How we love it at the Dutch seaside
The Netherlands not a summer destination? Think again! It can be so much fun to visit The Netherlands in summer. When the sun’s out there is just so much to see and do. But when it’s warm, there’s really only one place to go: the beach! And The Netherlands have some amazing beaches, these 7 beaches are absolute must-visits.
Fun and art in Scheveningen
Scheveningen is probably the most famous beach in The Netherlands and on sunny days also the busiest one. Having said that, Scheveningen is fun and is totally worth a visit. Since it’s part of The Hague you can easily combine a city trip to The Hague (and a visit to for example Vermeer’s Girl with the Pearl Earring) with some drinks by the beach or a stroll in the sand. Scheveningen is absolutely bustling, with lots of art to see along the promenade, surfing to learn and excellent dining in one of the many restaurants.
I have written more about Scheveningen and The Hague
Blijburg: Amsterdam at sea
Amsterdam isn’t by the sea. But Amsterdam wouldn’t be Amsterdam if it didn’t just work around that to find a solution, and Blijburg is just that. It’s Amsterdam’s city beach (and a wonderful one at that) and even though it can get crowded when it’s warm, it’s worth having a look. It’s nice to have a drink with your feet in the sand, but also a lot of parties are hosted here over summer. A perfect place to dance the night away.
Also read
- Off the beaten track: Amsterdam Noord
- The best Dutch city beaches
- 5 summer festivals not to miss in The Netherlands
Sun and sea in Zeeland: Cadzand
Nothing says ‘summer holiday’ for me like the Dutch province of Zeeland does. The province has the most beaches in The Netherlands and loads of Dutchies go here every summer to spend their summer holidays. I grew up not too far from Zeeland, so when I was little, we would often go for a day. Cadzand Bad is one of the nicer beaches in Zeeland and situated in the furthest south-west corner of The Netherlands. The beaches are broad with some very nice beach clubs for lunch and drinks. If you’d like to explore Zeeland a little more, I can highly recommend visiting the city of Middelburg.
Truly enchanting Texel
Until a couple of years ago, not many foreign visitors knew about the Dutch islands up in the north of the country until Texel was featured by Lonely Planet in 2016. Ever since much more visitors have come to appreciate the broad white-sand beaches, rich wildlife and dreamy villages. Texel is a perfect summer destination for families as kids will simply love digging holes and building castles on the beach. It’s worth renting a bike on Texel as the island is best explored by bike. You will see sheep all over the island and the wool and sheep cheese of Texel is of very high quality.
Noordwijk: resort at sea
Noordwijk is one of the most famous seaside resorts in The Netherlands, with loads of hotels to choose from if you’d like to spend a night falling asleep listening to the sound of the waves. The beach of Noordwijk is perfect for a stroll, though there are lots of shops and restaurants to entertain you along the boulevard as well.
Fun for all: Katwijk
Historically Katwijk is a seaside resort that was designed for family vacations, but over the last couple of years, Katwijk has rejuvenated and with some nice design hotels and more upscale dining options it has become a place for jet-setters to spend a weekend as well. Personally, I love the broad beach, colourful beach houses and the decent amount of beach clubs to chose from. If you’d like to stay in Katwijk aan Zee, there are many affordable options.
Tranquil Wijk aan Zee
In general Wijk aan Zee is a quiet place to enjoy a few days at the seaside. The beaches are broad and the dunes are wide-spread natural parks, which are perfect for hiking and cycling and are really interesting eco-systems. There’s lots of wildlife to spot in the dunes, surprisingly enough really. If you’d always wanted to sleep in a beach hut, Wijk aan Zee is the place to go as Aan Zee Slapen (‘sleep by the sea’) offers lovely beach huts, comfortable and luxuriously designed. The huts offer everything you need to sleep like a baby by the sound of the waves. Read all about The best beach houses in The Netherlands.
37 Comments
Zoe Holland
July 2, 2018 at 1:51 pmWe spent a glorious day at the Aloha bar on Wijk aan Zee last Summer….the Dutch do beaches in style! We love the long sandy, laid back vibes on your coast. Thanks you for some great tips!
Esther
July 5, 2018 at 8:44 amOh, that sounds like a lot of fun!! Thank you for stopping by.
Angharad Paull
July 3, 2018 at 3:08 pmWow these beaches look amazing – especially like the look of Scheveningen and Amsterdam City Beach, although they all look great! I don’t know this part of the world at all, but definitely want to visit now!
Katherine
July 4, 2018 at 6:38 pmNow I feel silly for assuming that it never gets properly warm enough in the Netherlands to go to the beach. These are beautiful beaches! So much space and sand to spread out on as well.
Esther
July 5, 2018 at 8:43 amOh! But May, June and July are always particularly warm, this June temperatures haven’t dropped below 24C and we are experiencing a heat wave. Better come on over and check things out!
Sammie
July 4, 2018 at 9:07 pmI love all the little beach huts! We have friends who live in The Hague so I’ve ticked Scheveningen off the list. It really is a beautiful spot and has such a chilled, relaxed vibe. As for those other beaches, 6 more reasons to make me want to visit The Netherlands!
Ruth
July 5, 2018 at 6:26 amThese look so cool! I really like the vibe in Scheveningen. I would love to spend some time sitting around, eating, drinking and people watching. I like the beach but I am not a fan of getting a dip in the ocean (call me weird). Now that I think about it, I have not experienced much European beach culture. We went to Croatia and Montenegro in May but the water was still cold so the beaches weren’t in full swing.
