Seaside Escape in Bloemendaal aan Zee
Bloemendaal aan Zee has been Marietje’s favorite for years when it comes to beach destinations in the Netherlands. Not surprising, because with its trendy beach clubs, numerous festivals, cool cities like Haarlem and Amsterdam nearby, and beautiful nature just around the corner, you have everything you could wish for in a great holiday destination. During a heatwave, it’s the perfect place to cool off, and with the colder months, it’s lovely to get some fresh air. Because, weather or no weather, the beach is always a good idea.
Bloemendaal aan Zee is perfect for a day, but even better if you can stay a bit longer. Therefore, we decided to rent a very nice house within walking distance from the beach, and in a week, we discovered that Bloemendaal aan Zee has much more to offer.



Things to Do in Bloemendaal aan Zee
Well, of course, head to the beach!
Butts in the sand and a beer in hand, there’s no better way to spend your days. When the thermometer wants to hit 30, we quickly drive to the sea. Bloemendaal aan Zee is one of our favorite places. Not only because you find great beach clubs here and the beach is wonderfully wide, but also because dogs are welcome here all year round. Quite nice if that chubby buddy can join.

But even with less favorable weather, we calmly drive an hour there and an hour back to enjoy the beach. Because let’s be honest, the beach is enjoyable all year round! Bloemendaal’s beach is 4300 meters long and is located between Zandvoort aan Zee and Velsen.


Spot Wisents in the Zuid Kennemerland National Park
Holy Crap Tarts! Never knew that the surroundings of Bloemendaal aan Zee were so beautiful, let alone that you can spot European Bisons there. For years, we’ve rolled from the car onto Bloemendaal aan Zee’s beach, but we had never visited the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park before. A shame because during our week in Bloemendaal aan Zee, we couldn’t get enough of it. Every day, we took a new walk through the area. We just missed a group of Wisents, but the surroundings are absolutely breathtaking.

The Nationaal Park Zuid-Kennemerland is a rugged dune area that stretches from Zandvoort to IJmuiden. A walk through this area is never boring, as the landscapes are incredibly diverse. At one moment, you’re walking among gigantic dune peaks, and the next, you find yourself at a beautiful lake. If you’re lucky, you might even spot European Bison (these animals are seriously huge), Scottish Highlanders, and horses. They surely have real names, but unfortunately, I can’t find them anywhere.


In addition to numerous walking routes, there’s also a cycling route through the area, and special bridle paths for horse riding. Dogs are welcome for the most part, but in areas where grazers roam, your loyal companion should stay behind. This is not without reason. Bison are gigantic and don’t like dogs; there’s even a chance they might chase your dog. Yup, Buddha the pug wouldn’t stand much of a chance.

