On the island of Texel the virgin Frisian nature

Holland also has its favourite islands for summer holidays. There are fifty Frisian islands between Den Helder and Denmark's Esbjerg, recognised by Unesco as a World Heritage Site, with Texel, the largest of the Wadden Islands of the Netherlands, a popular choice for its thirty kilometres of coastline for cycling: at Koog, the Dutch dive in after chasing each other over the undulating dunes, shaded by dense forests where mountaineering is permitted, while at De Cocksdorp, walks are made to the red lighthouse. Ornithology enthusiasts should not miss the opportunity to penetrate the area of De Slufter, a brackish marshland rich in purple-flowered sea limonium in which numerous species of birds nest. The De Muy nature reserve will also appeal to botanists for the beauty of the wild orchids that dot the dunes, while the De Geul valley is home to the largest colony of spoonbills in the Netherlands. At Ecomare, the Friesian aquarium, you can see seals up close.