel?
Texel is one of the exquisitely beautiful Wadden Islands, a string of sandy isles that poke out from the northern Netherlands into the North Sea. This corner of the country is much more rural and mush less developed than the more famous beaches around The Hague that offer surf further south. To get here, you’ll need to drive north from Amsterdam through sleepy coast towns and then cross over on the Den Helder-Texel ferry. The surf happens on the western and northern side of the island, which is the area that picks up the only direct swell.
Texel surf spots
Paal 9
The coast of Texel bends to face almost directly west down by Paal 9. With a NW swell in that can be amazing, because the shore here is also divvied up by breakwaters. They’ll produce nice bowly and cruisy right handers that peel diagonally against the beachfront into real shallow water. Consider bringing extra volume if you want to surf here, because the refraction around the end of the Wadden chain usually causes any groundswell to loose a lot of power. Mostly, it will be mushy windswell but there’s parking right there, so it’s not hard to breeze by for a wave check.
Paal 17
Paal 17 is the main access point to the central strand of Texel. It also happens to mark a spot in the long western beachefront that has arguably the best sandbanks of all. They usually form bowly, messy rights and lefts that break really unpredictably, but can very rarely glass out with a nice S wind and a steady groundswell from Scandinavia. Paal is the site of the main surf schools and kitesurf schools in Texel.
Noordelijkste punt van Texel
The northernmost point of Texel (or the Noordelijkste punt van Texel in the local lingo) has the ability to offer perhaps the most protected waves on the whole island. That’s because you can follow the sandbank in just a little to get cover from the Wadden Islands that lie to the north. It’s a great option in bigger NW swells, when the sets sometimes wrap in and offer decent left shoulder. There are some rips here though, so beware. Watch what the locals are doing before you paddle out – if there are any around, that is.
Where to stay when surfing in Texel?
For us, the key to a Texel surf stay is proximity to the coast. That can be a touch tricky here because there’s a national park barring the northern part of the island from development. But there are some really great choices that put you within an easy bike ride, drive or walk, plus one spot that’s smack dab by the waves…
Boutique Hotel Texel
The Boutique Hotel Texel is a recent addition to the line up of hotels here and it’s a doozy. It’s a stylish little number with a modern take on traditional Dutch architecture. The location gets you near the more consistent beaches beyond the dunes of the north shore. The onsite fireplace and classy bar make for a lovely welcome when you’re back off the wild winter waves of the North Sea, too.
Strandhotel Noordzee
There’s nowhere to stay that’s closer to the rolling waves than the Strandhotel Noordzee. One of the few Texel surf hotels that put you right on the beach, it offers the chance of wave checks simply by sticking your head out of the window. There’s a nice on-site bar, and the rooms are done out with a touch of Low Country traditional charm, though they are mainly contemporary.
Step-by-step guide to planning your Texel surf trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the Texel surf…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp. Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Rent a car. If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Texel?
We think the sweet spot for Texel surf is towards the end of the fall. The month of November in particular tends to bring the most regular NW swell from the North Sea and offer stiller S winds that can help keep the breaks cleaner. Summers are notoriously flat in these parts, so don’t bother with a surf trip to the Wadden Islands between June and August. Winter is the most consistent time of all, but will mainly be wild windswell that demands plenty of energy and thick rubber – a 4/3 at minimum plus booties and gloves.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