Haarlem
Within no time, you’re in the heart of Haarlem, and we find that very convenient. This allows you to perfectly combine beach and city. Haarlem is one of those cities that almost conquers all hearts. Charming, cozy, full of great hotspots, museums, boutiques, and it’s not gigantic. If you’re in Bloemendaal aan Zee, take a moment to visit Haarlem.
Amsterdam
For us from Wijchen in the far southeast of the country, a half-hour drive to Amsterdam is, of course, nothing. If you have a bit more time in Bloemendaal aan Zee, you can easily add a day trip to Amsterdam. With public transport, you’re right in the middle of the city.
The Best Hotspots in Bloemendaal aan Zee & Haarlem
Just the fact that you have more than 70 options for delivery makes Bloemendaal a highly recommended destination. If there’s one thing we love during a weekend getaway or vacation, it’s going out for a nice meal. Unfortunately, peanut butter at the moment, because with Corona, we’re a bit stuck. Fortunately, we have Take Away, and it’s nice when you have a bit more choice than just a greasy pizza, sushi, or a fries Kapsalon. From Thai Curries to a luxurious Indonesian rice table. We made good use of it. Here are our tips:
#Bistro Indonesia: This hotspot had been high on my must-visit list for a while if I ever found myself in Haarlem. Lucky us, because you can simply take it away. From Bloemendaal aan Zee, you have to pick it up yourself. But you won’t regret it. We chose the Indonesian rice table, and it was REALLY divine. As an INDO, having grown up with the Indonesian kitchen and spent months in Indonesia itself, I’m quite critical when it comes to Indofood. But holy crap tarts, this was delicious. We’re going back to Haarlem soon just to pick up this rice table one more time. No joke!
Zijlstraat 49, 2011 TK Haarlem | bistrobarindonesia.nl
#Thai Food Zandvoort Krua Surin: Thai food always makes me very happy. I really enjoyed the curry from Krua Surin. Besides being a hotspot, it was also a budget tip since the curry was deliciously cheap, and we could easily eat it for two days.
Haltestraat 30, 2042 LN Zandvoort | krua-surin.com
#India Palace: Perhaps we unconsciously miss Asia a bit, because in addition to Thai food and Indofood, we decided to order Indian food one evening. My favorite. I went for paneer butter, YUMMM!!!
Gedempte Oude Gracht 29, 2011 GL Haarlem | indiapalace.nl
#Strandtent San Blas: This was one of the few beach pavilions in Bloemendaal aan Zee that was still open (despite Corona and the cold). You could get snacks here every day or enjoy delicious drinks like Jagertee and hot chocolate. It became our regular spot to end a walk. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to visit the beach pavilion “really” yet, so this mostly refers to take-out during the lockdown. And that was very nice after a walk.
Zeeweg 86, 2051 EC Overveen | sanblas.nl
Stay in Bloemendaal aan Zee
Stay at Qurios
We had seen the beautiful beach houses of Qurios several times. Although I’m not usually a big fan of holiday parks, the houses of Quiros appealed to me enormously. Quiros parks are not gigantic, and the houses all look super cute.
We quickly chose Qurios Bloemendaal. We opted for a small house for 4 people in the dunes of Bloemendaal aan Zee. The website might suggest that you are booking a house on the beach, but this is not the case. But you can’t complain because the surroundings are absolutely beautiful, and you’re on the beach in no time. The holiday park is located in the dune area, and you only have to cross a road to reach the beach.
More information about the house or book directly
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Ultimately, we stayed for 10 days at the Sea Lodge Adventure cottage on the park. The cottage is perfect for two people. It’s super nicely decorated, has a delightful bathroom, comfortable bed, kitchenette, seating area, and even a dining area for four. With 4 adults, it gets a bit tight. For instance, there’s only a small 2-person couch, so having a cozy evening around the TV becomes a bit challenging. There are 2 bedrooms, one adjoining the living room and one on the loft. Great for slightly older children.
The cottage also has a small veranda, and in the summer, you can relax in your own hammock. So, chilling to the fullest.
Although booking the cottage was a bit challenging, and we were spoken to unfriendly several times, the on-site staff were extremely helpful and friendly. It’s best to complete the booking through the booking system. This works easiest and fastest.
Book a beach house starting from 75 euros



Camping de Lakens
Camping de Lakens has been high on our must-visit list of camping sites in the Netherlands for years. The reason we haven’t visited the campsite so far is that it’s often fully booked, or we want to go for a night with the dog, but unfortunately, dogs are not welcome in the dune area where the campsite is located. Super unfortunate because it looks so cool. You can camp there, but they also have super cool unique accommodations. You can stay in an airstream (I WANT!), a beach dome, and there’s even an old school bus where you can crash. Check the site for all options.
This year (2021), we’re going to try again to secure a spot with our Campert de Cloverfield. So fingers crossed. Hopefully, we can share more about this trendy campsite soon.
More information about De Lakens
Bloemendaal aan Zee as a weekend getaway or vacation in your own country? We say go for it!
That’s it, dear people. All my tips for Bloemendaal aan Zee. For those who don’t want to read this monster article and have already scrolled all the way down.
For you, Bloemendaal aan Zee in a nutshell: lovely beach, stunning nature for walking (cycling and horse riding are also possible), full of hotspots, cool accommodations, and charming cities nearby. So, go for it!



