Holland's loveliest beaches

Holland and beaches - they belong together!

In Holland, there are many lovely sandy beaches where you can enjoy the sunshine or go for a walk. And naturally, a beach vacation is always an experience for families with children, but also for dog owners who want to go on vacation with their four-legged friends. In Holland, you'll find plenty of beaches where dogs are welcome. By the way: many Dutch beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag for clean water and safety.

The best conditions for a beach vacation! Enjoy a walk in the morning on an empty beach, try some freshly caught North Sea fish in one of the many beach clubs at midday, and then have a rest on one of the sunbeds, which are often for hire from the beach bars. While all this is going on, the kids can let off steam in the sand. In the evening, the beach clubs are inviting, with beach parties and live music as the sun goes down!

Holland's loveliest beaches

In Holland, there are also many beach sections at many inland bodies of water, such as Lake Ijssel or by the estuaries in Zeeland. However, the loveliest, longest and sandiest beaches in the Netherlands can be found by the North Sea. You might already have heard of Holland's most famous seaside resorts:

• Scheveningen is a district of the Hague, and in summer, as well as beach life, it also offers exciting nightlife by the beach in the many beach clubs.
• The bright beach of Noordwijk ranges over a length of 13 km. Here - and in Katwijk too - water sports and horse enthusiasts have the opportunity to enjoy sporting activities.
• Equally sandy, clean and safe (awarded with the Blue Flag) is the beach at Zandvoort, which is connected to the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park.
• The province of Zeeland is also known for its long and sandy beaches. You'll find popular seaside resorts here, such as Domburg and Renesse.
• At the North Sea islands it's not just kilometers of beach by the North Sea that await holidaymakers, but also beaches by the Wadden Sea. Incidentally, you'll find Europe's widest beach on the Dutch North Sea island of Schiermonnikoog.
• The North Holland seaside resorts of Bergen aan Zee and Egmond aan Zee are very popular with holidaymakers, as they combine fantastic beaches with an attractive hinterland, which is full of interesting historical sites such as the cheese town of Alkmaar, as well as tulip fields.

Beach and dunes - a typically Dutch combination!

You'll encounter the highest dunes in the Netherlands (over 50 m high!) in North Holland's Schoorl and in Zeeland, on the beach at Zoutelande. The loneliest dunes and loveliest beaches belong to the nature reserve at Westenschouwen, Zeeland. By contrast, the whitest beach in the Netherlands is located at Cadzand in the southern province of Zeeland. There, you can even discover fossilized shark teeth in the powdery sand!

If you want to celebrate, dance and party on the beach, you should visit Bloemendaal aan Zee. Large beach parties are organized in the summer in this North Holland seaside resort.

Tip for gourmets: Visit the loveliest beach pavilions by the Dutch beach, or be pampered by star chefs by the beach!

Tip: Dutch city beaches

Visitors to Holland are encountering more and more small beaches in the cities. For example, you don't have to go from Amsterdam to the North Sea to feel the sand under your feet and enjoy a refreshing dip in the water. There are also several beaches In Amsterdam: Strand Zuid, Strand West and Strand IJburg. If you want to know the exact locations of these beaches, read 'The beach in Amsterdam'.

It's no longer a surprise that there's also a beach in the Hague. Because the Dutch government headquarters of the Hague lie directly by the North Sea, and can call two beaches in the city area their own: Scheveningen and Kijkduin. So you won't have to worry about missing out on dunes and fine sand if you're planning a city break in the Hague.

Sporting activities on the beach

Discover the many water sports opportunities along the Dutch coast. Kitesurfing or windsurfing, sailing or riding a catamaran, surfing or waterskiing - the Dutch waters offer countless opportunities for water sports enthusiasts.

It sounds like a relaxed walk, but Mudflat hiking tours can really take their toll on your legs, because walking through mud and water can sap your energy. That's not a reason to miss out on this unforgettable experience, which you can take home with you after your vacation.

On a powerboat tour, you can go full steam ahead by motorboat across the North Sea waves from Scheveningen. You'll whiz over the water at 600 hp - until the beach becomes a dot in the distance...

Blokarts on the beach: the small land yacht has three wheels and a sail to catch the wind – with blokarts, you can go across the beach at top speed. Even without any prior knowledge, you can experience a couple of thrilling hours on the beach with blokarts.

Cycling to the beach or looking for a route from beach to beach: you'll find several interesting cycling routes by the beach here. You can even use your bicycle to travel along the entire Dutch coastline, at a stretch of 570 km.