Beach clubs Castricum aan Zee
Fancy a bite to eat, a drink and/or a walk along the coastline? There is plenty to do on the beach of Castricum aan Zee, just 950 metres from Camping Bakkum! Club Zand, Zoomers, Zeezicht and Deining are the beach bars where you can enjoy a good menu on the beach, sometimes with live music. Club Zand is known for its laidback beach vibe, just like Deining, Zeezicht and Zoomers have an extensive, high-quality menu. Parking is available for a daily rate, or take the coastal bus from the campsite during high season.
Swimming pool Waterakkers
De Waterakkers in Heemskerk is not only a well-known tropical swimming paradise. There are also other relaxation options, such as Sauna & Thermen "De Waterakkers". Here you can be pampered in a friendly and Mediterranean atmosphere. You will find a great diversity of facilities, including sunbed and massage facilities and a beauty salon. Swimming pool de Waterakkers has various pools, a slide and a sunbathing area. It is located 7 minutes by car from Camping Bakkum. At the reception we sell entrance tickets with a discount.
Canoe rental de Aker
Canoe rental De Aker was founded in 1972 and has since gained national fame due to its beautiful routes and fun, relaxed atmosphere. Canoe rental De Aker enables you to enjoy water sports and nature for a reasonable price. Let yourself be surprised, just like the many families and groups before you. Enjoy the surroundings and make memories that last. You'll love the beautiful nature in this typical North Holland landscape, located between Krommenie and Uitgeest. There are also sup-boards for rent!
Guesthouse Ruiterhuys
At Guesthouse Ruiterhuys you'll spend the day in the middle of nature, along with a lot of animals. An environment par excellence for wonderful walks, bike rides and dune rides on horseback. "Het Ruiterhuys" is located on the edge of the extensive North Holland Dune Reserve. In short: the ideal place to enjoy the country side and hospitality. Restaurant Ruiterhuys consists of a cozy restaurant, terrace, a playing field with safe equipment, a petting zoo, an indoor riding school and a small-scale bed & breakfast with horse stables.
Johanna's Hof
After a wonderful visit to the forest and dunes near Castricum, get yourself a nice meal or drink at restaurant Johanna's Hof. This restaurant is located across the road from the campsite. The pancakes are highly recommended! Johanna's Hof has a beautiful children's playground. The kids will have a great time here. There is also an small petting zoo where in the spring you may often see young goats, ponies with foals or chicks. Next to Johanna's Hof is Visitors' Centre de Hoep.
Monkey Town
There are gigantic play equipment full of challenging tunnels and secret passages. Children can climb and clamber at Monkey Town Indoor Play Paradise, crawl through tunnels and jump on the bouncy castles and trampolines, play laser games, escape rooms, play football in the cage or play with super Lego and romp in the ball pits. The indoor playground of Monkey Town is the most fun for children from 1 to 10 years old. Located in Uitgeest (among others).
Guesthouse Kruisberg
At Guesthouse Kruisberg you're able to enjoy great hospitality from Wednesday to Sunday. In the dunes near Heemskerk, in the shelter of a large parabolic dune, is the farm. There are many beautiful, cozy, playful, animal-rich, sunny or shady places where you can relax with coffee and something tasty, a good lunch or dinner at, for example, the famous Scottish Highlander burgers! With their own livestock (more than 600 animals), the Kruisberg provides grazing for the PWN from the Crosshill foundation, on more than 1000 hectares of beautiful dune area, between Wijk aan Zee and Castricum.
Fortress island IJmuiden
Have you always wanted to know what the mysterious fort in front of the floodgates of IJmuiden looks like on the inside? Curious about what happened there in the past? The "Forteiland IJmuiden Association" organizes the public days on the normally not open to the public fortress island with over 90 volunteers. A fun and educational day out for young and old! During the public days you will get a historical tour after which you can explore the island on your own. The crossing to the 'Forteiland' is provided by the "Koningin Emma", a seaworthy passenger ship.
