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It’s that time of the year again: Hot spring or summer days. Or even the hot days in autumn (yes, it happens!). Amsterdam has a pretty perfect location as there are plenty of great beaches to find in the surroundings of Amsterdam, which you will see in this article. And while the weather in The Netherlands is unpredictable, visiting the best beaches near Amsterdam is always the answer when the temperatures are rising. Just imagine the cool and refreshing North Sea, a light breeze and boiling sand. That almost sounds like a great combination.
But let’s be real, the beaches in The Netherlands are long, wide and great. The North Sea is only a short run from your towel, so you will be able to manage the hot sand easily. Continue reading to discover the nearest and best beaches you can find to Amsterdam.
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The Netherlands: Best Beaches Near Amsterdam You Must Visit
The Netherlands is not very famous for its amazing beaches, but I’m happy to report that we actually have very decent beaches. Not only do we have the widest beach of Europe, on one of the Wadden Islands (more about that here), but we also have a lot and very long beaches that are surrounded by dunes and nature reserves.
If you’re interested in discovering more beautiful and less popular Dutch beaches in the province of Noord-Holland, then click here for another article.
To plan your journey to any of these beaches, I would recommend you to go to 9292.nl
Zandvoort
One of the most famous beaches of The Netherlands is the beach of Zandvoort, or Zandvoort aan Zee, and it can be found in the province of Noord- Holland. It’s one of the beaches that is easiest to reach from Amsterdam as this Dutch beach town has its own train station. The town dates back to the 11th century when it was named Sandevoerde and while, back in the day, the main economy of Zandvoort was the fishing industry, this changed in the 19th century.
Zandvoort was one of the first places of The Netherlands to create bathing houses and the first official bathing house had its location in Zandvoort in 1828. That was the start of Zandvoort as a touristic, little town. When you’re looking for hidden or unknown beaches in The Netherlands or Holland, then I would go to one of the other beaches of Noord-Holland that I linked above.
But if you’re looking for a big beach, that is only a 30-minute train ride from Amsterdam to Zandvoort aan Zee, then I would definitely suggest you to head over here. Not to mention that if you’re planning on enjoying the beach a little longer, Zandvoort aan Zee offers great beach hotels and resorts for you to stay in.
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Ijmuiden
Amsterdam has quite a few beaches that are close to the city. One of the closest beaches near Amsterdam is the beach of Ijmuiden and it’s located in the province of Noord- Holland. You might’ve heard of Ijmuiden before: whether that’s because of the ferry from Ijmuiden that runs to Newcastle, or because it has the second biggest harbour of The Netherlands, after Rotterdam.
If you’re looking for one of the best and top beaches of The Netherlands, near Amsterdam, then Ijmuiden beach is one of its top contenders. The beach of Ijmuiden is one of the longest Dutch beaches of The Netherlands.
Besides visiting the beach of Ijmuiden, there are plenty of other things to do in Ijmuiden. Think of visiting the Bunker Museum Ijmuiden, for instance. Here you can find a very interesting and big exhibit about the second World War and its influence on Ijmuiden. Have a look at more information about the bunker museum of Ijmuiden here.I would also recommend you to visit Ship. This is a museum about the world’s biggest sea sluice and about the North Sea Channel in The Netherlands. It’s opened 7 days a week.
There is even more to see and do in Ijmuiden than visiting the beach and learning about the influence of the Second World War. One thing you must do in Ijmuiden is to walk on the piers of Ijmuiden. These two long arms make it safe for ships to sail into the harbour of Ijmuiden. ‘And why are they so special?’, you might ask. Well, these piers in The Netherlands are both 4,3 km long and you can walk on them basically into the North Sea (don’t walk into the sea though), unless the wind is stronger than 5 Beaufort. But then the entrance is just closed off.
Last, but certainly not least, when you’re spending one day in Ijmuiden you have to visit thefortress island of Ijmuiden. This is part of one of the Unesco World Heritage sites that you can find in The Netherlands and Holland. This fortress is part of the defense line of Amsterdam and was used during the first World War and Second World war. In and after 1996, after the addition to the Unesco list, the fortress of Ijmuiden got restored. Keep in mind: You can only visit the fortress of Ijmuiden on several Sundays and Wednesdays throughout the year.
Book the best hotels, beach resorts and accommodation in Ijmuiden, The Netherlands, now
Bloemendaal aan Zee
Another very famous beach in The Netherlands, that is near Amsterdam, is the beach of Bloemendaal aan Zee. This beach resort town in The Netherlands is located in the province of Noord- Holland. The town of Bloemendaal is not located at the seaside or beach, but Bloemendaal aan Zee is and it’s very easy to reach.
