Zandvoort

24km (15 miles) W of Amsterdam; 7 km (4 1/2 miles) W of Haarlem

If you feel like drawing a breath of fresh sea air and you don't have much time for it, do what most Amsterdammers do: Head for Zandvoort. On the North Sea coast just west of Haarlem (on the same rail line from Amsterdam), the resort is brash and brassy in summer, though it often looks forlorn in the off-season. Yet even in winter it's an Amsterdam tradition to take the train here, stroll up and down along the shore for an hour or so, then, repair to one of the town's cafes.

Getting There

Trains depart hourly from Amsterdam Central Station for Zandvoort. Transfer at Haarlem (where the Zandvoort train is usually waiting on the adjacent platform). During summer months extra trains go direct from Centraal Station. In either case, the trip time is around 30 minutes. Buses depart every 30 minutes from outside Centraal Station, but they take longer than the train. By car go via Haarlem, on N5, A5, and N200, but beware of frequent long traffic lines in summer.

Visitor Information

VVV Zandvoort, Schoolplein 1, 2042 VD Zandvoort (tel. 023/571-7947; fax 023/571-7003; www.vvvzk.nl), opposite the bus station in the center of town. The office is open January to March and October to December, Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5pm, Saturday from 10am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 3:30pm; April to mid-July and mid-August to September, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm; mid-July to mid-August, Monday to Saturday from 9am to 7pm.

What to See & Do

There is not much more to Zandvoort than its beach, but what a beach! In summer, this seemingly endless stretch of smooth sand is lined with dozens of temporary beach cafe-restaurants. Besides the mainstream beaches, there are gay and naturist beaches, where the shocking sight of a clothed individual can generate considerable moral outrage.

Windsurfing is pretty good, and Zandvoort hosts international competitions in this sport, and in catamaran racing.

The Dutch Formula One Grand Prix motor race used to be run at Circuit Park Zandvoort, Burg van Alphenstraat 63 (tel. 023/574-0740), in the north of the town. For now, the circuit hosts only smaller events. If you come on a summer weekend, you might find a Formula Three training session or a Porsche meeting under way.

Equally racy, though less noisy, is Holland Casino Zandvoort, Badhuisplein 7 (tel. 023/574-0574), in the center behind the seafront promenade. There are roulette, blackjack, punto banco, fruit machines, and more. The dress code is "correct" (collar and tie for men), and the minimum age is 18. You need your passport to get in. The casino is open daily (except May 4, Dec 31) from 1:30pm to 3am. Admission is 3€ ($3.75).

Solitude amid surroundings of natural beauty can be found by walking among the 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres) of sand dunes, deciduous and pine forest, grassland, and small lakes in the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park, north of town. Reinforced by native vegetation, these dunes play an important part in the sea defense system and have been designated nature reserves. You can have an active fresh-air experience here, strolling along pathways -- that once were used by fishermen's wives bringing their menfolks' catch from the coast to market -- through the woods on the landward side and westward across the dunes toward the sea. A variety of plants, some of them rare, occupies this relatively small area, and you can spot up to 230 species of birds, including rare crossbills and sea eagles. The beach is never far away.