Zoutelande
The only Dutch beach that faces south rather than west, which makes it the warmest and most sheltered on the coast.
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The Dutch coast runs north-east to south-west and every beach on it faces roughly west into the prevailing wind - except at Zoutelande, where the corner of Walcheren turns the shoreline so the beach faces south. The consequences are practical: the dunes behind shelter it from the westerlies that make the rest of the coast cold, it gets sun from a different angle through the day, and it is measurably warmer and calmer than the beaches a few kilometres away, which is why it fills. It has a high dune belt behind it, a village of a few thousand and a strong German holiday trade - Zoutelande is well known in Germany, partly through a pop song about it that was a large hit there, which brought a further wave. The Westkapelle sea dyke is a few kilometres north-west and Domburg is beyond it.
What you actually see
- A south-facing beach - the only one on the Dutch coast, sheltered from the westerlies.
- Measurably warmer and calmer - the reason it fills when neighbouring beaches do not.
- A high dune belt - the shelter that makes the difference, directly behind.
- A German holiday trade - strong here, and boosted by a hit song about the place.
When to go
May to September. A day.
Honest expectations
Very busy in season precisely because of the aspect, and parking is charged and fills early. The village is small for the numbers it takes. The sea is still the North Sea and still cold.
Nearby
Westkapelle is north-west; Domburg is beyond it; Middelburg is inland.
What to pack for Zoutelande
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.