Discover Nature and Cultural Heritage in Sint Philipsland

Sint Philipsland can be explored for trip planning through specific themes: the bird route links natural and cultural-historical sights, the Eendenkooi brings birdlife and traditional craftsmanship together, and the Parelroute “Beweging” presents local themes. This offers a choice of different focuses: nature, cultural history and views of the tides. If you are looking for a hotel, these themes can help you decide what to focus on during your stay.

Bird Route and Tides

The Sint Philipsland bird route is a 19-kilometre cycling tour that links cultural-historical and natural sights. Along the route, you will encounter diverse vegetation, cultural-historical features, and birds feeding and nesting. At junction 97, cyclists can walk up the dike and enjoy views over the Krabbenkreek. At low tide, hundreds of birds forage there on the mudflats. If you would like to include this tidal moment in your plans, check the low tide times in advance.

Eendenkooi: Birdlife and Craftsmanship

The Sint Philipsland Eendenkooi is a place rich in birdlife and a site of Dutch cultural heritage, where an old Dutch tradition of catching ducks is still practised. Wild duck species include mallard, teal, wigeon, pochard, gadwall, shoveler and shelduck. Little grebes, marsh warblers and western marsh harriers are among the birds that nest in the reeds. Visits are possible during the opening period after contacting the kooiker in advance; therefore, arrange your visit with them beforehand.

Slikken van de Heen: Routes and Landscape

In the Slikken van de Heen area, the 3.7-kilometre Torenroute and the 2.5-kilometre Verrekijkerroute start at the car park on Campweg. The Verrekijkerroute is the shorter of the two; the difference is 1.2 kilometres. Check the latest route and access information before your trip. Slikken van de Heen is a dynamic nature area made up of former sandbanks, mudflats and salt marshes, with a mix of wooded and open areas. After the Philipsdam was completed in 1987, the areas became dry and were freshened. Many bird species nest there, including western marsh harrier, stonechat, tree pipit, osprey and white-tailed eagle.

“Beweging”: Tides, Windmill and Local Themes

The Parelroute “Beweging” presents Sint Philipsland through the changing tides, the turning sails of the old windmill, the former tram and local sports. While the bird route links natural and cultural-historical sights on a cycling tour, “Beweging” centres its presentation on these four themes. The route thus connects the changing tides with themes of technology, transport and local sports.

What to Distinguish When Planning

The bird route focuses on the cycling route and the tidal moment, while the Eendenkooi offers seasonal visits by prior arrangement. “Beweging” offers a different thematic perspective on Sint Philipsland.

Discover more destinations: Sint-Annaland, Sint Maartensdijk, Scherpenisse, Tholen, Stavenisse, Poortvliet.

Back to the main travel overview: Tholen.