The island of Ameland

Ameland has 4 towns (from west to east) Hollum, Ballum, Nes and Buren. The ferry departs from the Frisian town of Holwerd to the ferry causeway near Nes. The crossing takes approximately 45 minutes.

Nature
Ameland has a typical island natural habitat; The North Sea beaches (wide sandy beaches), the dunes, woodland and heath on the north side. While to the south, the polder area with the towns and the Wadden dike. This area with its grasslands and cattle as well as the ever-changing mudflats (the Wad), has a wide variety of birdlife.
Het Oerd nature reserve is located on the east side of the island. This magnificent rugged area of dunes and marshland is home to the highest dune at 24 metres, the Oerdblinkerd. The area is largely accessible and only has partial restrictions in place during nesting season. The Eurasian Spoonbill, among others, is a visitor to this reserve.

The Ameland lighthouse is located in Hollum. Ameland has a golf course (near Hollum) and a small airfield (near Ballum), where it is possible to take sightseeing flights or go parachuting. It has several horse riding schools for the horse enthusiasts, authentic towns with ‘commander houses’ dating from the 17th and 18th centuries and pleasant shops and pub-restaurants.

Ameland in numbers
Ameland has approximately 3500 permanent residents. The island is 27km in length and has a 100km network of bicycle lanes and more than 1000 private holiday homes. Apartment complexes, group accommodations and hotels are found in the towns and spread across the island. There are also holiday parks with holiday homes and camping facilities for tents, mobile homes and chalets located near each of the towns. The towns also offer Bed & Breakfast accommodations as well as private rooms for rent. Check out the ´search mapÂ’ and view this convenient overview of the locations of the accommodations.

Ameland and its environs
The Wadden islands of Terschelling and Schiermonnikoog lie to the west and to the east of Ameland, respectively. To the north is the North Sea while the Wadden Sea is to the south. The Wadden Sea is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its high and low tide create a unique and ever-changing landscape, which is home to a wide-variety of rare plant and animal life.

Ameland and its weather
As with the rest of the Wadden islands, Ameland sees on average more sun hours than the rest of the Netherlands. The almost always ever-present wind scatters the clouds quicker than in the rest of the country. The island climate is soft summers and a long autumn.

How to arrange a holiday on Ameland

renting a holiday home

Which type of accommodation are you looking for and in which period? You can search on the desired type, desired period and amenities. For instance, whether it has Internet or whether pets are allowed. This site has an abundance of holiday homes available for rent on the island. Each accommodation has its own mini-site containing detailed information such as; location, floor plan, special features, photos of the interior as well as outside, accommodation details, current availability and prices. Last-minutes are also given, if there are any. You can request an accommodation directly using the request form on the mini-site. There are various selection criteria to find the right accommodation that you want. See the Search & Rent-tab for all the options.

More arrangements

Once you have found your accommodation, then you can start getting some arrangements out of the way, like the crossing (if taking the car, book on time), as well as renting the linens and/or some bikes. However, these should only be arranged once you have received confirmation of your reservation from the owner. See for more on this, the additional tab sheet of Ameland Vacation planner

To Ameland
You can take the ferry that departs from the Frisian village of Holwerd to the Wadden island of Ameland. The ferries ms Oerd & ms Sier of Rederij Wagenborg will take you to the island in approximately 45 minutes.

Arrival on Ameland
The ferries dock at the ferry causeway near the village of Nes. There are busses and taxis waiting to take you to your destination. It is also possible to rent a bike here.

To your accommodation on Ameland
The ferry causeway also has a tourist (VVV) information office, where you can get information about Ameland. Vacation accommodations in Nes are (just) within walking distance, for all other accommodations we recommend you go by car, bus, taxi or bike!