Coastal Dune Walks

Behind the beaches and boulevards of the Dutch coast near Den Haag runs a much wider and quieter belt of land: rolling dunes covered in marram grass, low shrubs and scattered pine woodland, protected as nature reserves and largely left to their own devices. Most visitors never walk more than a few minutes into them, drawn instead to the beach clubs and the boulevard, which leaves the dunes themselves surprisingly empty even on a busy summer weekend.

The dunes here do real work beyond scenery. Much of the sand belt serves as a natural water catchment, filtering rainwater that is later drawn for drinking water, which is part of why large stretches of it are managed as protected reserve rather than developed.

Meijendel, just north of Den Haag toward Wassenaar, is one of the most accessible dune reserves on this stretch of coast, with a network of marked paths running through varied terrain, from open dune tops with sea views to sheltered valleys thick with scrub. It is reachable by bus from the city centre and makes an easy half-day walk without needing a car.

Solleveld, a little further south toward Hoek van Holland, offers a similar landscape with fewer visitors on an average day, a good option for travellers who found Meijendel busier than expected.

The paths vary from firm sandy tracks to softer, looser sand on the higher dune tops, so comfortable walking shoes matter more here than they would on a paved city walk. Distances between waymarked junctions are usually short, and most reserves offer a choice of shorter loops or longer routes depending on how much of the day you want to give to walking.

Nearly everything covered on foot in these reserves can also be covered by bike, and cycling opens up a much longer stretch of coast in the same half day than walking ever could. Marked cycle paths run through and around most of the reserves, connecting toward Scheveningen in one direction and further down the coast toward Hoek van Holland in the other, so a longer loop is entirely possible for anyone who would rather cover distance than linger.

Bicycles can be hired in Den Haag itself before heading out, and the terrain, while occasionally soft with loose sand on the highest dune crests, is manageable on an ordinary city bike for most of the network of paths, though an electric bike takes the effort out of the longer stretches for anyone planning a full loop rather than a short circuit.

Look closely while walking through the higher dunes and low concrete bunkers occasionally break the skyline, remnants of coastal defences built during the Second World War as part of a much longer chain of fortifications running the length of the European coast. Most are unmarked and simply left where they were built, half sunk into the sand and grown over with grass, a quiet, easy-to-miss layer of twentieth-century history laid over a much older landscape.

None of it is signposted as a formal attraction, so the appeal is mostly in stumbling across one mid-walk rather than seeking it out deliberately, a small reminder of how much this coastline has seen even in a landscape that otherwise looks entirely untouched.

A morning in the dunes pairs naturally with an afternoon at Scheveningen, the beach and boulevard only a short walk or bus ride from several of the reserve entrances, a good way to trade an active morning for a slower, more social afternoon by the sea.

This kind of day suits companions with real energy for the outdoors rather than a leisurely city stroll. Laura rides horses and skis for fun and treats an unplanned walking route as an adventure rather than a chore, genuinely happiest when a day involves moving rather than sitting still. Sonya brings a calm, grounded presence that suits open dune landscape particularly well, comfortable with quiet stretches of a walk where conversation naturally falls away.

A morning or a full day of walking is booked as travel company rather than a single evening. Let us know on WhatsApp how many hours of walking you have in mind, and the name suggested back will be someone who actually wants to cover that distance rather than tolerate it. The usual fare applies whatever the pace of the day turns out to be.