If you’re searching for things to do in Heemskerk Netherlands, the biggest thing to know is that this is not a nonstop tourist-heavy destination like Amsterdam. Heemskerk felt much quieter, more residential, and far more local compared to a lot of the bigger Dutch cities we visited during our trip. But that slower pace ended up being part of why we liked it so much.
This area works especially well if you want a calmer home base while exploring northern Holland. You’re still close to major cities, beaches, windmills, tulip areas, and smaller Dutch towns, but you can come back somewhere peaceful at the end of the day instead of battling city-center chaos and parking garages every night.
For us, Heemskerk ended up being more about location, convenience, nature, and slower Dutch mornings than checking off a huge list of attractions.
If you’re still deciding where to base yourself during your trip, my Where to Stay in the Netherlands (Best Areas to Do in One Trip) guide helps break down which areas work best depending on your itinerary and travel style.
One of the biggest advantages of staying in Heemskerk is the location. From here, it was easy to take day trips around northern Holland without constantly dealing with Amsterdam traffic, expensive parking, or packed tourist areas all day long.
We found ourselves within driving distance of:
Driving around this part of the Netherlands also felt much easier compared to larger cities. Parking was simpler, roads felt less stressful, and getting between towns was pretty straightforward once we got outside the busiest Amsterdam areas.
It felt like a good middle ground between sightseeing and preserving your sanity.
If you’re planning to rent a car for the trip, Discover Cars made comparing rental car prices around the Netherlands much easier for us. I also have a full Driving in the Netherlands (What It’s Really Like for Tourists) guide if you want a realistic idea of parking, road signs, and what driving around Dutch cities is like before your trip.
We stayed at Hotel Heemskerk, which sits on the historic Marquette Estate surrounded by trees, walking paths, and quiet green space. The property felt modern but still peaceful, and the entire area had a slower atmosphere compared to larger Dutch cities.
The hotel itself worked well as a road trip base because it included free parking, breakfast options, bike rentals, and easy access to nearby towns and beaches. It made day trips around northern Holland feel much easier without constantly dealing with city-center logistics every time we left for the day.
One thing I liked was that you could still get around northern Holland pretty easily during the day, then come back somewhere quieter at night.
The estate itself is also home to Marquette Castle, which dates back to around 1250. Even if you’re not doing some huge sightseeing day, the area around the property is nice for walking around in the morning or after dinner.
I go into more detail about the property, rooms, breakfast, and location in my full Hotel Heemskerk Netherlands Review (What to Expect) guide.
The Marquette Estate ended up being one of the main highlights of staying in Heemskerk.
The grounds are filled with trees, walking paths, open green space, and historic buildings scattered throughout the property. It feels much more relaxed than staying directly in a city center packed with traffic and crowds.
Marquette Castle itself dates back to around 1250, the castle area is more about atmosphere than huge tourist attractions. It’s peaceful, scenic, and easy to wander around.
One of our mornings in Heemskerk was very intentionally slow.
We wandered around town, went into a few stores, and spent time just walking around the center without rushing to the next thing. Compared to Amsterdam, the atmosphere felt much quieter and more local.
This is not the type of place packed with major landmarks every few blocks. It’s more everyday Dutch life, local shops, bakeries, biking paths, and calmer streets.
And after several busy sightseeing days, that slower pace felt nice.
One of my favorite parts of our morning in Heemskerk was breakfast at Wim Koelman Bakery.
We had a long, slow breakfast there and ended up trying several Dutch pastries while hanging out for a while before heading off for the day. It felt much more local compared to some of the busier café areas we experienced in larger cities.
If you’re staying nearby, I’d absolutely recommend stopping there one morning. I also wrote a full Wim Koelman Bakery Review in Heemskerk (Best Dutch Pastries Near Amsterdam) with everything we ordered and what stood out most.
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Another big advantage of staying in Heemskerk is being close to the North Sea coast.
This area gives you easy access to beaches, dunes, coastal biking trails, and smaller beach towns without needing to stay directly in a crowded tourist beach area.
You can also reach places like Zandvoort fairly easily from here, which makes Heemskerk useful if you want to combine city sightseeing with beach time during the same trip.
The surrounding dune landscapes were one of the things that surprised me most about this part of the Netherlands. I expected canals, windmills, and tulips. I did not expect giant coastal dune areas that felt completely different from the cities.
This area is especially good for travelers who enjoy biking, walking, nature areas, and slower-paced travel days.
There are trails running through forests, countryside areas, dunes, and coastal sections nearby. Even just driving around this region felt easier and less crowded than the larger city areas.
