Ellemeet: Beach, Straô Rieën and Sonnet Route

Ellemeet offers several distinct perspectives for a stay: the beach, regional customs and literature in the Zeeland landscape. At the beach of the same name, family and sports activities take centre stage; Straô Rieën brings tradition into the village, while the Sonnet Route runs between the centre and the beach. When planning your visit, you can decide whether your time should focus more on beach activities, a local custom or a literary theme.

Beach and water sports

Ellemeet beach is a family and sports beach; surfing is permitted there. This combination is a helpful point of reference for travellers who want to include both time at the beach and sports activities in their stay.

Paid parking is available at the Strandtoegang Ellemeet car park; the beach is a one-minute walk from there. The parking costs and short walk relate to the same access point, so you can factor them into your plans for a beach visit together.

Surfing is permitted at Ellemeet beach. Kitesurfing and kite buggying are permitted at beaches further along the Brouwersdam. The locations specified for these water sports therefore differ. If you are planning either of the two kite activities, head for the beach areas further along the Brouwersdam.

Straô Rieën and local history

Straô Rieën is an annual event held in six villages on Schouwen, including Ellemeet. During the tradition, decorated horses leave the villages in a procession and head to the beach. The tradition also includes a ride to the beach, where the horses’ legs are washed and wounds are treated with seawater. Both the beach and horse care are part of the tradition. If you would like to include Straô Rieën in your stay, check the dates for your travel year.

The farmhouse known as “de Drie Wilgen” has an L-shaped residential building dating from the 18th century, with continuous hipped roofs. A travalje stands in the village square and is maintained by Stichting Monumenten Schouwen-Duiveland. The old cemetery in Ellemeet is now a cultural heritage site. These examples illustrate different aspects of local heritage: residential architecture, a travalje in the village square and the cemetery.

Sonnets between the centre and the beach

The Sonnet Route runs through the Zeeland landscape between the centre of Ellemeet and the beach; you can read the sonnets along the way. It connects literature with a route between two landmarks in the village. To arrange a sonnet reading, a guided tour along the sonnets or a sonnet workshop, you can contact the route’s creator.

The third sonnet crown is located in Beweegpark De Wuisse, which also has jeu de boules courts. This brings literary art and a recreational activity together in the same park, while the Sonnet Route places the poems between the village centre and the beach.

Discover more destinations: Kerkwerve, Nieuwerkerk, Ouwerkerk, Zierikzee, Zonnemaire, Bruinisse, Noordgouwe, Burgh-Haamstede

For the broader travel overview: Schouwen-Duiveland.