Windsurf & Sail on the Veluwemeer: Stay in a Dutch Water Sports Camp

The camp sits on the Veluwemeer in Flevoland, a wide, shallow inland lake that is one of the better places in the Netherlands to learn to windsurf. The standing area means you can touch the bottom while you get your balance, and the camp's own sandy beach is where courses start. The water sports menu covers windsurfing, catamaran sailing, Optimist sailing and SUP, all taught by qualified instructors following VDWS and VDS guidelines. Board and rig hire is available if you already know what you're doing and just want to get out on the water.

Accommodation is on site and deliberately simple. There are walkers' huts and log cabins, plus pitches for your own tent or caravan/motorhome. This is a camp, not a hotel — expect basic, comfortable cabins and shared facilities rather than en-suite rooms. Dogs are allowed in the camp but have to be kept on a lead and are not permitted inside the huts; the team can provide a dog kennel if you ask.

A typical day starts with breakfast at your hut or pitch and a morning on the water with your group. Instructors group people by ability, so beginners work on the beach and in the shallows while more experienced sailors take catamarans or windsurf boards further out. Afternoons are a mix of free sailing, hire time and land activities: beach soccer, beach volleyball, boules, basketball or a bike ride. Evenings are camp evenings — barbecues, campfires and the occasional excursion into the surrounding nature.

What separates this from a standard holiday park is that the whole place is set up around instruction. The team — led by Robin, with Jakob — has been running group water sports programmes for decades, which shows in how sessions are organised and how quickly beginners get up and sailing. Because the same camp hosts school and youth groups, there's a sociable, communal feel: shared meals, shared beach, shared evenings around the fire.

Private guests are welcome alongside the groups, and you don't need any prior experience to join a course. If you're coming with a group, a school class or a club, the camp builds a programme around your level and dates. If you're coming on your own or as a couple or family, you book into the same courses and activities. Prices depend on what you book — course, hire, accommodation type and length of stay — so it's worth emailing with your dates and asking for a quote before you commit.

What's included

- Accommodation in walkers' huts or log cabins (or camping pitch for your own tent/caravan) - Access to the camp's beach and standing water area - Water sports courses in windsurfing, catamaran sailing, Optimist sailing and SUP (as booked) - Instruction from qualified VDWS/VDS-trained staff - Use of on-site land sports facilities (beach soccer, beach volleyball, boules, basketball) - Evening campfire activities

What's not included

- Meals (unless arranged as part of a group programme) - Equipment hire beyond your booked course - Transport to and from the camp - Travel insurance - Personal expenses - Dog kennel (available on request, may be chargeable)