Meet the Dutch holiday island that’s an animal lovers’ paradise – with white sandy beaches & famous beer

THE UK is home to hundreds of beautiful islands, many of which are accessible to the public.

But holidaymakers may not realise that the Netherlands, less than an hour from the UK, has some that are just as stunning.

The largest Dutch island, Texel, is relatively unknown by Brits, but is popular with locals and German tourists.

So while people speak English on the island, you may need to brush up on your Dutch or German.

Despite being the largest of the Wadden island, it is just 5.5 miles wide, and 15.5 miles long, and has around 13,500 locals.

The unofficial capital is Den Burgh, the largest village on the island, which feels like a step back in time with quaint shops and cafes.

Foodies can try out Texel’s sheep cheese, with their sheep so popular that one sold for a whopping £367k.

Taking it even further, you can have a Texel woolbath spa experience – where you are wrapped in sheep’s wool for half an hour.

The island also brews amazing beer, with the best place to head being the Texelse bierbrouwerij for a local pint.

There are 18 miles of sandy beaches around the coastline, with the most popular being the white sandy beach De Koof.

The beaches in the west are open to dogs all year round, while the south beaches are much quieter.

Many of the quaint beach huts can be rented if you want a bit of shelter from the sea breeze too.

But the main tourist attraction is found in the north – the Eierland Lighthouse.

Built in the 19th century, the best views are found up the 150 steps, where you can even spot the island Vlieland on a clear day.

And there are lots for animal lovers to do too, with the island a haven for wildlife.

Ecomare, which launched as a refuge for sick seals, is now a huge nature centre.

And birdwatchers should head to the Texel Dunes National Park, with two hour guided tours.

While you can visit Texel for a day trip from the mainland, there are lots of places to stay overnight too.

This includes the Grand Hotel Opduin, which has its own heated pool, Hotel Texel and Strandhotel Noordzee, all of which can be found for under £130 a night.

There is the Op Oost boutique hotel, while the Design Hotel Texel Suites is right on the coastline.

Or if you fancy going back to nature, there are campsites and glamping tents you can rent too, costing around £30 a night.

To get to the island, recommends travelling with DFDS from Newcastle to Amsterdam, or P&O Ferries from Hull to Rotterdam, or Stena Line’s Harwich to Hook of Holland ferry service.

You can also get the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Amsterdam although the quickest way to get to the Netherlands is by plane, with flights from London taking just 55 minutes.

You can then get a ferry from Den Helder to Texel, taking just 30 minutes.

We’ve also found another tiny island you won’t have heard of – this time in Turkey.

Called “heaven on earth” by visitors, Bozcaada is mainly popular with locals.

If you want to stay closer to home, here’s a private island in Essex you can book overnight stays on.