Rockanje - Stellendam - Herkingen
- Distance: 26.5km
- Duration (with breaks): 7h 20min
- Route type: point-to-point
It’s 8:30 and I’m leaving the hotel after a good rest and a big breakfast. No time to waste in November since I have sunlight for ~ 9 hours only. Rockanje seemed to be still asleep as I walked through quiet streets and observed fancy mansions. This must be a posh town!
As I walked on a path towards the beach, I entered back the Voornes Duin and came across the Highlanders again. This time there was a fence between us, giving me the confidence to properly observe those funny cows and even take some pictures.
Leaving the dunes and cows behind I soon entered a spacious beach overlooking the North Sea. What a beautiful area and great atmosphere out there! I met a few people walking their dogs, but besides them, the beach was all for me to enjoy. I felt as if I’m walking in early summer instead of late autumn, so lucky with the weather.
The trail leads through the beach towards Haringvlietdam, one of the major infrastructures protecting the country from floods. This massive bridge-looking structure consists of 17 sluice gates and I got to count them all as the trail led me through this bridge, 2.5 km in total.
Crossing Haringvlietdam meant I’m leaving Voorne Island and entering Goeree-Overflakke Island. From here GR5 leads on a bike path to Goedereede, which marks the end of official Stage 4. However, my endpoint was Herkingen, so I decided to skip Goedereede and walk to Herkingen via Stellendam saving around 5km.
The alternative route soon left the bike path and led me through the quiet and green outskirts of Stellendam until I entered the town. One looooong street to follow and I’m out of the town and back to GR5.
That’s exactly where I found out that I’m missing my gloves. Nooooo… Once I missed them, I wasn’t too worried as I was so sure that they fell on a dyke where I took of my bag. When I came back, I scouted the whole area with no luck. I even came back to the town hoping to find them on the road. Nope. After 30 mins of back and forth scouting I had to conclude that they’re gone. The trail must’ve gotten angry with me for a detour.
The good outcome of this loss was a great conversation with an elderly couple who happened to sit on a bench in my area of scouting. We shared a common fascination for Iceland and I got tips to look for flamingos close to Herkingen. Say whaaaaat? Flamingos living in the Netherlands? I must see them!
Back on GR5, I walked on a dyke for quite a while. It wasn’t the smoothest surface to follow, but I preferred the views over comfort. Plus I didn’t have to share the path with bikes. I got to observe rural areas with fields full of crops or farms with hordes of cows and sheep. I even met a few hunters walking alongside the water just below me.
A fine intermezzo in this dyke-hike was Slikken van Flakkee, a protected nature reserve where you can observe various birds, Fjord horses, and Heck cattle. Besides, the whole landscape is unique with interesting water formations. I bet it looks cool from above.
From Slikken van Flakkee I was back on the dyke, where I met a gang of funny sheep. As I was in their territory, my path became an obstacle course trying to avoid stepping into sheep poo, which was everywhere. At some point, I gave up and just continued.
Close to Herkingen, I entered a luxury dyke – smooth surface with short grass. What’s the secret? Have a huge gang of sheep on a field. They’ll make sure the grass stays short.
This section overlooked Grevelingenmeer, a pristine lake that was formed by the dams in the area. It was a pleasure to finish my hike surrounded by great views as the coast was calming and changing colors before the sunset.
I arrived at the B&B pretty tired, so when I was greeted with a glass of cola and a bowl of crisps, my spirits were lifted tremendously. Another day in the pocket!
Day 3 tips
- If the weather is bad or the path on the dyke is muddy, a bike path below is a good alternative
- There are not that many benches on the dyke section (I think I found 3 between Stellendam and Herkingen), so be sure to use the opportunity once it shows up
- Again, water options are very limited, especially after Stellendam