Cycling is a fun activity that many of the locals do daily. Many visitors rent a bicycle and cycle their way through the centre of Amsterdam. It is a great way to see the city, just make sure to lock it properly â bicycle theft with more than 1 million cases a year just in Amsterdam is almost a national sport. You can also take a bicycle taxi that brings visitors to any place they request, such as one of the museums.
The locals like to spend their weekends cycling through the nature of the surrounding areas. If you want to see the typical Dutch polder landscape and picturesque villages, consider a cycling route through Waterland. Hilversum is a good starting point for cycling through affluent villages, forests and heath of the Gooi and Vecht Region. Another interesting cycle is through the forests and dunes of the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park.
The beaches are a fun activity during warm summers. Kennemerland generally has a lot of calm beaches that are very family-friendly. Zandvoort is the busiest one, while Bloemendaal, Bergen and Egmond are calmer options. Many locals go to Texel for a few days to breeze out on its windy beaches.
Water sports can be done at the lakes that North Holland has to offer. The artificial lakes of Wijdemeren, which literally means "Wide Lakes", are a popular destination for this. Aalsmeer is home to the Westeinderplassen, which can also be used for water sports. The lakes are very calm, so activities are limited to renting a motorized or rowing boat don't expect to go rafting or parasailing.
