Camping de Vest, West-Friesland
Enkhuizen is a delightful town on the IJsselmeer’s western shores. At first sight Camping de Vest might appear unpromising in comparison with the town itself, as the entrance is not grand and the reception is but a hut, open only in the mornings. Appearances, however, are deceptive.
I reserved online 48 hours earlier and arrived while the reception was still staffed. It lies behind one of Enkhuizen’s dykes, along which runs a cycle/footpath. It is unfenced, so if you like top security this might not be the site to pick.
Despite this, the site felt very calm, safe and friendly. All pitches are flat and with electric hook-up. They are demarcated by peg with no hedges or other pitch borders. There are a couple of water points by reception. Sanitation is housed in essentially a cabin but was kept very clean and was not overstretched during my stay. Showers cost €0.50 (£0.43) for five minutes. WiFi was freely available around reception. There is no grey water disposal point.
Opposite the site entrance is a very pleasant, well maintained, quite formal municipal park that offers a gentle stroll if you don’t want to wander into town.
The very pleasant town centre of Enkhuizen is 800 metres away along flat, quiet roads. The town’s centre is surrounded by a delightful network of small canals and old cobbled streets.
Ninety metres away is the western edge of the Zuiderzee and the port has a delightful marina/harbour area with all the usual attractive amenities from which to observe the many boats and yachts entering and leaving.
It’s from here, at Tourist Information by the railway station, that you can buy tickets for, and sail to, the Zuiderzee outdoor ‘living’ museum (rather like that at Beamish in County Durham). It’s an excursion from a fine town with life and interest, very readily accessible from Camping de Vest.
ED: See Paul’s feature on the Netherlands in this issue for more ideas on touring this unique country.