When people think of island escapes, they usually picture Greece, Croatia.
The Netherlands rarely comes to mind.
Yet, just 25 kilometres north of Amsterdam in De Woude, lies small island surrounded by water. Reaching it by boat takes around three and a half hours, especially if, like us, you take your time, stop to swim and enjoy the journey.
That made it the perfect destination for our Marée Circle Island Escape.
Leaving Amsterdam Behind
We quickly realised nobody was in a hurry.
Normally, a boat is simply a way to get somewhere.
This time, the journey itself became part of the weekend.
A Swim at Zaanse Schans
Most people visit Zaanse Schans from the footpaths.
We arrived in swimsuits.
Dropping the anchor and swimming with the windmills in the background felt like seeing one of the Netherlands’ most photographed places from an entirely different perspective.
A Lock You’ll Probably Remember
The Zaandam lock turned out to be one of the unexpected highlights.
Instead of tapping a card or scanning a QR code, the lock keeper lowers a traditional Dutch wooden clog (“klomp”) on the end of what looks like a fishing rod.
You place your coins inside the clog, it disappears back up, and a few moments later the gates slowly open.
It’s wonderfully Dutch, slightly quirky, and exactly the kind of small ritual that makes travelling by boat so memorable.
Living on an Island
By the afternoon we arrived at our glamping site in De Woude.
Our tents sat just a few steps from the water, with the boats moored directly in front.
That’s when the weekend started to feel different.
The boat didn’t stop being our transport once we arrived, it became part of everyday life.
Dinner by Boat
As the evening approached, we climbed back into the boats and cruised to dinner.
Arriving at a restaurant by boat never really gets old.
After dinner, we slowly made our way back to the island while the sky turned golden. Blankets came out, conversations continued, and the quiet ride home became one of those moments nobody wanted to end.
Why We Organise Island Escapes
People often ask what makes these weekends different.
It isn’t simply the destination.
It’s discovering places that feel surprisingly remote despite being so close to Amsterdam. Swimming beside windmills instead of photographing them from the shore.
Smiling at a lock keeper lowering a wooden clog instead of a card machine.
Waking up with your boat tied just outside your tent and knowing every part of the day, from exploring to dinner, begins by untying the ropes.
That slower rhythm is what stayed with us most.
And it’s exactly what we hope to keep creating with Marée Circle.