Alkmaar 

1. Trip around Oudorp: 9 km.
2. Around the Bergermeer: 12 km.
3. Round trip in Koedijk/Huiswaard of 8.6 km (starting point 2.8 km from the city center).

Kayak rentals:

Camping 500 meters from the Ringvaart Bergermeer:

Waagtoren

From the ponton bridge Vlotbrug at Koedijk the distance to Schooldam is 6.1 km. About halfway you can turn right to the lake in the recreation area Geestmerambacht (1 portage). In the middle of the lake is a peninsula with a kayak-pier. This area is meant for nude recreation. It is not connected to the waterways behind Koedijk.

You can paddle to Egmond a.d. Hoef (near the foundations of the castle). Distance from the center of Alkmaar is 6.8 km.

You can also go in the direction of Egmond-Binnen. The canal ends in the meadows as some distance of the abbey (you can't reach the village). Follow the Hoevervaart. Outside Alkmaar you can take the first side canal sharp left. You go behind the new houses of Heiloo (2 portages). The second side canal to the left has no portages. Distance to the end of the canal from the center of Alkmaar is 7,9 km. 

From the center of Alkmaar to Akersloot (Alkmaardermeer) is 8 km following the Noordhollands Kanaal. This is a long straight stretch.

From the center of Alkmaar to Langedijk is 9 km.

1. Oudorp (round of 9 km.)

Mapmyride: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/netherlands/alkmaar/151222929

GPS:  Hoornse Vaart: Lat. 52.6402, Lon 4,7741.        GPS 't Hengelaertje: Lat. 52.639100, Lon 4.786079

Start along the Hoornse Vaart: Leave the northern beltway at exit St. Pancras/Oudorp in the direction Oudorp. Just after the bend you turn right and left again. A sign indicates this is a bike road, which is rather strange as there is a parking place to the right. There is a good low pier that belongs to the rowing club. It is free for public use.

The starting point near 't Hengelaertje (see map) is easy to reach as it is directly on the beltway around Alkmaar (Ring Alkmaar). This trip goes around the polder of Oudorp. If you go here on a Friday, remember there's cheese-market in town, and there are many water-buses on the canals. Keep to the side and listen before you go under a bridge where you can not see what's coming from the other side.

Take the beltway (Ring) around Alkmaar. If you come from the south (A9), follow the highway in the direction Heerhugowaard. After the exit St. Pancras you pass a petrol station. Then take the first exit to the left. Follow the narrow road named Huigendijk along the dike. At the end you'll find cafe " 't Hengelaertje". There is a kayak pier at the bridge, but the owner objects using it for your own kayak. A little further you can park in the grass. There is a low side so is very easy to bring your kayak into the water here.  

From here you paddle west in the direction Alkmaar. Follow the canal and pass Oudorp. You'll pass several windmills  and when you enter Alkmaar you come to a bigger canal, the Noordhollands Kanaal. Give way to all motorized ships here, and be prepared to meet some waves. Turn right at the canal. When you see a white building in front (Police station) keep to the left. At the end turn left under the bridge. Here you enter the Singel. When you see a wooden bridge in front, you must turn left under a narrow bridge Lamoraalsluis. When you passed another bridge you come to a canal named Oudegracht. Keep going straight on. At the end the canal makes a turn to the left and you pass a bridge named Turfmarktbrug. Here you come into the Noordhollands Kanaal again. You can turn right here to continue your trip, or make a detour trough the city center. If so, go straight on and turn left under the second bridge (there is a small ferry for pedestrians here). At the end of the canal you come at the weigh-house where the cheese-market is held on Fridays. Here you turn right and when you come back into the Noordhollands Kanaal   turn right again. Pass the bridge Frieschebrug, and you come at the point where you started the detour. From here, follow the main canal to the east. When the Noordhollands Kanaal turns right (there is a shipyard on the left corner), you turn left. Just follow the canal and you'll return to the starting point. 

There is a kayak-pier in the city center at the beer museum, near the Waagtoren.

Platte Stenen Brug

Accijnstoren (Toll Tower)

Police station.

