Starting point Heilooër Zeeweg

Heiloo is situated on a beach ridge formed by the sea around 2500 BC. The beach ridge at Egmond aan den Hoef emerged only around 1000 BC. The lower-lying areas between the beach ridges were unsuitable for habitation. Until the beginning of the Common Era, this was the catchment area of the Oer-IJ, which flowed into the sea at Castricum. The wet zones were highly suitable for fishing, grazing livestock and transport by boat.

• The Maalwater Walk (orange) runs through the picturesque Noorderneg nature and recreation area. The ponds here were created during the construction of Zeeweg around 1850. This connecting road between Heiloo and Egmond was built as a public-works project and cuts straight across the coastal plain.

• The Vennewater Route (blue) circles the beautiful Vennewaterspolder. The winding ditch in this polder still gives an excellent indication of old course of the Oer-IJ. