Netherlands > Nature Reserve 't Oerd

It’s Easter. At breakfast, there are boiled eggs on the table. The rest of the breakfast is similar to yesterday’s. Today, we are also allowed to take a packed lunch with us, which proved very useful during yesterday’s walk in the dunes. The plan for today is to follow the ANWB cycling route to the other side of the island. On the eastern side lie large nature reserves, including the salt marsh Nieuwlandsreid. At high tide, seawater regularly flows into this area, creating a unique flora and fauna. We follow the coastal cycle path along the salt marsh. The path rises and falls through the dunes. At the Spijkerpad, we stop for a while. We park our bikes and follow the walking path to the sea.

Netherlands - A boardwalk bridge over a piece of nature with brackish seawater

In this area, nature has been encouraged by re-excavating ponds. A wooden boardwalk runs over one of these ponds—fun to walk across. The endpoint of our bike ride is ’t Oerd, a nature reserve on the western side of the island. Here begins a walking route through the Oerd dunes. First, the trail leads to the lookout point. From a high dune, we can see ’t Oerd and, in the distance, the Ameland Beacon, a landmark for shipping. From the lookout point, we follow the blue signs.

Netherlands - Nature reserve t Oerd on Ameland

We’ll see how far we get, as boots are also recommended here. The walk runs between the North Sea beach and the beautiful row of dunes on one side, and the Wadden Sea and the salt marshes on the other. The area in between is a paradise for birds and lush vegetation. In some places, it is marshy. Carefully, we cross small streams, taking care not to slip. Without too much trouble, we arrive back at the starting point of the walk. From ’t Oerd, we cycle westwards again, following the signs to Buren. Along the way, we expect to rejoin the ANWB cycle route. It works: just before Buren, the route leads us toward Kooiplaat. At a terrace in this small hamlet, we order soup and drinks.

Netherlands - Cycling over the dike of Ameland

After lunch, we follow the Wadden Sea dike along the cycle route back to Buren. Compared to Nes, Ballum, and Hollum, Buren is not such a distinctive village. We quickly cover the final stretch to Nes, where we finish our bike ride at the Natural History Museum of Nes. In the museum, a video shows how the Wadden Islands have changed shape over the centuries. There is also an exhibition of the birds and animals found on the island. At the end, we take the lift to the viewing platform. From here, we can see Nes and our hotel—a beautiful end to the day. After the museum, we order drinks on a terrace in Nes. The weather has been beautiful all day. The restaurant looks perfect for dinner as well, but the only table available is from eight o’clock onwards. That suits us just fine.