Walking in Camperduin and surroundings
Discover the most beautiful walking routes around Camperduin, where beach, dunes and polder landscape blend seamlessly. From Strandhotel Camperduin you walk straight into nature.
On this page we share our best tips for walks along vast beaches, the unique dune area of Schoorl and picturesque villages nearby. Get inspired and explore the area on foot, with plenty of opportunities for short and long trips. At the hotel we also have extra booklets with walking tours available.
Hiking in the Schoorl Dunes
The Schoorl Dunes are the widest dune area in the Netherlands and a true paradise for hikers. You will find routes ranging from short detours to brisk treks of more than 15 kilometers. Popular walks take you through woods, heathland and along high dune tops overlooking the sea. A tip for those who want to watch the heather in full bloom: the flowering season runs from mid-July to mid-September, in August the heather is in full bloom.
Walks along the coast: Camperduin to Petten
One of the most beautiful coastal walks is the route from Camperduin to Petten. You walk along the Hondsbossche Zeewering, the newly constructed dunes and the wide beach. Especially at sunset, this is an impressive walk.
Walking through villages and polder landscape
Not only the coast, also the surroundings of Bergen, Groet and Alkmaar offer atmospheric walking routes. Think of a relaxing walk through the polder, or a combination of nature and culture with a historic city walk in Alkmaar.
Hiking with children in Schoorl and surroundings
With children, the Klimduin in Schoorl is an absolute must. While the little ones are endlessly climbing and playing in the loose sand, you yourself enjoy a coffee at one of the cozy restaurants on the dunevoe. The Camperduin beach and Sint Maartenszee beach are also ideal for a family walk.
Our tips for hiking trails around Camperduin
Schoorl Dunes Hiking Trails (5-17 km)
Klimduin Schoorl - playing and hiking with children
Camperduin - Petten coastal walk
Bergen aan Zee - through forest, dunes and beach (18-20 km)
Historical walk Alkmaar center
Walk Camperduin - Hargen aan zee - Schoorl aan Zee - Schoorl Dunes - Vogelmeer - along Groet (14km)
The route starts in Camperduin, at the lagoon behind the sea wall. From here you walk onto the beach and follow the coast southward past Hargen aan Zee to Schoorl aan Zee. This is a wide and quiet beach with few buildings.
At Schoorl aan Zee, you leave the beach via the dune crossing and walk into the Schoorl Dunes area. The route goes through open dunes and forest, passing the Vogelmeer, where many water birds can often be seen. You can also return through the dunes directly to Camperduin at Schoorl by the sea, making the walk a lot shorter.
After the Vogelmeer you follow the paths toward Groet. You walk along the edge of the village, overlooking the church tower and open polder land.
From Groet, the last part of the route returns to Camperduin, via quiet dune paths and shell roads.
A varied walk with beach, dune, forest and polder, good to walk in half a day.
Hiking nodes: 16, 15,47, 48, 21, 23, 22, 9, 19, 27, 41, 40, 42, 50, 35, 47, 4, 3, 10, 11, 16
Camperduin - the Wells - new beach Camperduin (2 km)
Camperduin is full of fun facts and this varied ±4 km kilometer walk will introduce you to Camperduin and its history.
You start the walk on the dike (A) opposite beach restaurant Struin. After a major storm in 1432 swept away the line of dunes between Petten and Camperduin, work began on the construction of a dike between Camperduin and Petten. Over the past hundreds of years, the dike has been reinforced, raised and moved several times. After the new row of dunes was constructed in 2014, this dike - the Hondsbossche Zeewering - could be retired. If you walk across the Hondbossche Zeewering to the north (B) you will see concrete dragon's teeth on your right. These were constructed in World War II as part of the Atlantic Wall to stop tanks.
Halfway down the dike (C), between Petten and Camperduin, is De Putten bird sanctuary. This bird lake was once created after clay was excavated to reinforce the dike. Today it is a safe nesting place for Terns and other birds. The specially constructed shell islands offer birds a safe nesting place in spring and summer. Now cross from the dike, over the dunes, to the beach (D). Stay by the walk/bike path for a moment and realize that this was the shoreline until 2014. In that year, the beach and dunes were expanded with 35 million mÑ of sand from the North Sea, strengthening one of the weak links in Dutch coastal protection. Another 1.2 million mÑ of sand was added in 2022.
