DUTCH ISLAND HOPPING
EXPLORE THE DIVERSE WADDEN ISLANDS
DUTCH ISLAND HOPPING - SELF GUIDED CYCLING TOUR SUMMARY Created by the meeting of two oceans, the mud flats and vast sandy beaches of the Wadden Islands (a UNESCO world heritage site), offer a flat and diverse backdrop to your Dutch cycling adventure. Your trip begins in Leeuwarden, home of De Oldehove tower (which leans even more than the leaning tower of Pisa), before quickly heading to your first stop on the one village island of Vlieland. As only locals are permitted to drive on Vlieland, peaceful and virtually traffic free cycling awaits you. Cycle paths paved with crushed sea shells lead you through pine tree woods, yellow sand flats, windswept dunes and alongside wide sandy beaches. Pine trees were planted at the beginning of the 20th century to soak up the rain water, dehydrating the ground and preventing the island from drifting away!
Being a breeding area to over 12 million birds and also home to seal colonies, the Wadden Tour: Dutch Island Hopping Islands are a wildlife enthusiasts dream. The second island on the itinerary, Terschelling, Code: CHSDIH boasts 70km of cycle tracks and provides ample opportunity to explore the windswept polders Type: Self-Guided Cycling Holiday Price: See Website of this remote part of the Netherlands. Due to a lack of timber on the island most farms and Dates: April – Beginning October barns are made from masts from the many shipwrecks surrounding the shores. At the end of a Nights: 6 hard days cycling reward yourself in one of the many restaurants and cafés in the village of Days: 7 West-Terschelling and delight your taste buds with locally produced fresh and fruity cranberry Cycling Days: 5 wine! Start: Leeuwarden Finish: Leeuwarden This popular trip allows you to witness the resourcefulness and island lifestyle combined with Distance: 140km (miles) Grade: Easy to Moderate wonderful and peaceful cycling across the unique phenomenon which is the Wadden Islands. Macs adventure offer a 6 night itinerary which includes overnight accommodation staying at IS IT FOR ME? 3/4* hotels on bed and breakfast basis, the three ferry trips, door to door bag transfers, a Visiting the unique Wadden Islands allows you to witness its vast yellow sand flats and detailed info pack, route notes and a map for the group leader. vast array of wildlife while enjoying the warm hospitality and incredible resourcefulness of the islanders. This is a gentle cycling trip HIGHLIGHTS which still allows you to indulge your adven- turous side.
WHAT’S INCLUDED? Relaxed cycling on flat roads and cycle paths paved with crushed shells Accommodation: 6 Nights accommoda- Exploring the Wadden Islands, a unique UNESCO World Heritage Site tion in 3/4* hotels. Excellent bird watching opportunities Meals: 6 Breakfasts . Dinner is not in- Pedalling past the mud and sand flats cluded but can be added as an option After a long days cycling savouring some local cranberry wine Baggage Transfer: Door-to-door baggage transfer.
Bike Hire: Not included but we can ar- WHY CHOOSE A SELF GUIDED WALKING HOLIDAY WITH US? range this for your cycling holiday and is an option on the booking form. Information Pack: Comprehensive route directions, information pack and maps. DUTCH ISLAND HOPPING
EXPLORE THE DIVERSE WADDEN ISLANDS
DETAILED DESCRIPTION resting place for sunbathing seals. In this Wadden dike, the Dutch Shallows with mudflats conservation area biodiversity is very rich. teeming with life at low tide. Dune biotopes are especially exciting because of their ever- Day Route Vlieland is the most pristine of the Wadden changing nature under the influence of wind and Islands, populated by just one village. Only the water: the landscape is transforming under our 1 Arrive in Leeuwarden locals are permitted to drive on this island very noses. Trek over to see a wet dune valley or 2 Cycle to Vlieland: 42 km dominated by lovely woods, yellow sand flats, the salt marshes of Boschplaat nature reserve in 3 Cycle round Vlieland: 20 km windswept dunes and wide beaches. You could the east. The island has many good quality bike 4 Cycle to Terschelling: 5 km not wish for a better cycling destination! 5 Cycle round Terschelling : 30 km tracks. 6 Cycle to Leeuwarden: 47 km Day 3 7 Onward Travel Shoppers will enjoy the villages of West Cycle round Vlieland - 20km/12m Terschelling and Midsland where you’ll find a pleasant array of boutiques and shops including Pull on your walking boots or hop back on your some selling local produce such as sheep’s Day 1 bike and get moving. Quiet and peaceful Vlieland cheese, cranberry wine and sallowthorn jam. is the most remote of all the Wadden Islands. Arrival in Leeuwarden Day 6 Go to De Noordwester Information Centre for Today is the first of seven unforgettable days. everything you want to know about the island Cycle to Leeuwarden - 47km/29m You will journey to Leeuwarden (“Ljouwert” in and Wadden Sea. This is also where you can Catch the ferry back to mainland Friesland and Frisian dialect), capital of the northern province book one of the numerous 1.5 hour excursions take a slightly different route back to the city of of Friesland. Once you have left your luggage in led by nature guides (it is advisable to contact Leeuwarden. Pass through villages with Frisian your room, go for a stroll through this proud city. the centre beforehand). In the village, the