2. Around the polder Bergermeer

Viaanse Molen

Mapmyride: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/netherlands/alkmaar/453950556

GPS   Viaanse Molen: Lat. 52.6475, Lon 4.7371         GPS 't Hengelaertje: Lat. 52.6391, Lon 4.7861

This trip starts at the industrial site "Viaanse Molen" in the north-west of Alkmaar. Take the belt-way of Alkmaar (Ring) and exit where it crosses the Noordhollands Kanaal. If you come from the west on the N9 turn in the direction Schagen and take the first exit (just after the Texaco). When you come at the canal turn left. After the Connexxion-garage  turn left again. This is the onramp of the beltway in the direction Haarlem, but before you reach the high-way turn right into the Havinghastraat.  If you come from the east exit after you passed the bridge and turn left into the Havinghastraat. This street makes a bend to the left and at the end there is a parking-lot. Behind the parking-lot is the canal where this trip starts.

You start going to the right. You pass the field of athletics-club Hylas. When you passed the bridge under the highway the canal bends to the right. This trip is very easy: keep turning left until you enter the town Alkmaar. All side canals are dead ends. When you've almost passed Bergen you pass a bridge. Just behind the bridge there is a  low side on the right where you can take a brake. If you want to stretch your legs, you better do it here as further on there is reed all the way on both sides. At this place the canal makes a sharp bend to the left. On the right side you can see the windmill as shown on the photo below. If you go further you'll have to make a left turn twice. Then at the next intersection turn left again. From now on you can only go straight on until you're back in Alkmaar. In Alkmaar you must turn left again, this is just after a bridge named "Pelmolenbrug".  If you want to make a detour to the city-center, you go straight on here, pass the railroad-bridge and you come to the Singel. For this trip you turn left. Now take the second side-canal to the left. There is a little island in the middle here. Go straight on and pass the bridge under the highway. Right after the bridge is the starting-point of the trip.

Near Bergen

Office buildings along the Hoevervaart.

3. Koedijk

The first houses of Koedijk were built around 1300 on the dike along the tidal river Rekere. This dike was made to protect the village Vrone in the swampy land to the east. The first dwellers were fishermen who went to sea on the Rekere. The old tradition of the local people to celebrate St. Nikolaas on December 31 in stead of December 5 dates back from this time. Because of bad weather the fisherboats returned late so the celebration was delayed to December 31. To remember this event (and loss of boats?) St. Nikolaas is still celebrated on December 31. Between 1819 end 1824 the Noordhollands Kanaal was built following the meanders of the former river Rekere. The land behind the village was developped into farmland and the people of Koedijk became farmers. The area existed of many small field separated by canals. The farmers went to their land with boats. What it used to look like can still be seen in the area near Langedijk. In the early seventies in a large re-allotment project the canals all disappeared and houses were built. You can make a kayak trip behind the houses of the old Koedijk and make a round trip through the new quarters of Alkmaar named Huiswaard.

GPS: Lat. 52.6577, Lon. 4.7474 (parking place opposite Graveurstraat 79)

Mapmyride: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/nl/koedijk/493124288505546865

From the center of Alkmaar you paddle 2.8 kilometers to the north on the Noordhollands Kanaal to reach Koedijk. Just before the ponton bridge you see a kayak pier on your right where you can carry the kayak across the road for a round trip of 8.4 km in the Koedijk and Huiswaard area.

You can also start your trip here. Parking near the water is possible at the end of the Postiljonstraat. There is a round parking place and the starting point is across the bike road. 

Starting point Postiljonstraat/Graveurstraat. From the beltway WEST you head in the direction Schagen. After the bridge across the Noordhollands Kanaal you turn left at the first traffic lights. You follow the Kanaaldike to the north. Take the fourth street to the right (Laan van Brussel), and turn left into the Graveurstraat. At the end of the street follow the bend to the left and in the corner where it meets the Postiljonstraat you see a round parking place. The starting point is across the bike-road. 

From the starting point you turn left and follow the canal behind the houses of Koedijk. You pass the newly built cornmill De Gouden Engel (open for public from june 20, 2009) and you pass the old black church and clock tower. There is a restaurant (Het Vergulde Paard), but this is not open (2009) as it is for sale. You keep turning left. There is a low culvert under the Laan van Tata. At the next junction you go straight on (to the left you can go to the center of Alkmaar. At the next junction you go straight on and then turn left. You see the Oudieplas on your left, but you keep to the right. At the end of the canal you see the cornmill and there you turn left to the starting point.

Koedijkervlotbrug (wooden ponton bridge). You can step out of the kayak on the wooden logs, pull the kayak across and go under the bridge. You repeat the procedure on the other side.  

Corn mill De Gouden Engel (Golden Angel) was rebuilt in 2008/2009. It is open for public from June 20, 2009.

Black church and clock tower of Koedijk.

Huiswaard

Huiswaard

BACK