Petten aan Zee beach

Getting to the coastal town of Petten

You'll reach the seaside resort of Petten in half an hour by bus from the station in the lovely cheese town of Alkmaar. If you'd rather get there by car, you can even park for free near the beach (Strandweg or Korfwaterweg)! Animal lovers will also find a dog beach at the Korfwater beach section, where dogs can wander around without a leash all year round.

Beaches and dunes in Petten

The widest and highest dune area in the country lies in the south of the Hondsbosche Zeewering, near Schoorl. The area only offers a limited amount of accommodation opportunities, which means it can be viewed as a quiet and especially friendly holiday destination. In the coastal town of Petten aan Zee, the 26 m high panorama dune guarantees a fantastic view of the North Sea and the beach. You can usually easily explore the panorama dune and other dune areas near Petten by bicycle: a great amount of convenient cycle paths run along the North Sea and the beaches.

The beach pavilions offer ideal rest opportunities for a cup of coffee in the sunshine, sea view included. You can also ride your bike to the North Holland Dune Reserve, which is one of the Netherlands' largest nature reserves at over 5000 hectares. If you're travelling with children, the climbing dune (klimduin) in Schoorl is an absolute holiday highlight. Children can climb the sands, which are over 50 m high, and run around and play at the bottom. Tip: There is a café at the foot of the climbing dune.

Sightseeing and activities in Petten

You can find all kinds of fun things to do near the natural surroundings of Petten. You can play mini golf or play watersports, e.g. kite surfing or whizz over the water in a motorboat at top speed. Early in the year, Tulip bulbs tulip bulbs come alive in the calciferous sandy soils between the dunes and the North Holland polders. We heartily encourage you to hire a bicycle and ride through the colourful fields around Petten. The flat polder landscape is perfectly suited for extensive cycling and walking tours.

Nature lovers will find a diverse landscape with brooding spoonbills, great white egrets, heathlands and orchid meadows in the neighbouring nature reserve of Het Zwanenwater, in the North Holland dunes near Callantsoog.

Trips around Petten

The province of North Holland is long and thin, especially around Petten, where you can take some beautiful day trips from the North Sea coast to the coast of Lake Ijssel, including lovely towns such as Hoorn, Enkhuizen, Den Helder and Medemblik. Alkmaar, with its cheese market, is also easy to reach.

The neighbouring seaside towns are Bergen aan Zee, Egmond aan Zee and Castricum aan Zee, where you can also expect marvellous North Sea beaches and nearby dune areas. By contrast, motor sport lovers can get to Zandvoort by car in only an hour, where motorcycle races are held in Circuit Park Zandvoort, and you yourself can get behind a race car wheel.