Esther
July 5, 2018 at 8:44 amI was in Croatia in July a couple of years ago and it’s hard to find sandy beaches there (mostly pebbles), so we looked for beach clubs where we could rent chairs. I am also not too fond of sea swimming, though I made an exception in the Carribean 😉
Cynthia
July 5, 2018 at 1:14 pmI think people don’t really think about beaches when they think about those countries which line the North Sea, but there are such beautiful ones! I have been to a beach in Belgium before that you could have mistaken for Mexico (except for lack of palm trees!).
Esther
July 6, 2018 at 11:40 amI completely agree with you on this! I am such a big fan of the Belgian coast myself, especially Oostende, which is lovely. Right now we’re having a fantastic summer and Dutch weather even beats that in Portugal. So I’d say: people better hop over and dig their feet into the sand! Thank you for stopping by.
Annette
July 7, 2018 at 1:29 pmStripes and bright colours are just right for these beach huts – I love them. Your interesting post makes me want to have one of these little huts.
Esther
July 8, 2018 at 10:22 amI know right, they’re so cute!
Jill
July 7, 2018 at 5:23 pmAll of these look wonderful – and I would love to go to the beaches in the Netherlands. Great photos! Hopefully I will make it there someday.
Sharon
July 7, 2018 at 7:43 pmSo appealing! My favorite would be Texel, with those little cottages. I don’t think of beaches when I think of the Netherlands, so this post opened my eyes to more of the beauty of your country!
Anda
July 7, 2018 at 8:12 pmVery good guide to the beaches in the Netherlands! It’s interesting to see how much these beaches resemble the ones we have on the East Coast of the US. We have the same kind of beach huts also. You won’t see anything like that on the West Coast however. Very different beach landscape here.
Esther
July 8, 2018 at 10:22 amOh, that’s right Anda! I know they have the little huts in England as well. So cute.
Jessica
July 7, 2018 at 10:56 pmI have never really associated the Netherlands with beaches (although I have never visited) but the Scheveningen looks really fun. Some of the others look like a quieter place to go for a summer beach holiday for those in Europe compared to some of the really busy places that can be overwhelming.
Tanja
July 8, 2018 at 5:12 pmnice beaches
Caity Pfohl
July 9, 2018 at 2:33 amLoved learning about these beaches, none of which I had heard of before! It’s always interesting to learn about the parts of a country that aren’t immediately associated with it. I also adore these beach huts – so colorful and unique!
Lolo
July 9, 2018 at 4:50 amOMgosh, I’m in love with ALLLLL of these!! Particularly the first! And now I’m sad I’m not in the EU for the summer! 🙁 Boo! Next year!! Pinned!
Sandra
July 9, 2018 at 11:13 amI’ve only been to Scheveningen and loved it. I would love to visit other beaches as well since they all look amazing.
Nicola
July 12, 2018 at 9:47 amI never knew the Netherlands had such funky looking beaches!
Sarah
July 12, 2018 at 11:19 amDutch beach fan here! Our Belgian beaches aren’t half as inviting as the ones across the border. We’ve been to Cadzand (in summer) and Texel (in winter). Just can’t wait to try out your other suggestions.
Esther
July 16, 2018 at 10:08 amAww thank you. I seriously like the Belgian coast, it’s especially nice with kids as there are so many activities. Though me and the husband spent a lovely weekend in Oostende a few years ago too.
Lucy
July 12, 2018 at 11:40 amIn ignorant confessional, I have to say I had no idea Holland had so many, and such great looking beaches. Thanks for the education!
Clare
July 12, 2018 at 7:10 pmOoh I love the sound of all of these, Esther. I’ve read a few posts about Texel recently so that’s already on my list and I absolutely love the look of Cadzand.
Laura Le
July 13, 2018 at 2:08 amThey all look wonderful to visit. I love the little cabins lined up along the sand!
Rob+Ann
July 13, 2018 at 8:51 pmWe always enjoy your posts, but add in beaches and you’ve really got our attention! Funny, but we’ve never associated the Netherlands with beaches, probably because the iconic Amsterdam canal views are so ingrained in our heads. But wow – those are some great, really fun looking beaches! Definitely Pinning this one for later.
Lyn
July 14, 2018 at 12:33 pmI have never really thought about the Netherlands having beaches. Somehow it seems like a contradiction in terms. You do make the beaches sound lovely though. i love the beach huts.
Esther
July 16, 2018 at 10:09 amWe are having an amazing summer so far, good thing we have so many nice beaches to enjoy 😉
Beth
July 14, 2018 at 3:14 pmI am fascinated at the different “looks” of going to the beach around the world, and never considered The Netherlands for such an activity. Your photos are really great and showcase some lovely options. I am intrigued by the rows of beach huts that empty directly onto the sand. I would love to visit one of these places for sure. And thanks for the tip about the city beach in Amsterdam, as I haven’t visited the city yet.
Rhonda Albom
July 14, 2018 at 11:30 pmThe Dutch beaches do look very popular. I like your photo of the terraced restaurant on Scheveningen. Each beach seems to have its own style.
indah
July 15, 2018 at 4:13 pmLove all those cute beach houses! Been to Scheveningen but not the other ones. Hope I can spend more time in the Netherlands soon.
Katy
July 16, 2018 at 2:36 amI am very impressed the beach huts have glass frontages. How civilised! Loving discovering more about the Netherlands with your blog – I think the first stop on my list here would be beautiful windswept Texel
Esther
July 16, 2018 at 10:10 amThank you Kathy! Yes, Texel is also on my next to visit list. Though I’ll probably won’t make it there this summer, then again: I never mind off-season travel.
Sarah Christie
July 18, 2018 at 5:42 pmI love this post I have never thought of the Netherlands for the beaches more the cities and the countryside. This has made me really want to visit the beaches look stunning x
Catherine
July 18, 2018 at 11:01 pmWe loved all the Dutch beaches that we visited, great sand, snug cafes and Masses of space