Goedereede, a cosy cluster of centuries-old gabled houses (photo: Alamy)

To get there, you need to aim for the village of Goedereede, a cosy cluster of centuries-old gabled houses around a tiny, canal-like harbour. In Old Dutch, the name means safe harbourage refuge from the sandbanks and other perils of De Kwade Hoek, which means Angry Corner. From here, roads narrow into farmland lanes, barely a car wide, and stop dead at the Goeree dunes. Then its a 20- to 30-minute walk, along footpaths through high sand mounds covered in grasses and wildflowers catchflies and dune violets, poppies, thyme, star of Bethlehem and yellow irises. At times the dunes drop to reed-clustered wetlands, home to spoonbills, waders and all manner of wildfowl. Turn a corner in the path, and the vista suddenly opens, stretching towards a grass- tufted dune and the sea.

The beach is wide and generally empty, a place for long walks and quiet contemplation.

Swimming at De Kwade Hoek is possible, though not always pleasant in parts the water is shallow, and you gloop through mud. If youre wanting more of a splash or a family day out, head a couple of miles farther along, to the southern end of the Goeree dunes, where at Strand Noord and Strand t Flaauwe Werk youll find marked bathing areas, more people, and the occasional beach pavilion selling coffee, pancakes, chips and beer.

But for a step beyond jolly seaside fare, its back to Goedereede, or across the Brouwersdam to the neighbouring island of Schouwen-Duiveland. Succulent oysters, a pot of mussels, delicate lobster all from nearby Oosterschelde make an elegant end to a day in the dunes.

The Netherlands essentials

GETTING THERE

KLM (0871 231 000: klm.com) flies to Amsterdam-Schiphol and Rotterdam from London and regional airports. The easiest way to get to De Kwade Hoek is to hire a car (sixt.nl) at either airport and drive (one hour 45 minutes from Schiphol and 45 minutes from Rotterdam). Check out a route at 9292.nl.

THE INSIDE TRACK

THE BEST HOTELS

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Secret seaside: the dune beaches of the Netherlands