Kamperland and Noord-Beveland (Wissenkerke, Colijnsplaat, Kortgene)
Kamperland has more of our houses than anywhere else in Zeeland. It sits between the Veerse Meer, a sheltered lake for sailing and paddling, and the North Sea beach at the Banjaard, a short cycle away. Colijnsplaat is a small fishing harbour by the Zeeland Bridge, which crosses the Oosterschelde to Zierikzee in a few minutes. Middelburg is about 20 minutes by car.
Best for: Families who want a sea beach and calm lake water nearby
Not for you if: You want a historic town on the doorstep: Kamperland is a holiday village.
Zoutelande, Westkapelle and Koudekerke (south-west Walcheren)
Zoutelande faces south-west, which gives it longer sun on the beach than most of the Dutch coast, and the dunes behind are high. Westkapelle sits behind a great sea dike with a lighthouse and a museum about the 1944 flooding of Walcheren. Koudekerke, Biggekerke and Grijpskerke are villages inland, and Vlissingen has a long seafront and the foot ferry to Breskens. Middelburg is around 15 minutes away.
Best for: Beach lovers who want the sunniest stretch of Dutch coast
Not for you if: You want calm water every day: this coast catches the westerly wind.
Domburg, Oostkapelle, Vrouwenpolder and Veere (north Walcheren)
Domburg is Zeeland's oldest seaside resort, with a small shopping street, beach pavilions and wooded dunes that Mondrian painted. Oostkapelle is quieter, with Westhove castle and woods nearby. Vrouwenpolder sits at the dam to Noord-Beveland and has a wide family beach. Veere, on the Veerse Meer, is a tiny harbour town with a vast church and old merchant houses.
Best for: Couples and families who want a classic resort with woods behind
Not for you if: You dislike crowds: Domburg's high street is packed on summer weekends.
Tholen, Stavenisse, Scherpenisse and Sint-Annaland
Tholen is the easternmost island, the closest to the rest of the Netherlands and quickest to reach from Rotterdam or Antwerp. The villages are small and practical, with marinas and dike paths along the Oosterschelde, which is a national park and good for seal and bird watching. Tholen town has old fortifications. Expect to drive about 45 minutes to the North Sea beaches.
Best for: Cyclists and walkers who want quiet dikes and marinas
Not for you if: You want a big surf beach: the shores here face the Oosterschelde, not the open sea.
Wemeldinge and Zuid-Beveland (Baarland, Wolphaartsdijk, Heinkenszand)
Wemeldinge is a harbour village where the canal through Zuid-Beveland meets the Oosterschelde, with a small beach and dive spots along the dike. Yerseke, the Netherlands' mussel and oyster centre, is around 15 minutes away. Wolphaartsdijk is on the Veerse Meer, while Baarland and Heinkenszand are farming villages near the Westerschelde. Goes is the shopping town, with a weekly market.
Best for: Seafood lovers and divers, with Goes and Middelburg close by
Not for you if: You want dunes and open sea: the beaches here are small and sheltered.
Renesse, Burgh-Haamstede and Brouwershaven (Schouwen-Duiveland)
Schouwen-Duiveland has broad dune beaches and woods behind Renesse and Burgh-Haamstede. The Brouwersdam is popular for kitesurfing and windsurfing, and Brouwershaven is a small harbour town on the Grevelingen lake. Zonnemaire is a quiet inland village. Zierikzee, the island's old harbour town, is a good rainy-day trip, and the Delta Works barrier at Neeltje Jans is close by.
Best for: Watersports, especially kitesurfing at the Brouwersdam
Not for you if: You want a quiet August: Renesse is a favourite with Dutch teenagers and young families.
Nieuwvliet, Breskens and Zaamslag (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen)
This strip of the Netherlands borders Belgium. Nieuwvliet is near the wide beaches of Cadzand, and Breskens has a fishing harbour and the foot and bike ferry to Vlissingen, which takes about 20 minutes. Zaamslag is inland near Terneuzen. Bruges is around 40 minutes by car, and Calais around an hour and three quarters. Choice is limited here.
Best for: Beaches close to Bruges and the shortest drive from Calais
Not for you if: You want to explore the rest of Zeeland: it is across the Westerschelde estuary.
