The gateway coastal town, minutes from the airport, with a working fish market, a network of Dutch-era canals and a settled, unhurried first-night atmosphere that suits travellers stepping off a long flight. It rarely gets more than an evening in any itinerary, yet it does real work: an easy first night removes the temptation to push straight into a long drive after landing. A walk along the beach as the fishing boats come in or through the market as the day’s catch is sorted, is a genuinely worthwhile way to spend that first evening rather than simply recovering in a hotel room.