Ouddorp: Dunes, Nature and Water Sports
Accommodation in Ouddorp
Ouddorp combines coastal landscapes, nature experiences, water sports and distinctive reminders of the region's history. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Ouddorp, you will find a variety of ways to spend your days here: walks through dunes and meadows, wildlife observation in valuable natural areas, activities at the Brouwersdam and excursions to windmills, a lighthouse or the RTM Museum.
File:Ouddorp Duinen Goeree en Kwade Hoek Northern part 1.jpg
Photo: Ymblanter via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Dunes, Beaches and Paths Around Ouddorp
The Duinen van Goeree are located near Ouddorp. In this extensive dune area, shifting dunes, mudflats, wide beaches and woodland alternate. Several hiking trails between 2.8 and 20 kilometres long, as well as various birdwatching points, provide opportunities for short walks and longer tours. The paved Middelduinweg runs through the Duinen van Goeree. You can obtain a bicycle junction map from the VVV Inspiratiepunt in Ouddorp.
Nature Observation in Volgerland and De Kleistee
Volgerland lies below the lighthouse of Ouddorp. Around 100 hectares along the inner edge of the dunes form an important natural link there as part of the ecological main structure. A five-kilometre hiking trail runs through the area, marked with white arrows and open from sunrise to sunset. At a viewpoint by a creek, you may be able to spot reed buntings, small reed warblers, little grebes, ducks and spoonbills.
Koudenhoek near Ouddorp also shows another side of the landscape: the extensive meadowland is crossed by remnants of old creeks. De Kleistee lies in the middle of Ouddorp and has particular historical value. The nature reserve preserves a remnant of the centuries-old landscape of sand embankments. During walks, special species of flowers bloom there in spring and summer; with careful observation, you may see colourful butterflies.
Water Sports and Varied Activities
At the Brouwersdam, you can go kitesurfing, windsurfing, foil surfing, sailing and stand-up paddleboarding. Ouddorp Duin lies behind the beach and dunes and offers shops, bicycle rental, a restaurant, a theatre, an ice cream parlour, an indoor playground and a play landscape in the dunes. There is also archery, laser tag, Archery Tag, golf surfing and power kiting, as well as a pump track for riding scooters, skateboards or BMX bikes.
Windmills, Lighthouse and Maritime History
The Westhoofd Lighthouse in the dunes near Ouddorp was built in 1947 and 1948 according to a traditionalist design by the architect G. W. Friedhoff. At the RTM Museum in Ouddorp, round trips by historic trams over the Brouwersdam to Scharendijke and back are offered by reservation. Admission to the museum is included in a regular tram ticket.
De Punt van Goeree is a 150-hectare dune area on the Grevelingen. The paths lead through extensive dunes and past a field full of orchids. The area also contains a bunker complex from the Second World War, which formed part of the Atlantic Wall built by the Germans. The private sculpture garden Achter De Westduinen in Ouddorp, on the South Holland island of Goeree-Overflakkee, combines art, nature and history.
The Molen De Hoop mill shop offers an extensive range of flour and meal produced at its own mill. Molen De Zwaan is a tall, elegant windmill that was used to mill compound feed until 1975. When the Blue Pennant is flying there, the miller welcomes visitors.
Which Holiday Apartment Suits Your Plans
The nature reserves, beach landscapes, water activities and cultural destinations make Ouddorp a place suited to holiday days planned in many different ways. Base your choice on whether you mainly want to combine paths through the dunes, nature observation, water sports or historical discoveries. For a comparison with another destination, you can then explore Goedereede.
Back to the higher-level travel overview: Goedereede.
