explore egmond & its surroundings
it nearly goes without saying how much we love egmond, the seaside and its nearby villages. therefore we love to share with you our favourite places to visit, where to shop, the must-sees in your holiday (even though we highly recommend to minimize your to-do-list when you're here) and where to find the finest gelato in town.
you can also download our 'guest-guide' with some tips
about the house and its surroundings for easy reference.
we wish you a wonderful stay.
warm regards,
koen, linda, puck & sammie
Guest guide
fancy a day in Alkmaar? well, there's enough to do in this old city of course! the famous cheese market every Friday morning might seem like a tourist thing to do, but is definitely fun.
old-school playground “De Batavier” on the edge of Alkmaar and Bergen is a large old school outdoor
playground with lots of activities and kids can run around wildly.
indoor & outdoor swimming pool “De Hoornse Vaart” has a leisure pool and huuuge water slides for bigger kids but also a nice water play area for the smaller ones to enjoy.
and wait, there is a “Beatles Museum” in Alkmaar, and it should be even larger than the one in Liverpool! ;)
if you're a fan of art: the "Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar" is one of the Netherlands’ oldest museums and directly located in the city centre, which might be a welcome change from the playgrounds and shopping.
after living there for over a decade, Haarlem is our number one favourite city to visit. so if you have some time, we love to share our recommendations. you can easily travel there by train, from the nearby train station in Heiloo, or drive approx. 35min by car. the city offers several parking garages, also close to the city center.
Haarlem is definitely a must visit for its museums; Teylers Museum (first and oldest museum in The Netherlands) and Frans Hals are our favourites by far. another activity we love to do is take a stroll through the city centre along the several 'Hofjes' (courtyards) and stop in the meantime with one of the many city playgrounds. haarlem has - just like amsterdam - a beautiful old city centre with canals and such; here you can take a boat tour or rent your own boat. if you're not a fan of boats; simply strolling along the Spaarne is also wonderful.
alkmaar & haarlem
the scenic artists’ village Bergen should be definitely on your list to visit, and you can easily cycle to this village on a pretty day. the stunning nature along the roads “Herenweg” and “Eeuwigelaan” on your way there is wonderful to enjoy in every season!
when you enter Bergen there is a children’s farm with deer, goats and lots of other animals. stroll around the village for an ice cream or some nice shopping.
in Bergen aan Zee you will find the aquarium; recently renovated and it has a lovely arrange of fish (you can even stroke the rays in their ‘Ray Reef’!) Playground Parnassia is nice to visit afterwards for a picnic. the forests around Bergen and Bergen aan Zee are also wonderful to explore.
for an active day we recommend to visit Schoorl, where you'll find the 'Klimduin'; with its 51 meters it is nearly the highest dune in the area. Kids will love it to play there and you can enjoy a cup of coffee on a terrace, or join them ;)
bergen & schoorl
the sand beaches of Egmond aan Zee cannot be missed of course. there are lots of nice pavillions for a quick bite or lazy lunch (see our guest-guide) but there’s more to do.
don’t forget to pay Miffy (Nijntje) in her boat a visit at the main entrance of the beach. you can play Mini Golf at Restaurant Natuurlijk and stay there for a high tea. if you’re up for more adventure you can rent surfboards with the Backyard Surfshop or discover more of our surroundings on the electric Coast Cruisers.
Heiloo is a lush village to the east of Egmond and it offers more than only the train station to Haarlem & Amsterdam ;) there is beautiful forest to roam free, which we highly recommend in autumn. Heiloo actually means ‘holy wood’ so it’s our own Hollywood as you please.
you can also visit outdoor swimmingpool 'Het Baafje' if you're not a big fan of sand between your toes. Also there's a wonderful outdoor playground at this location, only a 15 minute bike ride from Delvers Duinhuis.
egmond & heiloo
activities
Some of our favourite food recommendations are mentioned in our guest guide, but also visit “Brownies & Downies” for a nice coffee, cake or lunch while the kids can play indoors. Downies is an abbreviation for persons with the Down Syndrome, and we love the inclusive set-up of this place. “Stadsstrand De Kade” (Alkmaars’ city beach) is so much fun when the sun is out!
Restaurant “Het Ijkgebouw” on the city wall is also worth a visit.
Foodies should really visit Haarlem. From the very best coffee stop by “Ax Specialty Coffee”, golden oldie “Mogador Coffee” or the new kid in town “Jules Coffee & Concept” (run by the ever so stylish husband of influencer Linda Tol) to breakfast at “By Lima” or at “Native” in our beloved neighborhood De Vijfhoek (the five corners). also don't miss mini crêperie "Ti Bisou" and "Pip Deli" for a loooong bruch. And - mais oui - natural wine bar 'Zuid-Noord'.
alkmaar & haarlem
Bergen aan Zee has another favourite beach pavilion of ours: “Paviljoen Noord”. we are a BIG fan of their burgers & salads, and feel inspired by their interior design.
in Bergen (the village) there are plenty of nice cafés and restaurants. for the best coffee and sandwiches we always go the other branch of “Echt”, which is located next to the Ruin Church.
in Schoorl, with first class view on the aforementioned Klimduin you'll find "Joop Schoorl" our no.1 favourite place in Schoorl. their slogan is 'coffee & smiles' and that's exactly what we love.
bergen & schoorl
Egmond aan Zee (a 15min walk from Delvers) has plenty of restaurants to offer.
hereby some of our favourites; for the best apple pie with sea view please visit “De Windwijzer” (this is the small café at Boulevard Noord, nothing fancy but the pie is the best). then nearby you’ll find on the beach towards the North “Strandpaviljoen Evi Beach” with a simple but good lunch menu. on the opposite side of the boulevard (South beach) you’ll find “Nautilus”, which is always good for a quick meal and/or drink since you are located at the beach front. restaurant “Comer” is also lovely for a night out. and from april to september definitely try a delicious Italian ‘gelato’ at “Pravisani” (Voorstraat 120), they are here since 1947 and still serving the BEST ice cream in the region! :)
Egmond-Binnen has one of our all-time favourites: “Nieuw-Westert”. it is a renovated
monumental farm, with a large sunny terrace, beautiful lush gardens ánd outside play area for the kids!
in Heiloo you can get the best icecreams at 'Pinocchio' (close to the train station) but definitely don’t forget to take a coffee or lunch break at “Twinfin” when you're at the shopping mall “ ‘t Loo”.
egmond & heiloo
food & drinks