long, names that sound weird to regular Dutch ears, Many of the streets slope slightly which is tree-lined high street offers shops, restaurants, such as Arum, Achlum, Herbaijum and Deinum. because the city was built on three manmade cafes and contagiously happy holidaymakers. Once again you can make a halfway stop at dwelling mounds in the Middle Ages. The city is lovely Franeker before ending the day back in loved for its successful mixture of contemporary Day 4 Leeuwarden. architecture and numerous historical sights. Cycle to Terschelling - 5km/3m Don’t miss De Oldehove, this unfinished leaning Day 7 tower has dominated the skyline for centuries Catch a ferry to the isle of Terschelling (Skylge, and is in use as a belvedere. in Frisian dialect), the largest of the five Wadden Onward Travel Islands and home to 4700 islanders. In a string of Day 2 Today your cycling holiday comes to an end. But villages stretching west to east you’ll find many not before you have enjoyed another big hearty opportunities to interact with the island culture: Cycle to Vlieland - 42km/26m breakfast at your hotel. After breakfast, it’s time visit one of seven museums or wander round the to go home. On route to Harlingen you will encounter unspoilt lovely houses with characteristic facades, old countryside and fascinating traces of history in “It churches and Brandaris Lighthouse. The largest Terpelân” (the land of terps – manmade dwelling village, West-Terschelling, is abuzz with people mounds). The conviviality of town will give way to visiting restaurants and cafes. endless meadows and villages. Make a stop at lovely Poptaslot country house and go back in Day 5 time in the charming town of Franeker. At the picturesque harbour town of Harlingen, you will Cycle round Terschelling - catch the ferry to the isle of Vlieland and a 30km/19m different world. The Wadden Sea is an intertidal Terschelling has seven habitats: the North Sea, area so at low tide vast mudflats emerge wide beaches, young dunes, gray older dunes, providing vital foraging grounds for waders and a birch woods, open polder and finally, beyond the DUTCH ISLAND HOPPING
EXPLORE THE DIVERSE WADDEN ISLANDS
HOLIDAY INFORMATION TRAVEL INFORMATION Sensitive & Sustainable Additional Nights and Extensions Getting to/from Leeuwarden Macs Adventure has worked hard to ensure that our holidays are sensitive to the community you You can add additional nights at any point By Train are visiting and sustainable over the long term. before, during or after your tour. Leeuwarden can be reached via a direct 2.5 hour Accommodation train from Amsterdam. The train leaves every 30 minutes. Please see NS trains for availability and PRICE AND AVAILABILITY The Dutch Island Hopping Tour includes 6 nights booking. in carefully selected hotels of 3/4 star standard. Availability Amsterdam By Air Single Rooms This cycling holiday is best enjoyed between Amsterdam Schiphol airport is served by direct April and the beginning of September. The tour is Single rooms are available although a flights from most major UK and European available to start on Saturday’s, Sunday’s or supplement is payable. airports. Monday’s. (This is due to the fact that the boats to the islands only run on 3 days per week.) Solo Cyclists Amsterdam By Train This trip is available with a solo supplement Amsterdam is linked with London, either via Paris Included: or Brussels (around 5 hours) by high speed train. 6 nights in 3/4* hotels Grade Visit Rail Europe for prices and booking. 6 Breakfasts This cycle tour is graded easy to moderate. The Travel Insurance five cycling days vary from 5 - 42 km in length. Daily luggage transport (1 bag per person/ Adequate travel insurance is a pre-requisite on max. 20 kg) Navigation all bookings Boat transfers We supply you with detailed route descriptions Detailed information pack with route notes, and maps as well as tourist information on all the M.A.C.S RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL maps and useful information. places of interest. 7 Day service hotline Baggage Transfer Minimise Impact & Maximise Benefit Excluded: Daily door to door baggage transfer is included in Our operating policies, office policies, holidays Drinks, snacks and lunches and dinners the price of your trip. We ask you to keep your and tours are all designed to minimise impact Travel to /from Leeuwarden baggage to a maximum of 1 bag per person and maximise benefit to the environment and Bike hire - May be booked as an option (maximum weight 20kg). local communities. Personal equipment Rental Bikes Action & Advocacy Travel insurance - Adequate travel insurance Bike hire is not included though may be booked We believe that by engaging our team and is a prerequisite on all bookings. as an option. clients in environmental and community projects Entrance fees to museums and attractions we can make a real difference. Helmets are not included as part of the optional Optional rental package and we ask that you bring your Carbon & Communities Additional nights accommodation own. Travel and our business activity does of course Single room supplement (if applicable) contribute to carbon output and climate change. Bike hire We have put several policies in place to minimise
our carbon footprint. Pre-book evening meals DUTCH ISLAND HOPPING
EXPLORE THE DIVERSE WADDEN ISLANDS
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