Villas in Zeeland

Domburg and Zoutelande suit North Sea beach days, Kamperland suits families and sailing, and Tholen suits quiet dikes and cycling. Zeeland is flat, breezy and about two and a half hours' drive from Calais, so it works well by car from the UK.

Where

Villas: 444
From, per week: £272
Cheapest month: November
Nearest airports: Most UK visitors drive: Eurotunnel or the Dover ferry to Calais, then around two and a half hours to Walcheren via the Westerschelde tunnel. Stena runs Harwich to Hook of Holland, around seven hours, then about an hour and a half by car. Rotterdam The Hague and Antwerp airports are about an hour from Walcheren, Amsterdam around two. Eurostar runs to Rotterdam, with trains on to Middelburg and Vlissingen.

Where to stay in Zeeland

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.

When to go to Zeeland

July and August are the busiest months, when Dutch, German and Belgian school holidays overlap; the Ascension and Whitsun weekends in May and June are also busy. June and September are often the best balance of space and weather. This is the North Sea: the water is cool, wind is common and rain can come any month, so pack layers. Many beach pavilions stay open all year, and winter suits walking and cycling.