Day one: Castricum aan Zee and the dunes
Start at Castricum station and take bus 167 or the seasonal 867 towards Castricum aan Zee; the ride is about 15 minutes and drops you at the beach car park. From there, walk north on the yellow-marked paths into the Noordhollands Duinreservaat. You need a day ticket from the ticket machines at the main entrances — the machine at the beach entrance near the Strandweg is usually the first one visitors meet. The circular walk to the Papenweg and back takes roughly two hours at an easy pace, with open dune valleys and pine shelter belts.
Castricum aan Zee is not a resort strip: there are a couple of beach pavilions, a lifeguard post in summer, and little else. That is the point. Come in May, June or September for quieter sand and decent light; July and August bring day-trippers from Alkmaar and Amsterdam. Bring water and a windproof layer, because the sea breeze picks up by mid-afternoon. If you want a longer day, continue south towards Bakkum and loop back through the village, adding about an hour. Book a hotel in Castricum village rather than the coast, since the beach has almost no accommodation.
Day two: Alkmaar and the cheese market
Castricum to Alkmaar is a 12-minute train ride on the Intercity towards Den Helder, and the station sits a ten-minute walk from the Waagplein. The cheese market runs on Friday mornings from early April to the end of September; arrive by 09:30 to see the carriers at work before the crowds thicken. Outside those months, the Waag building and the adjacent cheese museum still explain the trade, and the square is calm enough to sit in. The Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar on Canadaplein is worth two hours on its own, especially the Golden Age rooms.
Pair the centre with the Molen van Piet, a working windmill on the Clarissenbuurt, and the canals along the Oudegracht, which are prettier and quieter than the main shopping streets. Lunch options cluster around Nieuwesluis and the Waagplein; expect to pay more for a table on the square itself. I would skip the boat tours that leave from the Mient and instead walk the old town wall route, which costs nothing. Trains back to Castricum run until late evening, so an early dinner in Alkmaar is easy.
Day three: Haarlem and the Kennemer dunes
Haarlem is 25 minutes from Castricum by train, changing at Haarlem Spaarnwoude or taking a direct service depending on the timetable. The Grote Markt, the Teylers Museum and the Frans Hals Museum are all within a 20-minute walk of the station, and the streets around the Grote Houtstraat and Barteljorisstraat give you the compact, brick-and-canal centre that Amsterdam claims but rarely delivers without crowds. The Corrie ten Boom House on the Barteljorisstraat requires a timed entry, so reserve in advance if that is on your list.
If you have a car, drive instead to the Kennemerduinen entrance at Zeeweg near Overveen, about 20 minutes from Castricum, and combine a morning walk with an afternoon in Haarlem. The dunes here are more wooded than at Castricum and the paths suit families. Skip Zandvoort in high summer unless you like a busy promenade; Bloemendaal aan Zee is calmer and only a few minutes further. Castricum makes a sensible base for both days because it sits between Alkmaar and Haarlem on the same rail line.
Day four: villages and the slow side of Noord-Holland
Spend the last day inland. Take the bus or cycle to Limmen, which is 4 kilometres east of Castricum and has the Hortus Bulborum, a small museum garden of historic tulip and bulb varieties open in April and May. From Limmen, continue to Heiloo, where the Witte Kerk and the Runxputte woods make a gentle loop. Distances are short: Castricum to Limmen is about 15 minutes by bike, and the flat roads are easy. Bikes can be rented in Castricum village, and a day's rental is modest compared with a taxi.
Finish with Egmond aan den Hoef and the castle ruins, then walk or ride the 3 kilometres to Egmond aan Zee for a late lunch on the boulevard. The bus back to Castricum via Heiloo runs through the afternoon. If your timing allows, visit in April for the bulb fields or in September for warm, quiet beaches. The village itself has a handful of restaurants around the Dorpsstraat and enough evening life to avoid feeling stranded. For a four-night stay, I would book a hotel near the station in Castricum: the train and bus connections do more for your trip than sea views.
Questions answered
Do I need a car to explore around Castricum?
No. Castricum station connects directly to Alkmaar and Haarlem, and buses reach the beach and nearby villages. A bike covers Limmen and Heiloo well. A car helps only for the Kennemerduinen entrance at Overveen and out-of-hours beach trips.
When is the best time to visit Castricum and the dunes?
Late April to June and September offer good light, fewer crowds and open bulb gardens. July and August are busiest at the beach. Autumn brings wind and rain but quiet walking. Winter is cold and many coastal pavilions keep shorter hours, so check before travelling.
Where should I stay for a four-day trip?
Book in Castricum village near the station for the best transport links to Alkmaar, Haarlem and the coast. The beach at Castricum aan Zee has almost no accommodation, and coastal options in Egmond or Bakkum suit only travellers with a car and a preference for the sea over day trips.
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