Neeltje Jans

The Oosterscheldedam is Holland’s grandest dam construction, capable of hydraulically lowering 62 sluice-gates in just an hour. Unlike the dyke, this dam doesn’t influence the tides so Oosterschelde has been preserved as a natural habitat for various mussels, oysters, lobsters and fish. The gates only lower when there’s risk of storm flooding. The water themepark here is a well-known visitor attraction, but few realise that the island north of the dam is an amazing break. At high tide you can rip it up in a wide surf zone against a dune backdrop, just don't stray out too far because of the currents. At low tide a big shallow area forms, ideal for kiting – although the walk in of over 500m is likely to preserve it for purists.