This beach of Bloemendaal aan Zee is very popular with young adults and is 4,3 km long. At the Northern part of the beach you can find a nude beach of 1 km long, so you can tan all parts of your body and feel free. When you’re finished with sunbathing some of the best beach clubs in Bloemendaal aan Zee are Vroeger and Parnassia.
If you’re looking for other things to do in Bloemendaal aan Zee, Noord- Holland, then have a look at the watersportcentrum. Here you can do several water sports and get to be active. It’s also very easy to get from Amsterdam to Bloemendaal beach as well as from Bloemendaal beach to Amsterdam. Have a look at 9292.nl to see the public transport schedules, this is an app I use to get to any beach or place in The Netherlands.
If you’re looking for the best accommodation in Bloemendaal and its beach then have a look at the link below for great hotels.
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Noordwijk aan Zee
Noordwijk aan Zee is a beach that can be found in the province of Zuid-Holland. Noordwijk was yet another sleepy fishing town until the beginning of the 19th century. In 1866 Noordwijk officially became a beach town as people thought that the seawater healed people. After this period the town started to focus on tourism and bulbs and nowadays tourists have definitely found their way to Noordwijk, but there is still a lovely combination between locals and tourists. A small part of the locals speaks their dialect called Noordwijks.
There are several things you can do in Noordwijk: there’s a mall that is also opened on Sunday (yes, that is rare in The Netherlands), there are dunes that you can walk in, plenty of great restaurants and much more.
During tulip season, which lasts from mid-April until the first day of May, you can find many tulip fields and daffodils in the area. The yearly Bloemencorso Bollenstreek, flower parade, is an event you cannot miss in Noordwijk. And the evening before the Bloemencorso, there is a illuminated flower parade that makes its way through Noordwijk.
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Katwijk aan Zee
Back in 1230, Katwijk aan Zee was a small village with only a couple of houses. After 1300 the town was growing rapidly and became well-known as a fishing town. Katwijk aan Zee is a popular and well-known beach town ever since the 20th century. People still talk one of the few remaining dialects in the province of Zuid-Holland, called Katwijks. Unfortunately the influence of standard Dutch is becoming more prominent.
During the second World War, a great number of houses were demolished by the German occupiers for the creation of the Atlantikwall. Katwijk aan Zee doesn’t only have a beautiful beach in the province of Zuid-Holland, it also had the biggest fishing fleet of The Netherlands with 180 ships in the 60s. When the ships became more advanced and modern, the ships from Katwijk moved to the harbours of Ijmuiden and Scheveningen, which was the start of the slow downfall of the fleet of Katwijk.
If you’re looking for a sustainable tourist destination within The Netherlands, then Katwijk aan Zee and its beach are a great location to get some rest. It even got a QualityCoast Bronze Award for its efforts to become a sustainable tourist destination nearby Amsterdam.
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Wijk aan Zee
Wijk aan Zee is yet another small Dutch beach town in the province of Noord (North) – Holland. It’s located between the company Tata Steel, the North Sea and a nature reserve. Wijk aan Zee used to be a traditional fishing village up until the 19th century, the only issue was that this small town in The Netherlands didn’t have a harbour. As the ships got bigger and heavier, Wijk aan Zee lost fishing as its main economy and changed perspectives. The first beach hotel in Wijk aan Zee opened back in 1881.
The beach of Wijk aan Zee isn’t that popular with foreign tourists as the beaches of Zandvoort and Bloemendaal are, but it is pretty popular with local people, Amsterdammers (people from Amsterdam) and other people from Dutch cities. If you’re looking for the best Dutch beach holidays, you have to bring the beach of Wijk aan Zee a visit.
There are a few other things you can do in Wijk aan Zee besides lounging and tanning on the beach. One must do in Wijk aan Zee is you have to look at the old Dorpskerk. This church has an interesting story behind it:
During the second World War the Germans forced a Dutch fisherman to sail the church bells to Germany to be melted into bullets. The Dutch fisherman didn’t want to help the Germans thus sank the ship in the middle of the Ijsselmeer. This way the Germans couldn’t melt the century-old church bells. After the war ended, the church bells were recovered from the bottom of the Ijsselmeer lake and were placed into the church tower again.
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Egmond aan Zee
Egmond aan Zee is another beach town that can be found in the province of Noord-Holland. We (yes, I’m from Noord- Holland) just have the best beaches of The Netherlands, in general, and many of them are generally close to Amsterdam. The town of Egmond aan Zee was first heard of in the year 977. There’s an interesting story about Egmond aan Zee and its history.
The myth is that a rich man from Egmond- Binnen built ten houses for poor families and he gave them the right to fish on the North Sea. But they were only allowed to live there if they gave 10 percent of their fish to the abbey in Egmond- Binnen. After that, Egmond aan Zee turned into a typical fisherman’s village.
