Schiermonnikoog is the smallest inhabited island of the Wadden (4,000 ha, 16 km long by 4 km wide). Protected since 1989, it is now a national park . A single town, Schiermonnikoog, serves the beaches and a boating lake (Westerplas). The dunes of Kobbeduinen and a huge nature reserve De Oosterkwelder , are to the east of the village. The wild countryside of the island, the dunes, the woods and its tranquility make this one of the most pleasant islands in the Wadden.