Have a look, do it, taste and experience!
Have you set your eye on a point in the distance? Time to leave your private suite and discover! Wander through the forest and dunes, visit the beach or one of the cities and villages nearby... Outside a world of posibilities awaits!
The Noordholland Dunereserve
At the bottom of the watertower lays the Noordholland Dunereserve. With its 20km length and a width of 2,5km, it's one of the greatest nature reserves of our country. An amazing area where you can wander or cycle on the most beautiful paths for hours during your romantic stay. A great variety of plants and animals inhabit the dunereserve. Maybe you'll spot them on your outing. You're able to encounter with Scottish Highland cattle, Konik horses and Exmoor ponies, local sheep and goats. How's that for unique experiences?!
When you'll be visiting the Noordholland Dunereserve, you will need a visitorspass, called a dunecard. Of course you'll get these passes when you book a stay at our special accommodation. We recommend visiting the local visitorscentre "De Hoep" in Castricum. Here you're able to learn everything about our great surroundings, the nature reserve and water extraction area. You can also book an excursion though the dunes with a ranger.
Culinary experience
Nearby the Watertower hotel a lot of nice cafés, great bars and good restaurants are located. From informal and cozy to design and haute cuisine. Take your romantic stay to another level and enjoy a complete and unique getaway.
Eat some and have drinks
A real go-to in Castricum is restaurant 'Het Eethuijsje', with a lot of ambiance and a delicate menu for real foodies. Also in this village you'll find modern restaurant 'Brutaal' with a season based menu and passionate chef. For the ones more in the mood for a kind of country style diner are very welcome at Guesthouse 'Het Ruiterhuys'. Across the street you'll find restaurant 'Aan het Bosch' which is the perfect location for traditional gourmets and lovers of fine dining. When you want to go all out, we recommend 1* Michelin star restaurant 'Apicius' in the cozy village of Bakkum. Here chef and sommelier work perfectly together to give you a culinary experience of a lifetime.
The best time at the beach
For coast, beach and sea lovers, there's a range of beachclubs and restaurants in Castricum aan Zee which are worth a visit. Enjoy the best cocktails and carefully prepared dishes and bites at trendy spots like 'Club Zand', 'Deining' and 'Zeezicht'.
Citytrip
Discover the atmospheric, beautiful cities of Noord-Holland; Alkmaar and Haarlem. Both lay within less than half an hour drive from Watertower Duin & Bosch but are also perfectly reachable with public transport.
Nearby National Park Zuid-Kennemerland and the beach, alongside the river Spaarne, you'll find the old town of Haarlem. Have a look at the amazing facades and buildings around the nice squares, or visit one of the many museums liek the Frans Hals or Tylers. After this interesting visit, have a seat on one of the many terraces or good restaurants within the city centre.
Alkmaar is the famouse Dutch cheese-city. It has many squares of which one is the wellknown Waagplein with the Waagtower. Discover the lot of shopping offerings, both broad streets with famous brands as small and cozy streets with pop-up or vintage stores. Expand your art knowledge at the Stedelijk Museum, go supping in the canals or visit one of the breweries or tastingclasses. Alkmaar has it all!
