Ameland is one of the five inhabited Wadden Islands off the northern Dutch coast. It is smaller and quieter than neighbouring Terschelling, which is part of its charm — wide sandy beaches on the north side, mudflats and salt marshes on the south, and not much in between except cycling paths, dunes, and a handful of villages.
The four villages — Hollum, Ballum, Nes, and Buren — stretch along the island from west to east. Nes is the main one, where the ferry from Holwerd on the Frisian mainland arrives. At low tide, guided mudflat walks take you out across the Wadden Sea floor — a strange and unforgettable experience.