Spending the summer on Texel? Then you can enjoy festivals, markets, boat trips, exhibitions, food and drink tastings, local ice cream and lots more fun things to do. Here are our tips!

Summer festivals

SomPop (4 July) is one of the biggest festivals on the island! At the festival site around De Waal, you can catch performances by young, up-and-coming bands brimming with talent. A variety of genres are played, such as rock, hip-hop and even traditional Dutch folk songs. SunBeats (11 July) at Paal 17 is all about dancing the night away with a drink in your hand, under the blazing sun with a refreshing sea breeze. The music is spun by both well-known Dutch and international DJs. At the Beach Food Festival (17–19 July) in the harbour of Oudeschild, you can enjoy delicious food on a blanket on the grass with music in the background. Top chefs from Texel prepare the food right in front of you over the course of three days. Every summer, Strandpaviljoen Twaalf hosts Sunny Side Up (24 and 25 July): a party featuring all sorts of different music styles, including house, afro and techno. If you want to celebrate the end of summer, you need to be in De Koog at the end of August. During the End of Summer Festival (28 and 29 August), you can head to various cafés in Dorpsstraat for live performances and DJs in a tropical atmosphere.

Summer markets

In the summer, you can visit markets in almost every village. Here you can shop for art, local produce, clothing – you name it! There is often entertainment and fun activities for children too. Here are the markets for the coming summer: Summer Market in Den Burg (every Wednesday from 1 July to 26 August, except Wednesday 8 July due to the fair), Durpermarkt in De Cocksdorp (selected Saturdays from 2 May to 12 September), Summer Market at the Maartenhuis (Wednesday 22 July), Summer Fair at De Krim (Sunday 12 July and Sunday 23 August), Hoornder Thursday (every Thursday in July and August), Harbour Market in Oudeschild (in June, July and August, every Friday), HavenVIStijn in Oudeschild (Saturday 8 August), Koger Tuesday (every Tuesday from 30 June to 25 August).

Seal-watching trips

Several seal-watching trips depart daily from Texel. For example, join the comfortable TX44 Wadden Cruise as it sails past the sandbanks and the naval port of Den Helder. The Vriendschap is the only passenger ship to sail between Texel and Vlieland within the UNESCO World Heritage Site. A unique trip with a 100% seal guarantee. The Anna is a safe, sustainable and somewhat smaller vessel. She is captained by Frido, a true fisherman who knows the waters around the island like the back of his hand. Step aboard Het Sop and sail with a small group to see the seals off the coast of Texel. Het Sop is not a large boat and can therefore navigate the shallows close to the animals. On board the ship De Vrijheid, you will sail to a unique sandbank where you can spot seals. On the way, the skipper will share interesting facts about Texel and the Wadden Sea. For the more adventurous, there is the Bruuzer. This RIB boat offers a fast and exciting trip to the spots where the seals hang out. Perfect for anyone looking for an adrenaline rush.

Beach Camp

Are you crazy about the beach, the sea and water sports, and aged between ten and sixteen? Then Beach Camp Texel is just the thing for you! Enjoy a fantastic week on Texel, take part in the best board and beach sports, and make holiday friends. You will learn various water sports, such as surfing, coastal rafting, SUP (stand-up paddleboarding) and surf kayaking. Beach camp Texel also covers a range of cool wind and beach sports, including power kiting, archery, disc golf, skimboarding and beach volleyball. All under the guidance of experienced and certified instructors, of course. Five days packed with fun! The Beach Camps Texel weeks are offered over six weeks during the summer holidays (between 14 July and 22 August).

Art on Texel 2026

From April to September, discover Texel’s diverse art scene during Art on Texel 2026. Once again this year, the Texel CultuurEiland Foundation is organising special art routes taking in galleries, exhibition spaces, home studios and other surprising art venues across the island. This offers an accessible way to explore the wide variety of art on Texel. During this period, there are around 30 different locations to visit. The routes are clearly laid out and easy to explore by bike. See the guide for more information.

Texel Landscape Exhibition

From 10 June to 6 September, you can admire the Texel Landscape at Galerie Posthuys. Here you will see works by artists from Texel and the mainland who draw inspiration from the Texel landscape. New collections are regularly added to the exhibition, which runs throughout the summer.

Texel ice cream

On Texel, delicious ice cream is made using local produce. Labora Ice Cream Farm near De Cocksdorp uses fresh milk and cream from its own dairy cows, which graze happily in the meadows, and as many Texel products as possible. At the ice cream farm, you can take a look around the barn, but there is also a bouncy castle and a meadow with deer. Close to Den Hoorn, you will find Novalishoeve. A farm with a café, bakery, edible garden, shop, cheese dairy and ice cream workshop! At Novalishoeve, fresh ice cream and sorbet are made using milk from their own cows. All the ingredients used are organic. Bakker Timmer also makes its own ice cream from fresh milk from Texel cows. They also use other local ingredients, such as strawberries and biscuits from their own bakery. The ice cream is sold in the shop in Den Burg on Hogerstraat and in Oudeschild.

Sheep Farm

Animal lover? Then pay a visit to Texel Sheep Farm. There is plenty to do at this farm. The young lambs lie together with their mothers in open pens, so you can see them up close. In the petting corner, children can hold guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens on their laps. You will also find goats and older lambs in the large barn that you can stroke. With sheep herding demonstrations, pony rides, a coffee corner, a large playground with a bouncy castle and a farm shop selling its own produce, this is a complete day out for the whole family.

Texel Beer Tour

On the Texel Beer Tour, you will visit two Texel breweries and a tasting room! You start at the Texelse Bierbrouwerij, the brewery where the famous Skuumkoppe beer, among others, is brewed. As well as a guided tour, you will of course be treated to a tasting platter featuring some of the special beers brewed here. You then head to De Boei Brewery in Den Hoorn. The brewer will enthusiastically tell you all about the brewing process and the beers produced at this small-scale brewery. You also get a glimpse of the adjoining distillery. You round off the Beer Tour at Proeflokaal De Zwaan, right in the heart of Den Burg’s lively centre. Here, you will be treated to a tasting of beers from the three other breweries, accompanied by some tasty snacks.

Guided tour of the vineyard

Love wine and want to learn more about it? Wine is also made on Texel. De Kroon van Texel vineyard regularly opens its doors to visitors and organises guided tours and tastings. You learn, among other things, about the vineyard’s origins and the winemaking process. The tour ends on a high note: with a wine tasting featuring three Texel wines. Tours run from mid-May to the end of October, on Fridays and Saturdays.

Cycle around the island

With lovely sunshine and little wind, cycling is even more enjoyable. Hop on a bike to one of the activities mentioned above, or simply cycle a lap of the island. It is a good idea to book a bike before your holiday: that way, you can be sure the bike of your choice is available. There are various bike hire companies on Texel where you can find electric bikes, cargo bikes, mountain bikes, children’s bikes, tandems and much more. Another great idea: choose one of our cycle routes and download it for free from our website.

Have you not booked your summer holiday yet?