Heemskerk works well for travelers who like road trips, slower evenings, quieter hotels, beach towns, biking routes, nature areas, easy day trips, and less stressful parking situations.
It’s probably not the best fit if you want nightlife, nonstop attractions, or a packed city-center atmosphere the entire trip.
Parking in Heemskerk was surprisingly easy compared to many other areas we visited in the Netherlands.
We found free parking across from Sint Agnes, and it was only about a 2–3 minute walk into town. Considering some of the parking situations we dealt with elsewhere during this trip, this felt like a tiny victory worth celebrating.
Especially after learning that Dutch parking garages love surprising you with words like “Vol,” which means full parking. A term I became emotionally familiar with during this trip.
If you’re planning day trips into Amsterdam during your stay, my How to Use Amsterdam Park and Ride (Cheapest and Easiest Way Into the City) guide can help save you a lot of parking stress.
The best things to do in Heemskerk Netherlands are less about famous attractions inside the town itself and more about the overall experience of staying there.
For us, Heemskerk worked best as a peaceful home base surrounded by nature while still being close to major northern Holland destinations. We liked having quieter evenings, easier parking, slower mornings, and convenient access to both cities and coastal areas without staying directly in the middle of tourist crowds the entire time.
I’d especially recommend Heemskerk for travelers planning a Netherlands road trip, tulip season itinerary, beach-focused trip, or anyone wanting a calmer alternative to Amsterdam hotels.
If you end up booking anything for your trip, using my affiliate links helps support my blog at no extra cost to you. I spend a lot of time researching and writing these guides, so I really appreciate the support.
@peacefulsidesocial is what happens when someone builds exactly the restaurant a mountain town deserves. Made-from-scratch food. Craft beer brewed on site. A kids’ play area outside, & mountain views from the patio. ⛰️
It’s casual in the best way, the kind of place where you sit down for lunch and suddenly it’s two hours later and you don’t care.
@cityoftownsend | 📍Townsend, TN
I walked through the gates and immediately understood why people fly back to Curaçao just for this place. 🌴
23 rooms. Private beach. A Balinese-inspired resort built stone by stone by the owners themselves. Buddha statues next to conch shells. Candles lit everywhere at night. Beachfront dining that eats like fine dining but feels like you’re just having dinner on the sand.
It’s currently the #1 resort in the Caribbean and after spending time there, I get it completely.
Full review linked in bio
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I walked down to the beach and immediately noticed how calm the water was. 🐚
It sits in a small cove, so there’s really no waves pushing in. You just walk right in without thinking about it. I grabbed my snorkel (they actually rent them for free at the resort, which I didn’t expect) and went out near the pier and stayed way longer than I planned, because the water was that clear.
Honest caveat: if you need a lot of energy and activity at a beach, this probably isn’t it. It’s quiet, it’s calm, and you’re mostly just... sitting there. Which for me was exactly the point.☀️
Full Baoase review linked in bio. 🔗
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Dinner at Baoase in Curaçao isn’t just a restaurant, you’re walking into a full resort setting where everything feels intentional. The table is right by the water, the food is French-inspired with tropical and Asian flavors woven in, and the whole thing moves slowly in the best way. We sat there for hours and didn’t want it to end.
✨ Culinary Beach Restaurant, oceanside tables, candlelit ambiance
✨ French-inspired menu with tropical and Asian influences
✨ Service that’s attentive without being over the top
✨ The kind of dinner you’re still thinking about days later
Fair warning: this isn’t a casual grab-a-table kind of spot. You’re making a reservation, thinking through your outfit, and blocking off the whole evening and it’s worth every bit of that.
If you’re celebrating something or just want one dinner that feels a little extra, this is where to do it. Full Baoase resort review linked in bio. 🔗
Curaçao has the beaches everyone talks about, and then it has these. The spots that made this trip actually feel like mine weren’t on any resort map. I found them by renting a car, asking locals, and just following what looked good.
✨ Playa Lagun: a calm little cove where the water does all the work
✨ Playa Kalki: rocky entry, but the snorkeling right off shore is worth it
✨ Playa Jeremi: no rentals, no crowds, no setup. Just the beach
✨ Fort Nassau: watched the sun go down over Willemstad and stayed for dinner
✨ Hofi Cas Cora: breakfast on an actual farm and the freshest food of the whole trip
✨ Willemstad Street Party: I had no idea Thursday nights turned into that. Just followed the music.
✨ Playa Forti: cliff jumping and amazing food, talk about dinner and a show!
Honest caveat: if you need everything planned and structured, a few of these will feel a little too unpolished. But if you like the kind of trip where the best parts are the ones you stumble into, this is exactly that.
All 7 spots with full details are linked in bio. ☀️
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Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