Now continue crossing the dune toward the beach. Here you will find a sign with more information about the Wells. At the level of (E) is the wreck of Prince George. The ship was part of the Royal Navy and during its service was mainly in the Mediterranean Sea and the Dardanelles. On December 28, 1921, the Prince George went adrift in a big storm and ran aground on the coast off Camperduin.
Since then, the ship lay in the surf until it disappeared under the sand on July 28, 2014. You now walk along the beach to the play ship by the lagoon (F). This play ship was inspired by one of the greatest but also most unknown naval battles in Dutch maritime history - which took place on October 11, 1797. On the information board you can read more about the Battle of Camperduin.
Walking route: Camperduin - Hargen - Schoorl - Bergen aan Zee - Bergen - Schoorl Dunes - Camperduin (22 km)
The route starts in Camperduin, at the lagoon behind the sea wall. From here you walk onto the beach and follow the coast southward past Hargen aan Zee and Schoorl aan Zee toward Bergen aan Zee. This part of the beach is quiet and wide, with beautiful views of sea and dunes.
In Bergen aan Zee you leave the beach and head inland towards Bergen village via the Zeeweg. Here you may pause on a terrace or at a café.
From Bergen you walk back into the Schoorl Dunes area. The route takes you on varied paths through forest and open dunes, with height differences and viewpoints.
Along the forest edge near Schoorl, the path bends northward. Here you walk between forest and polder, with occasional views of open country.
The last part of the hike takes you back to Camperduin, where you come out again to the lagoon and the sea.
A long but walkable circular walk with lots of variety: beach, dunes, forest and village - a complete impression of the North Holland coastal area.
Hiking nodes: 16, 15, 47, 48, 21, 81, 80, 72, 71, 82, 26, 25, 1, 2, 5, 12, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 28, 33, 34, 50, 35, 37, 4, 3, 10, 3, 10, 11, 16
Camperduin - the Wells - Groet - Dunes - Hargen (4 km)
The route starts in Camperduin, on the old dike of the Hondsbosse Zeewering. The wide dunes and the new beach area show well how the coast has been fortified here. From the sea wall you have an unobstructed view of the sea and polder.
The trail then turns to The Wells, a low-lying nature reserve with shallow pools and grasslands. It is a place full of birds; especially in spring, avocets, terns and lapwings nest here. From a vantage point you can get a good look over the area.
Further on you walk past Groet, a quiet village with narrow streets and an old church. It forms the transition between the open polder land and the dunes. In the village is a café and some restaurants where you can take a break.
After Groet, the route enters the dune area. Here the landscape changes markedly: sandy paths, low pines and open dune valleys alternate.
The walk ends via Hargen aan Zee, a wide beach entrance overlooking the North Sea. It is a good place to get some fresh air or have a drink at the pavilion. From here you walk along the lagoon back to Camperduin.
A varied walk along sea, polder, village and dune - characteristic of the North Holland coastal landscape
Hikes from Wandelnetwerk Noordholland
The website 'Wandelnetwerk Noord-Holland' also lists some beautiful walks with Camperduin as their starting point. Wandelnetwerk Noord-Holland is managed by Recreatie Noord-Holland, Recreatieschap Westfriesland and Visit Gooi & Vecht, in cooperation with various site managers. This website contains beautiful routes with clearly marked walks. We have made a selection of 2 routes here, but there are more options.
The green route (8.5 km)
The green route is a scenic route that runs north through the Wells, returning to Camperduin through the polder and Hargervaart. Look here for the full route.
Dune Top Route (20.3 km)
This route starts at the visitor center in Schoorl, but also passes Camperduin at point 15 on the route. Therefore, the route can also be started in Camperduin. This route goes through the beautiful Schoorl Dunes and passes the highest points of the Schoorl Dunes. On this page you can read the complete route