Texel is bigger than you’d expect—and far more varied. Windmills and old churches dot the landscape, fishing boats rock in quiet harbors, dunes roll toward wide, open beaches. A bright red lighthouse stands watch over it all. And then, of course, there are the sheep. Everywhere. On dikes, in fields, peering at you from front yards. It feels like Texel is made up of equal parts land and livestock.

The sea leaves its own mark here. At the Shipwreck and Jutter Museum, you’ll find a collection of everything the waves have carried ashore over the decades—rusted ship parts, forgotten relics, and all manner of curious debris. The Dutch word “jutter” once meant beach scavenger, though these days, it’s more about collecting than looting.

Texel isn’t an island that can be pinned down in a single snapshot. One moment, you’re walking through dunes, the next, past golden fields or along a quiet harbor. But no matter where you are, one thing is certain: somewhere nearby, a sheep is watching.