EuroParcs Texel

The colourful collection of artefacts at the Shipwreck and Beachcombing Museum Flora (10 minutes’ drive) includes lifesavers, beach balls, liquor bottles and plenty more besides – all collected after they washed up on the island's beaches. There's also an open-air area displaying stranded ships. De Slufter (15 minutes), one of the island’s 40 nature reserves, is home to large populations of wading birds and gulls. In the summer months, this area of creeks directly linked to the North Sea becomes a vast meadow of lavender. Another popular destination for birdwatching is the Waalenburg polder (10 minutes). Are you ready to climb the 118-step spiral staircase inside the 19th-century Lighthouse Texel (20 minutes)? You might be out of breath when you get to the top – and not just because of the exertion, but also for the spectacular views of the island, with its sandy beaches, polders and forests.