Oer-IJ area
The history of the Oer-IJ area goes back about five thousand years. Until the beginning of the Common Era, a side arm of the Rhine flowed through this vast green landscape. Called the Oer-IJ. With an open connection to the sea in Castricum. At high tide, the salt water washed inland. It looked like a rugged mudflat area here, full of creeks and gullies. With beach ridges, sandbanks and salt marshes. A tidal landscape. Nature shaped it then. Enthusiastic guides will take you on various interesting excursions.
Visitor Center de Hoep
Young and old are informed in a fascinating way about the nature in the North Holland Dune Reserve and about the role of the dunes in the drinking water supply by PWN. Visitor center De Hoep organizes various activities and excursions, also especially for children, and there is a beautiful garden around the building. At De Hoep they are happy to help you plan a walking or cycling tour along special places in the dunes, such as the birdwatching hut and the water bell. For all current activities and special excursions, see the agenda of De Hoep.
Zaanse Schans
There is much to see in this typical Dutch, historical environment: various museums, old crafts (including cheese and clogs), working mills (paint, oil, wood and mustard), nice streets with shops and authentic green wooden houses. The Zaanse Schans is a freely accessible residential and working area from 1850. Despite the fact that visitors from all over the world visit the heritage every day, it is good to know that people still live there. Visit the Zaanse Schans for a fun day out!
Cheese market Alkmaar
The Alkmaar cheese market takes place from March to September, every Friday on the Waagplein. Thousands of visitors from all over the world come to Alkmaar especially for the cheese market. It is a special spectacle with a square full of cheese and carrying cheese porters. The market has been held on the Waagplein since 1593. Every cheese market starts at 10:00 with the ringing of the bell. Then the trading begins. There are also special editions, evening and children's cheese markets during the high season.
Restaurant De Oude Keuken
Not far from Camping Bakkum you will find De Oude Keuken. An atmospheric restaurant in a monumental building with a large, sunny terrace. In the green district on the border of the Duin en Bosch estate and Bakkum, DOK takes a central place. People with a distance to the labor market gain work experience and local residents meet each other. There are changing exhibitions and musical Sundays. An excellent place to interrupt your bike ride or walk for a cup of coffee or a delicious lunch with organic products.
Museum Huis van Hilde
In Castricum, opposite the station, is the archaeological information centre Huis van Hilde. Look and discover how our ancestors used to live. They were just like us, but lived very differently... Come and meet Hilde from Castricum, Cees the Stone Age Man, the Alkmaar woman Brecht and many others. Archaeologists dug up skeletons from the soil of North Holland and managed to reconstruct their faces exceptionally well. They look as if they traveled effortlessly through time, to the here and now!
Markets in the area
There are several nice weekly markets in Alkmaar, Uitgeest, Bergen, Egmond aan Zee, Castricum, Heiloo and Heemskerk. In Alkmaar there is a vendors market and organic market every Saturday. From April to September there is the famous cheese market every Friday and the last Wednesday of September there is an great annual market. In Castricum there is a market every Friday and from April to September there is a cozy and extensive annual market once a month on Sunday.
Pontjesroute by bike
The Pontjesroute starts near Camping Bakkum. During this varied cycling route you will cross the ferry no less than four times, two of which you operate yourself by turning a winch. Fun to do with (older) children! Along the way you will pass nature reserves, dikes, mills, pumping stations and villages such as Castricum, Akersloot and de Woude. This is a good place to take a break. The route is 51 km. You could also halve it and take the short route.
Sailing school and boat rental Uitgeestermeer
Sailing School & Boat Rental Het Uitgeestermeer is the perfect place for a fun day on or by the water! Explore the lake from one of the sloops, motorboats or sailboats and end the day on the sunny terrace. Go out and actively with the canoe or come and try challenging paddle boarding, take sailing lessons and surfing lessons on the lake; for children they provide special weekend and holiday courses. Looking for a fun day out? View the packages and combine sailing, paddle boarding and drinks for the ideal day on and by the water.
