Frequently asked questions about beach on Texel

The Blue Flag is an international environmental award, granted annually to beaches and marinas that participate in the campaign and have proven to be clean and safe.

The goal of the Blue Flag programme is to continuously involve governments, entrepreneurs, and recreational users in the care for clean and safe water, beautiful nature, and a healthy environment. Holding a Blue Flag is a recognition of the efforts made by the beach municipality or marina operator in this area. For tourists, the Blue Flag is internationally the recognition and quality symbol for good beaches and marinas.

What are the criteria for the beaches?

• The bathing water is of excellent quality.
• The beach is kept clean.
• There are enough toilets and waste bins on the beach.
• Rescue materials and a first aid post are available on the beach.
• Information activities are organized to protect the natural environment of the sea, beach, and dunes.

More information: https://www.blauwevlag.nl/

Most shops, beach clubs, bars, terraces and restaurants remain open during the weekends in the low season. Many are also open throughout the week.

Each year the low season on Texel begins after the autumn holidays till the beginning of the spring holidays. Several shops, beach clubs and restaurants use this period to rebuild, renew or for vacation. As a result, during this low season period, not all stores are opened every day.

Furthermore there is no general period when all the restaurants, bars and shops are closed. All entrepreneurs determine the temporary closure individually. Therefore is there are, also in the low season, enough shops and restaurants opened for you to enjoy.

Yes, at most beach pavilions on Texel you can rent sunbeds, beach chairs, parasols and windbreaks by the day.

• Booking: usually you rent on the spot; on busy summer days it helps to arrive early or book ahead.

All local surf information (including surfing schools) can you find on our special page: https://texel.de/en/cat/surfing/

Up-to-date information on the bathing water quality at Texel is available on zwemwater.nl.

• Status: good (safe to swim), warning (swimming allowed, possible health risk), negative swimming advice and swimming ban.
• Bathing season: from 1 May to 1 October the province measures the quality at the official bathing sites.
• Out of season: there are no measurements; you decide for yourself whether swimming is safe.

For reasons of public safety, the use of barbecues – as well as any open fire, such as campfires, fire pits or grills – is strictly prohibited on the beach of Texel at all times.

Barbecues held indoors or on the terrace of a beach pavilion are exempt from this rule and allowed, provided they are arranged in consultation with the respective pavilion.

Yes, some of the beach pavilions on Texel are open in winter as well, mainly at weekends.

• All year: year-round pavilions are often open in winter; seasonal pavilions are taken down.
• Tip: check the opening hours with the pavilion beforehand.

All information about horse riding on the beach or in the environment (including local riding schools) can be found on the riding page: https://texel.de/en/horseback-riding.php

As far as we know, Strandpaviljoen Paal 17 near De Koog rents out beach cabins.

• Tip: check availability with the pavilion beforehand.

Yes, there are two naturist beaches on Texel.

• South: west of Den Hoorn at the Hoornderslag, near Paal 9.
• North: near De Cocksdorp, between beach poles 26.4 and 27.4, south of Paal 28.
• More information: an overview of all naturist beaches is available from the Naturisten Federatie Nederland.

Display Nudistenstrand Texel
on the map

• On the guarded beaches on Texel are only leased dogs allowed during the period March 1 till September 1. More information on: the Dogmap of Texel
• Outside these abovementioned time periods are dogs (both free-running and leashed) allowed on the beaches of Texel.

Please read the information boards carefully, which are at each beach (entrance).

Yes, on Texel you can borrow a beach wheelchair during the beach season.

• Paal 9: Hoornderslag 8, Den Hoorn, tel. +31 222 319 309.
• Paal 12: Jan Ayeslag 2, Den Hoorn, tel. +31 222 319 737.
• Paal 15: Fonteinsweg 5, Den Hoorn, tel. +31 222 314 847.
• Paal 17: Ruyslaan 94-98, De Koog, tel. +31 222 317 614.
• Paal 20: Badweg 204, De Koog, tel. +31 222 317 604.
• Paal 28: Krimweg 660, De Cocksdorp, tel. +31 222 316 537.
• Kaap Noord (Paal 33): Volharding 4, De Cocksdorp, tel. +31 222 316 340.
• Season: usually from June to September.
• Booking: call ahead, the number of chairs is limited; use is often free.
• Use: for beach and sea only; you need someone to push.

No, the dunes on Texel are off limits outside the paths.

• Why: the dunes protect the land from the sea and are almost everywhere a protected nature reserve; walking on them damages the vegetation.
• Allowed: Walking and cycling on the marked dune paths.
• Nature: picking plants and disturbing animals is prohibited by law.

As far as we know, yes: amateurs may search with a metal detector on the beach on Texel.

• Rules: heritage law, weapons law and the local bylaws (APV) also apply on the beach; valuable finds must be reported to the municipality.
• Municipality: Texel belongs to the municipality of Texel, which can ban detecting through its bylaws; if in doubt, check the current rules.
• Dunes: searching in the dunes is prohibited, to protect nature and the sea defences.
• Tidy up: always fill in any holes you dig.

Yes, the beach on Texel is free to access.

• Costs: for example parking and renting a sunbed, windbreak or beach cabin.

Sometimes: for a few short periods a year the air force trains over and around Texel, mainly outside the high season.

• Noise: how much you hear on the beach or in the village depends on wind direction and strength, among other things.
• Schedule: the Ministry of Defence announces exercises on its flight movements page (in Dutch).
• Complaints: via the Ministry of Defence noise complaint form.

For reasons of public safety, the use of barbecues – as well as any open fire, such as campfires, fire pits or grills – is strictly prohibited on the beach of Texel at all times.

Barbecues held indoors or on the terrace of a beach pavilion are exempt from this rule and allowed, provided they are arranged in consultation with the respective pavilion.