Camping Welgelegen Workum

Keen to crank up those kitesurfing skills? The strong winds and consistent waves of IJsselmeer provide several spots for doing just that. Depending on wind direction, Workum, Hindeloopen (both five minutes’ drive), Mirns (15 minutes) and Cornwerd (20 minutes) are all favourites with locals in the know. And it’s not just kitesurfing here – have a go at dinghy sailing or go extreme and try wing foiling too. No wind at all? No problem. Go paddleboarding on Fluessen lake (15 minutes), attempt the waterski course on Sneekermeer (half an hour) or rent a motorboat (10 minutes) to have a putter along the IJsselmeer shoreline dotted with pretty fishing villages. Those of you who prefer to do your exploring on terra firma can follow the Zuiderzee Route cycling route (10 minutes by bike) through pleasingly flat countryside dotted with windmills, or bike sections of the Frisian Eleven Towns Tour, taking in pretty canal-side towns packed with gabled buildings like Leeuwarden (two and a half hours) and Makkum (45 minutes).