The summer is almost here (or it can be already over, you never in the Netherlands). It's time to relax a little bit and go out, have some fun and enjoy the sun. But why only do that by hanging out in parks or cafes and not by lying down in a beach? Time to discover some of the best beaches in the Netherlands!

The beaches of the Netherlands

Do you need a tan? Do you love swimming or playing in the coast? Now that the sunny and warm days are on their way, the beach is a great place to visit and the good news is that the variety of beaches and activities are endless in the Netherlands.

Visiting the Wadden Islands

The Wadden Sea is a world in itself, a world with two faces, ruled in turn by ebb and flood, by sand and water. Texel is the largest of the Wadden Islands. You will find there a total of eighteen miles of sandy beach.

The beaches in Wadden Islands are naturally vary in character, with plenty of space both for the loner on a natural beach and those who enjoy the fun and pleasure of a day at a more crowded beach with facilities provided, such as beach huts or cafés.

You can choose from two sorts of beaches. You can prefer vast beaches which are lining the islands towards the open North sea (+ a mainland beach on Eiderstedt peninsula in Schleswig-Holstein) which are large and wide with lovely fine sand and dunes. If you want to explore something different, you can visit the green beaches. You can find them at the German part of the Wadden Sea, where they have been inseparable part of the dikes.

For more info you can visit the website of Wadder Sea World Heritage

Surfing in Egmond aan Zee

Egmond aan Zee is known for being the number one family beach in Holland and the surfer hot spot! If you seek to enjoy sun, sea and surf, you should definitely visit Egmond aan Zee.

Don't forget to also check Egmond aan Zee's dunes.

Strand Zuid for urban swimming

With Amsterdam being a major city and the nearest beach being about 45 minutes away, someone came up with the clever idea of creating a city beach.

This is the only true beach in Amsterdam! You can actually swim off the sandy oasis, in the deep water known as the IJsselmeer east of the city.

There's always something going on, from DJs and live bands to Sunday brunch and kids events, so check the schedule on the official website. The food gets a thumbs-up for vegetarian and organic fare. You'll surely feel transported to another place on a visit to Blijburg!

One place, 2 beaches! Zandvoort aan Zee & Bloemendaal aan Zee

Zandvoort is another extremely popular beach in Holland. During the entire month of June, Zandvoort aan Zee reaches several culinary peaks like an original beach barbecue with live music, trying out the fresh herring the Dutch like to call ‘Hollandse Nieuwe’. You can also join the locals during the annual fish meal in the village centre.

If you are looking for the trendy section of Zandvoort aan Zee you might want to visit neighboring beach Bloemendaal aan Zee, the place to go to for trendy beach lounges and restaurants and is also known for it's younger crowd, beach bars and night clubs.

For more info you can visit the website www.vvvzandvoort.com

Surf or get naked in Scheveningen

Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is popular for water sports such as windsurfing and kiteboarding.

Scheveningen is divided into two districts; Noorderstrand (Northern Beach) and Zuiderstrand (Southern Beach). The northern beach area is the most famous and is the most touristic. The southern beach is more urban and there is usually less to do, but it may be less crowded on sunny days.

If you are a nudist, you can lie down and enjoy the sun 1 km to the north, where there is a special sector.

Photos by: Daviddje, twicepix, Photocapy, currystrumpet, Kitty Terwolbeck, d_vdm