Egmond aan den Hoef

To the left of the main road on the way to the beach and about 20 minutes from Alkmaar, is a secret little spot that only the locals seem to know about, despite it being in plain sight as you drive by!

While it is not a massive area, it is certainly good enough for an hour long stroll, and is perfect if you want to just get away from the constant tourism at the beach or in the popular dunes areas. Having said that, do not expect to have the space to yourself here, the tourists may miss this area but the locals do not.

The off leash area is the section between the Bloedweg bike path and Egmonderstraatweg, west of the Van Oldenborgweg. There is a fence with closable entrance-gates running parallel to the main road, making it safe to let your pup run free without risk of accidents but access to the other sides of the area are not fenced off.

The landscape here is a lovely mix of a large open field, uncharacteristically hilly pathways through the trees and a bit of dunescape. It may not be huge in square metres but the pathways slalom around the trees which means you can make the walk longer than simply walking around the perimeter. At one point the walking area ends with a clearly placed wire fence, and that will lead you down to the Bloedweg bike path, but you only need to walk along it for a few minutes until you find a way back into the forest area. Of course you can simply turn back the way you came if you want to avoid the bike path completely.

The views are lovely when you climb up to the top of the dunes part, you can look over Egmond to the sea and catch some of the sea breeze. Definitely worth the effort!

This area is connected to an official hiking area, so look out for dog-free walkers who may not appreciate being greeted by your four-footer. Also horse paths are numerous in the area.

There is no water here, unless it has been raining and left puddles then there is not even a quick sip, so do bring a water bottle with you for you and your pup on a hot day.

Parking is possible in the Van Oldenborghweg where there are a few parking bays to choose from.