Full Itinerary and Tour details for
Wadden Sea 8-day Sail and Bike island-hopping Tour (MFF)
Prices starting from. Trip Duration. Max Passengers. 999 € 8 days 41
Start and Finish. Activity Level. Enkhuizen to Enkhuizen 1
Experience. Tour Code. Sail & Bike Tours Europe #B1/2577 Wadden Sea 8-day Sail and Bike island-hopping Tour (MFF)
some of its islands. It is a world with two faces, where sand and water dominate during the changeover from low to high tide and where islands of all sizes line up like pearls on a chain. There are tidal channels, seagrass meadows, mussel beds, sandbanks, mudflats, salt marshes, beaches and dunes.
The Frisian Sea is the habitat of marine mammals, such as seals and porpoises, and the breeding ground and wintering area for millions of birds. The area is one of the last remaining large-scale, low-tide ecosystems where natural processes continue to function. Furthermore, you will visit the famous (freshwater lake) IJsselmeer and its beautiful coastline with many fishing villages and old trading harbour towns.
Highlights:
The North Sea islands of Texel and Terschelling and their beautiful natural areas, small villages and long sandy beaches that you can explore by bicycle. Highlights on the coasts of the mainland in the provinces of North-Holland and Friesland are a combination of rural areas, small villages and picturesque harbour towns: a true “El Dorado” for cyclists. If you like, onboard, you may – instructed by the experienced crew – lend a hand during navigating and raising the sails. Sailing experience is not necessary. But of course, you are also very welcome to just relax and enjoy the sailing and scenery. Since the ships are very large (up to 55 meters/60 yards) Tour Details and Description and very stable, there is almost no risk of Sail and bike tours are something very special. Feel seasickness. If you still would like to take the freedom, the wind and salt on your skin! It’s a little precautions, we advise regular seasickness bit like discovering the seas and new areas as a medication. modern-day explorer. Aboard one of the most Accommodation: comfortable sailing ships, you will experience pure nature while enjoying water, sun and a stiff breeze on On the lower deck, there are fourteen comfortable the big inland lake IJsselmeer and the so-called cabins. Twelve twin cabins (9 m² – 97 sq.ft. ) with two “Wadden Sea”, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage single beds which can be set together, one junior biosphere reserve. During this Sail and Bike tour, you suite (11 m² – 118 sq.ft.) with two single beds which can explore the beautiful and unique Frisian Sea and
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can be set together and a small sitting area with a course absolutely up to you and no sailing experience flat-screen TV and one single cabin (6 m² – 65 sq.ft.). is necessary. In all the two-bed cabins a Pullman bed/fold-down bed can be arranged. Each cabin has an en-suite Included in the Sail and Bike bathroom with a shower, toilet and basin. All cabins Tour: have ventilation, central heating and portholes that • 8 days/7 nights can be opened. Furthermore, each cabin has a • Breakfast mini-safe and a hairdryer. • 5 x packed lunches & 1 x lunch on board The cosy lounge/restaurant area on the lower deck • 6 x 3-course dinner on board & 1 x packed dinner with wooden panelling and air conditioning and a nice • Coffee and tea on board till 4pm and warm atmosphere. From here you can reach the • Welcome drink wheelhouse on the upper deck, fitted with a large • Use of bed linen and towels seating area, a well-equipped bar, music & video • Daily cleaning of the cabin equipment and TV. The large, panoramic windows • Daily briefings by the crew offer a breathtaking view over the water. Wi-Fi is available. The wooden upper deck offers adequate • Maps and notes for cycling tours (1 set per cabin) seating, the steering unit, space for the bicycles, an • GPS tracks outdoor bar with a draught beer tap and a grill, and • Use of a waterproof pannier bag even a Jacuzzi. When the weather is nice you can • Wi-Fi relax here or enjoy the scenery while sailing. Not included in the tour: Important observations on the Sail and Bike • Drinks program: • Coffee and tea on board after 4pm • Bicycle rental or E-bike rental A little bit of adventure is a part of every Sail and Bike tour: the departure/arrival day and the location • Helmet rental Enkhuizen are a certainty, 100%. The planned daily • Personal insurances sailing routes are partially dependent on the strength • Gratuities (at your discretion) and direction of the winds and on the Wadden Seas • Entrance fees and excursions high and low tide. The skipper decides the best route • Fees for ferries to be taken day by day, and discusses the options • Transfers to/from the docking place with his guests. The crew does everything in its • Parking fees power to enable the program to run according to plan, to offer a fascinating, varied and active week as Notes: possible, in which nature and culture play a major part. It is, however, also possible that departure times • All distances are “approximate distances” of and the time spent on the water and even the order of recommended bike tours. the program itself may be adjusted. Enjoy the ride • The daily bike tours are individual, conducted at and let yourself be led by the elements! Whenever your own pace and without a tour leader. There possible, various passages will be undertaken fully are daily briefings on board and detailed bicycle rigged and anyone who would like to help the crew to maps and route notes are available. GPS tracks sail and steer the boat is welcome to do so. This is of will be sent to you 4 weeks before the start date of