If you’re still searching for the perfect Dutch place or beach to visit for a beach holiday in The Netherlands near Amsterdam, then Egmond aan Zee is a great pick. This long beach in The Netherlands is very easy reachable with public transport from Amsterdam, as with almost all of the other beaches I’ve included. And there are plenty of other things to do in Egmond as well. You can bring a visit to the Museum van Egmond, or Museum of Egmond. Or if you’re looking for long-distance hiking or walking paths in The Netherlands, then you can join the Hollands Kustpad, or North Sea Trail, that is part of the European walking route E9.
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Heemskerk
Heemskerk was officially mentioned back in 1063 and the town has a lot of historical monuments, though they are not always that spectacular unless you know the history behind them. Heemskerk is located in the province of Noord-Holland and used to have six castles, so you can imagine the fights that were happening in and around the area. Nowadays only two castles remain and I’m happy to report that you can spend the night in both of them.
After the Middle Ages, Heemskerk turned into a friendly and calm village where they mostly worked in agriculture, horticulture and in livestock farming. One of the things you have to do in Heemskerk, besides visiting one of the best beaches near Amsterdam, is to visit the Noordhollands Duinreservaat. This nature reserve is a popular walking and cycling spot next to Heemskerk.
It’s quite a trip to get to the beach from Heemskerk from the town itself. You can either walk or use your bike on the few special paths that go straight through the dune area of Heemskerk. Or you can first go to the beach of Wijk aan Zee and walk in the Northern direction, until you arrive at the beach of Heemskerk. Make sure you have Strandpaviljoen De Vrijheit in your maps, because that’s the beach club that can be found on the beach of Heemskerk.
In turn of your little adventure to get to the beach of Heemskerk, you do have one of the most unspoiled beaches near Amsterdam and its region. Because there are no parking lots or roads for cars, you also don’t have any noise at all. Except for screaming children and seagulls that are stealing fries. But I promise, that’s it. Also, don’t forget that you can spend the night in Heemskerk, The Netherlands, in a few castle hotels that date back to the 13th century. Discover more Dutch castles to visit here.
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Two other places and lakes with a small beach area you can visit near Amsterdam are the Ouderkerkerplas, which is a lake with a small sandy beach in front of it. The second one you can visit is ‘t Twiske, which is both a recreational area as well as partly one of the Natura 2000 reserves in The Netherlands.
HELP OTHERS DISCOVER THESE BEAUTIFUL PLACES! PIN THIS TO YOUR TRAVEL PINTEREST BOARDS!
Remember, click here if you’re looking for more beaches in the stunning province of Noord- Holland. As these are the nearest beaches to Amsterdam (these are not beaches in Amsterdam, there will be another article for that), I am going to recommend you some places you must visit in The Netherlands that can be done as a day trip from Amsterdam.
Think of visiting one of the most beautiful villages and small towns of The Netherlands, De Rijp. Or opt to bring a visit to the beautiful Dutch city of Amersfoort, which is not that far from Amsterdam either. The fortified city of Naarden is also a short and easy day trip from Amsterdam. The cute Dutch Hansa Town of Elburg is also a must-visit when you’re in The Netherlands. And if you’re looking for more industrial places or areas to visit in The Netherlands, visit the province of Noord- Brabant! There are many things to do there, which includes visiting the industrial and modern city of Eindhoven and the historic city of Bergen op Zoom.
You will probably want to visit the best beaches near Amsterdam during spring or summer. There are plenty of other things you can do in The Netherlands during spring or summer. Think of visiting the tulip fields of The Netherlands. Or have a look here at the best things to do in summer in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and the rest of The Netherlands. There are even road trips that you can do, by public transport or car, such as this spring road trip for The Netherlands.
When you want to stay in Amsterdam a little bit longer, but are looking for the secrets or hidden places of Amsterdam, then I can recommend you to follow my 2 day itinerary I created for Amsterdam. It’s filled with beautiful courtyards in Amsterdam, less popular and small museums as well as markets in Amsterdam. I’m sure you’ll love it. If you’re looking for semi-private guided tours in Amsterdam or history tours, then I can recommend you to go on a trip with Context Travel, I’ve never had such an in-dept guided tour of Amsterdam in my life.
Last, but not least: Clothing. Clothing is an issue for most tourists that are visiting The Netherlands. ‘Why?’ Well, the weather is as unpredictable as it can be. That’s why I combined the best women’s travel jackets from spring and summer in Amsterdam here. As well as the best travel boots, sneakers and sandals to wear in The Netherlands. And if you’re a minimalistic traveller, or are looking for great rucksacks, backpacks or day packs to bring to The Netherlands, then this article will definitely help you out. Share this post!
