Horseriding

Texel is one of the few places in the Netherlands where a horse ride can take you through pine forest, over dune paths and out onto a wide North Sea beach within a single outing. Horseriding here is run by local riding schools and stables rather than by one central operator, and the island's own names include Manege Elzenhof near De Koog, Manage Kikkert, Paardenhotel Texel, Ruigehoogte, Eagles Ranch and Madura Texel. Which of them offers rides for visitors, and in what format, changes from season to season, so it is worth contacting a stable before you plan a day around it.

A typical guided ride for visitors lasts somewhere between one and two hours and is matched to the rider. Beginners are normally put on calm horses and kept to a walk on forest tracks, while experienced riders can ask about a longer route with a trot or canter where the ground and the rules allow it. Riding on the beach is the highlight for many people, but it is regulated: horses are only allowed on certain stretches and at certain times, particularly in summer when the beaches are busy with swimmers, and a guide will know where you may go. Helmets are standard, and sturdy shoes with a small heel are far more useful than trainers.

Texel suits horses well because so much of the island is open and quiet. Away from the main roads there are woods planted on former dunes, grassland dotted with sheep and, along the western side, the broad dune belt that forms part of the Dunes of Texel National Park. Riders who bring their own horse are also catered for, and several of the stables above offer boarding, which is why you will sometimes see visiting riders on the island's tracks. Reaching Texel at all means taking the ferry from Den Helder, a crossing of about twenty minutes, so owners with trailers should check booking arrangements for the boat ahead of time.

The ride works best outside the middle of summer, when the beaches and forest paths are less crowded and the light over the dunes is softer in the morning and evening. Spring brings lambs to the fields beside the tracks, and autumn tends to be calm and uncrowded. Wind is part of the experience on this island, so bring a windproof layer even on a mild day.

Horse riding combines easily with the other things Texel is known for. After a ride you can walk the beaches of Texel, visit the seals and the exhibitions at Ecomare, or climb the lighthouse of Texel. It is a good option for families with older children, for couples who want something unhurried, and for anyone who would rather see the island's landscape from a saddle than from a bicycle seat.