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the tour. • During the days when 2 bicycle options are Itinerary possible, you can make a choice for the longer or the shorter option. • Not all mentioned highlights will be visited during the short bike option. Day 1 • In case you prefer a day of rest, you can skip the bike tour and relax on board while cruising to the Enkhuizen Embarkation and check-in where the crew next town. will welcome you onboard is from 2pm near the beautiful centre of Enkhuizen and close to the railway • On the arrival day is it possible to bring your station. After unpacking your luggage the skipper will luggage on board from 11 a.m. join you for an aperitif before giving you a rundown of Arrival/parking/departure: what to expect on the journey, details about the ship and also about safety measures to be taken on • Parking behind the NS-train station in Enkhuizen board. In the evening take a stroll through the is free, but can be very crowded historical centre of Enkhuizen, a quaint town that was • Departure Saturdays only the home of the Dutch merchant fleet during the Golden Age of The Netherlands. Enjoy your first night If you would like to rent a bike (85 EUR) or e-bike onboard in Enkhuizen on the western bank of the (185 EUR) helmet (10 EUR), please contact our lake IJsselmeer. office when booking: [email protected] Day 2
Enkhuizen – Medemblik 24km or 37km | sailing Medemblik – Den Oever – Texel Today you can cycle the first leg of the trip along the IJsselmeer coast through the beautiful polder landscape to Medemblik. After the cycling tour, the ship will sail further to Den Oever. Depending on the weather in the evening the ship will take the lock and sail across the Wadden Sea (part of the North Sea) to the island of Texel.
Day 3
Texel, roundtrip from/to Oudeschild 43km or 49km The island of Texel is a cyclist’s dream destination with its varied scenery, well-signposted cycle tracks and picturesque villages. Our suggestion is to complete a round trip cycling tour of the largest of the Dutch North Sea islands that takes you via a number of villages, the seal sanctuary station “Ecomare” and a traditional beer brewery near the harbour of
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Oudeschild. Harlingen – Franeker – Makkum 48km or 58km Via Franeker, with the famous planetarium of Eise Day 4 Eisinga, you cycle through the beautiful wide Frisian countryside along several rural villages to the small Texel – Terschelling | sailing about 5 – 6 hrs Today harbour of Makkum on the eastern bank of the lake you will enjoy sailing on your ship, when the tide and IJsselmeer. If you take the long cycling trip, you will the weather are right to the island of Terschelling. As also visit Bolsward, one of the Eleven Frisian Cities. you sail your way through the sandbanks of the Wadden Sea, keep a lookout for seals on the Day 7 sandbars. In the afternoon the ship will arrive on Terschelling island, which features a number of Makkum – Stavoren 32km or 49km | sailing to picturesque villages situated between the polder and Enkhuizen From Makkum you will cycle to Stavoren. sand dunes along its 30km expanse. While sailing The short tour leads you via the old trading town of you will enjoy an extensive lunch on board. No dinner Hindeloopen. This local art of painting a type of will be served tonight, to enable you to explore the traditional decorative painting is quite famous. Apart island, but you can make yourself a picnic meal or try from this, you’ll find the First Frisian Museum of Ice one of the beautiful restaurants at Terschelling (not Skating in Hindeloopen. The long tour runs along incl.). several Frisian lakes and shows you a different type of landscape. From Stavoren the ship will set sail to Day 5 cross the IJsselmeer to Enkhuizen in the late afternoon. Terschelling roundtrip | cycling distance of your choice | sailing Terschelling – Harlingen While the Day 8 previous day was all about sailing, today is all about cycling. Terschelling has plenty to offer cycle tourists: Enkhuizen End of your tour: Disembarkation after nature and culture, 70km of cycling tracks and 4 breakfast until 9.30am. The planned itinerary is beautiful villages. West Terschelling is the largest subject to change due to nautical, technical or village on the island and features a number of lovely meteorological reasons and other unforeseen shops and pubs. The standout landmark on the island circumstances. If there is low or high water and a is the 400-year-old lighthouse “Brandaris” that can be route cannot be shipped, the captain reserves the seen from well off in the distance. Also worth visiting right to change the route in view of your safety (this is the heathland of “Boschplaat” which will captivate cannot be accepted as a reason for free withdrawal). you with its mud, beaches and dunes. You might even spot ducks, black-winged stilts, large colonies of spoonbills and great black-backed gulls. After a day of cycling, you can relax in comfort once you have arrived back on board. In the late afternoon the ship will cross the Wadden Sea sail to Harlingen, the most important harbour city of the province of Friesland.
Day 6
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