Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen

Hollandse Duinen is the strange one among Dutch national parks: 18,300 hectares of dune, beach and estate wedged into the busiest corner of the country, with tram stops and city edges never far away. It runs 43 kilometres along the North Sea from Hoek van Holland to Hillegom, stitching together some 33 separate areas: the shifting sand of Meijendel and Berkheide, the old woodland of Solleveld and the Staelduinse Bos, the engineered Zandmotor sandbank, bulb fields around Lisse, and country estates like Clingendael, Ockenburgh and Duivenvoorde. More than 6,800 species have been recorded here, which is remarkable for a park you can reach by bike from a tram stop. Expect foxes and rabbits at dusk, seals hauled out on the beach, sand lizards on warm slopes, and Scottish Highland cattle grazing the valleys. Solitude exists, but you have to walk inland from the beach entrances to find it.

It is flat and easy walking, so distance rather than climbing sets the pace: dune crossings from Wassenaar to the sea run 8 to 12 kilometres return, and long-distance routes link estates over several days. Cycling is arguably the better way to cover ground, with marked routes past bunkers, Roman heritage and the bulb region. Swimming, kitesurfing and sailing work along the whole coast, with the Zandmotor a favourite for wind sports. Late April and May are best for the bulb fields and dune orchids, autumn for fungi and quiet trails. Two things visitors underestimate: parts of Meijendel and Berkheide are drinking water catchment areas with stricter rules, so stay on marked paths and check whether dogs are allowed in the section you are entering, and the beach entrances get very crowded on the first warm weekend while the inner dunes stay almost empty.