Go Mudflat Hiking Wadden Sea, The Netherlands – Walk in the Wadden Sea – UNESCO Heritage

‘At one point, when I looked back, I saw people crawling through the mud and sitting neck-deep in seawater. I will never forget this from my first time Mudflat Hiking Wadden Sea from Holwerd to Ameland. A unique experience!’

If you want to have a sporty and challenging day, you should definitely go mudflat hiking from Holwerd to Ameland! There are, of course, several routes possible, like to Schiermonnikoog, for example. In the years following this account, I have undertaken several mudflat hiking routes in the Wadden Sea. It remains a fantastic experience and is truly a must-do if you’re Dutch!

UNESCO Waddenzee

In the Netherlands, you have the Wadden Sea, which lies between the islands and the mainland. Due to the tides, low and high water, there are times during the day when the water is so low that you can simply walk over the seabed to one of the islands. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is therefore protected as such.

Preparation for mudflat hiking Wadden Sea

Make sure to wear well-fitting high-top sneakers. The so-called All Stars are perfect for this! I also always wore high socks that came up above the shoes and could be pulled up nicely. If you have a backpack, ensure that it is waterproof or make it waterproof. I always put everything in the backpack inside a plastic bag so that if it got wet, everything inside would stay dry (clothing, food, etc.).

Since the mudflat hiking is more strenuous than a regular hike, it’s a MUST to pack some energy bars or other food in your backpack for the journey.

I had heard about it often, but I had never done it until I was invited in 2015. Now the time had come, and I went along on an outing organized by my workplace. We departed with a whole bus full of people to Holwerd, Friesland, which was the starting point of the mudflat hiking trip.

Mudflat Hiking Wadden Sea – UNESCO Heritage

11K hike through the mud

The hike is approximately 12 kilometers long and takes about 3.5 hours. It is a moderately challenging trek suitable for hikers in good condition. Sometimes you walk through deeper water with more mud than at other times. Therefore, the difficulty greatly depends on the weather and the water level.

Your first steps onto or into the Wadden Sea

The first steps you take are quite strange. You step straight from the path into the muddy flats. With your nice, clean shoes, you step into the dirty, somewhat smelly sea mud. At first, you don’t sink in too far, but it doesn’t take long before you feel the mud creeping into your shoe. You start getting wet feet, you feel sand between your toes, and at one point, you even feel small pieces of shell in your shoe.

It is important to wear shoes that are slightly higher and to tighten them securely, along with wearing socks that go over them. This way, you can minimize the amount of mud that gets into your shoes. You’ll be walking in them for another 3 hours, and you can’t just take them off for a moment to get that annoying little shell out.

Mudflat Hiking in the Wadden Sea

Untill your waist in the water

When we were about halfway through the mudflat hiking from Holwerd to Ameland, it was quite tough. We were sinking up to our waists in the water, and our legs were deep in the sludge. Sometimes you really get stuck. I could feel my shoe being sucked in at the moment I wanted to pull it out. When I did that, I felt my other foot sinking further into the sludge. You really need to help each other to get out while keeping your balance.

Mudflat Hiking Wadden Sea – UNESCO Heritage

Hilarious moments too, of course; there you are with your foot stuck in the sludge, but I was also a bit afraid of falling backward or forward with my backpack on my back, where I had my clean and until then dry clothes. I had put them in a plastic bag, but still… you don’t want your bag to get wet and dirty with the chance of water seeping into it.

Getting that full experience 🙂

Crawling in the mud -Mudflat Hiking

At one point, when I looked back, I saw people actually crawling through the water and over the mud. Apparently, that was a way to avoid sinking into the mud. I couldn’t stand the thought of going down on my knees, so I just kept walking. It was tough, but for me, it was manageable, and it felt amazing to finally reach a sandbank!

I heard from many people that it was quite tough this year due to the deep water, which they generally haven’t experienced. So sinking down to your calves in the mud and getting a bit wet happens more often, but not as deep as we sank this time. Well, you have to experience everything once, and if we’re going to do it, let’s choose a more extreme day! I actually thought it was amazing and a real challenge!

Information Wadden Sea and Wadden area

While walking on the mudflats you will receive an explanation from the guide about the unique area in which you are walking. The flora & fauna in the Wadden Sea are unique and have a special place in nature. Every day the seabed is at the surface for hours, which means that unique plants and animals live there.

Be aware that there are crabs and other marine life everywhere under the mud, so be careful where you step?

The bottom of the Wadden Sea is full of cockles, mussels and oysters. This is an important food ground for many animals. Many birds also benefit from this.

The end of your mudflat hike is in sight.

At the end of the mudflat hike to Ameland there is a farm that has created water taps and changing facilities for everyone. To get there, you first walk about 2 km through the beautiful Ameland landscape!

Is mudflat hiking difficult?

As this report indicates, it can be tough. I have done mudflat walking several times over the years and it is different every time. It is tough to walk in mud and you have to pull your foot out of the mud almost with every step. This just takes a lot more energy to walk to the other side. Just keep in mind that it can be tough, so it can only be better!

The average price of a Mudflat Hiking Wadden Sea is around 20 – 30 euro. You can book them online and there you will see also if tours/days are good for walking or if the are cancelled. It really depends on the weather if it is good to walk. Planning far ahead with no badckup plan is not a good idea. If you want to make sure you can walk you should be able to have the ability to switch days.

Price and planning mudflat hiking to Ameland

The average price of a tour is €20 to €40. you can easily book them online. There you can also see whether a tour is being organized that day. It depends on the weather whether the tours will continue. Planning very far in advance is therefore almost impossible because there is always a chance that it will not go ahead.

Tips for Mudflat Hiking

Do take some clean and dry clothes with you. You need to put them in another plastic bag in your rucksack. If you do fall, or need to crawl, the clothes are still dry when you get to the island.

Your camera and phone and other valuables that can’t stand water need to be in a plastic bag also. There is a big chance you get wet after all.

Along the way there are different stops. You need to use these to eat and drink something. It’s not just walking, you really need to work on getting there and therefor you use a lot of energy. You need to regularly fill this to prefend you hit the wall and are to low on energy. You’ll need that to get to the other side.

Book your trip and check VisitWadden for all information. The website is only partially translated ..Hope you can get the info you need to book your adventure!

Are you walking to Schiermonnikoog? Then you will first be taken by boat to a sandbank and your walk will start there. You then step off the boat into the Wadden Sea, where your mudflat walking experience starts.

Nes – Ameland

Ameland is also a great small island to wander around. We entered the village of Nes and had something to drink and eat, what was really necessary!

We also took a nice short walk through the village. You can wander around and shop in the many tourist shops.

Stay on Ameland?

There are some great options in and around Nes on the island of Ameland. Would you like to stay in Nes itself? Check out Van Heeckeren studios

Or do you want to be directly next to the beach? That will be some 3 km from Nes. Check hotel Buren aan Zee

I walked the route again in 2018 and made a clip of the trail. Check it out to see wether you are up to it!

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