Den Helder and Julianadorp

Den Helder: From the starting point on the Noordhollands Kanaal you paddle north until the first bridge. From there you can go 3 different directions. There's no round trip. No kayak rentals in Den Helder. 

Julianadorp: From the starting point you can make a round trip of 12 km.

Marinapark, a neighbourhood with white houses directly along the water.

To the starting point Den Helder    GPS: Lat. 52.929100, Lon 4.786600

Take the A9 towards Den Helder. Exit at the A99 (Den Oever) and continue on the parallel-road passed Mc Donalds. You pass the airport, and in the corner where the road makes a 90 degrees bend to the left, is the starting point. There is a small parking place. To go to  Den Helder you take the kayak pier  under the bridge. The other way you go towards Julianadorp, but the straight canals along busy roads are not interesting.

Turn left on the Noordhollands Kanaal and paddle 2 km towards the bridge on your left. Just before the bridge you see the locks towards the North Sea.  From the bridge you can go three different directions.

1. Fortress Erfprins (3 km)

Go under the bridge and pass the marina and the industrial harbour. Enter the canal and go straight on under the railroad bridge. Here you come at the fortress Dirksz Admiraal. There is a weir at the next bridge. You can lift yourself on an iron bar and pass the weir (only a few cm) without leaving the kayak. I don't like this solution very much, as you may damage you kayak if you let go too soon. There are no kayak piers, but with some efford you can get out and carry across the busy road. Here you can turn left and see the fortress from different sides. You go straight on to continue towards the fortress Erfprins. You can go as far as the sea-dike and have a nice view on the lighthouse of Huisduinen. The fortress itself is military area, and you are not allowed to go on the land. 

2. City Center (2.5 km)

Go under the bridge und turn right into the canal. At the end of the canal is a monument for the victims of the sea. The former townhall on the left was badly damaged after a fire. Now it's being restored. At the end of the canal is a kayak-pier. This is also a good starting point. You can park the car just at the kayak-pier. 

3. Harbour and Naval Museum (2.5 km)

Do not go under the bridge, but go straight on. On your left there is a promenade along the water. On your right you can see different activities like marinas, shipyards etc.  You pass Cape Holland where the Resque museum is situated, and the lightship Texel. Continue your trip along the canal that goes around the Oude Rijkswerf. At the end of the canal you come at the naval museum. There is an old mine-sweeper in the canal. The story goes that this ship during World War II escaped from the Dutch Indies (Indonesia) misleading the Japanese as it was camouflaged as an island. Here you can paddle underneath a submarine. 

Binnenhaven

Naval Museum

Lightship Texel at the Reddingsmuseum (Resque museum)

Marsdiep

New: A round trip at Julianadorp         GPS: Lat. 52.905800, Lon. 4.722500

To the starting point :

Take the road along the coast from Callantsoog to Den Helder. At Julianadorp Aan Zee you come at a zebra with traffic lights (Zandloper). Here you turn right towards Camping 't Noorder Sandt. You can camp here directly along the water. Before the entrance you see a large kayak-pier on your right, where you can start this trip. 

Follow the canal and turn left at the T-junction. This is all very new, but I think in one or two years time it will look much nicer. At the end of the canal you turn right at the T-junction. The next junction is at a bridge under a busy road (Langevliet). If you go straight on and follow the canal to the left, under the railroad bridge and then to the right, you come at de starting point Den Helder as described above. But for the round trip you turn right here. After 2 km you pass the village center of Julianadorp. You go straight on, pass Noorderhaven and you come at another junction. If you go straight on you come at the Noordhollands Kanaal after 4 km. But for the round trip you turn right here and follow the Callantsogervaart. (By the way, the Callantsogervaart is not connected to the Noordhollands Kanaal and it's impossible to carry across)

Then you turn right under a bridge and paddle along a golf-course to the north. There is a side-canal to the right that goed all the way through the village, but it is a dead end. Just before you come at a pond near a main road, you turn left under a bridge. Follow the canal to the right and then to the left. Turn right under a bridge, and follow the canal until you come at the T-junction where you can turn left to the starting point.

They are working on a new connection towards Den Helder. In the near future it will be possible to kayak from Julianadorp towards the nature and recreation area Mariëndal and a connection towards Den Helder will be made.

A new canal connecting Julianadorp to Mariëndal has recently been completed. 

View from top of a dune. Bulbfields in April.

From another dune. On the left the bird reservation near Mariëndal (not accessable).

Canal to Mariëndal.

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