egmond & heiloo

in Egmond aan Zee you can find the surfshop “Backyard Surfshop” not only for renting surfboards, they also offer apparel, swimshorts, etc.
Then “Tally-ho”, a lovely women’s apparel boutique, also resides in de Voorstraat. As does 'Intercity' another women's boutique, with trendy affordable apparel.

Heiloo has quite some shopping to offer. In shopping mall " 't Loo" you can find all sorts of stores, like HEMA, Etos (drugstore) and another Albert Heijn, but also another branche of 'Tally-Ho'.
However for the coolest kids apparel we can’t recommend “Milck” down by the train station enough.


bergen & schoorl

Bergen is also a is must-see if you have never been before. There are lots of nice restaurants to choose from and lovely shops to visit. For example, another branch of “Tally-ho”, the concept store “PT post”, and home accessories & clothing store “Sissy-Boy” (often with a nice offer of kids’ apparel) and “Stadspaviljoen Noord” for stylish kitchen knick knacks and homewares. Close to the Ruin Church is “Camelot” with brands such as Acne Studios, Ganni, Isabel Marant, etc. And from there around the corner definitely don’t miss “l’Etoile store”, our all-time favourite for Scandinavian interior design. Last – but not least as they say – you’ll find down the road from l’Etoile the bakery + wine store (love that combination) “La Vie Locale”.


alkmaar & haarlem

Alkmaar obviously has the high street stores and plenty of cheese stores, but also offer a few cute boutique style stores, such as “Dille & Kamille” for home goods and “TwentyoneWood” for stylish men and women apparel. however, besides these stores, personally we prefer to shop in Bergen or Haarlem over Alkmaar.

in Haarlem you can find my all-time favourite apparel (men+women) is "Drifter store". for interior shopping we love "The James".
the street Kleine Houtstraat was awarded ‘the best shopping street of The Netherlands’, there you’ll find plenty of nice stores, also for the little ones. the no.1 toystore in town is “Meneer Paprika”. simply go there & you’ll see why ;)




egmond & heiloo

Egmond aan Zee 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”.


bergen & schoorl

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. on the edge of the forest and the dunes, just outside the center is another favorite; 'Duinvermaak' for the famous pancakes (but they make a mean pizza too). oh and don't forget about the outside playground. 

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.


alkmaar & haarlem

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” 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'. 

egmond & heiloo

in Egmond aan Zee you can find the surfshop “Backyard Surfshop” not only for renting surfboards, they also offer apparel, swimshorts, etc.
Then “Tally-ho”, a lovely women’s apparel boutique, also resides in de Voorstraat. As does 'Intercity' another women's boutique, with trendy affordable apparel.

Heiloo has quite some shopping to offer. In shopping mall " 't Loo" you can find all sorts of stores, like HEMA, Etos (drugstore) and another Albert Heijn, but also another branche of 'Tally-Ho'.
However for the coolest kids apparel we can’t recommend “Milck” down by the train station enough.

bergen & schoorl

Bergen is also a is must-see if you have never been before. There are lots of nice restaurants to choose from and lovely shops to visit. For example, another branch of “Tally-ho”, the concept store “PT post”, and home accessories & clothing store “Sissy-Boy” (often with a nice offer of kids’ apparel) and “Stadspaviljoen Noord” for stylish kitchen knick knacks and homewares. Close to the Ruin Church is “Camelot” with brands such as Acne Studios, Ganni, Isabel Marant, etc. And from there around the corner definitely don’t miss “l’Etoile store”, our all-time favourite for Scandinavian interior design. Last – but not least as they say – you’ll find down the road from l’Etoile the bakery + wine store (love that combination) “La Vie Locale”.


alkmaar & haarlem

Alkmaar obviously has the high street stores and plenty of cheese stores, but also offer a few cute boutique style stores, such as “Dille & Kamille” for home goods and “TwentyoneWood” for stylish men and women apparel. however, besides these stores, personally we prefer to shop in Bergen or Haarlem over Alkmaar.

in Haarlem you can find my all-time favourite apparel (men+women) is "Drifter store". for interior shopping we love "The James". 
the street Kleine Houtstraat was awarded ‘the best shopping street of The Netherlands’, there you’ll find plenty of nice stores, also for the little ones. 
the no.1 toystore in town is
 “Meneer Paprika”. simply go there & you’ll see why ;)



egmond & heiloo

Egmond aan Zee 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”.


bergen & schoorl

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.
on the edge of the forest and the dunes, just outside the center is another favorite; 'Duinvermaak' for the famous pancakes (but they make a mean pizza too). oh and don't forget about the outside playground. 

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.


alkmaar & haarlem

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” 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'. 

shopping

egmond & heiloo

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 close to Heiloo at this location, a 15-ish minute bikride from Etoile31.


bergen & schoorl

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. swimming pool 'de Beeck' is highly recommended as an easy going indoor swimming destination (perfect with the little ones or if you like getting away from the crowds.).

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 ;) 


alkmaar & haarlem

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.

to be honest, 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.

egmond & heiloo

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 close to Heiloo at this location, a 15-ish minute bikride from Etoile31.


bergen & schoorl

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 ;) 


alkmaar & haarlem

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.

to be honest, 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.

activities

FOOD & DRINKS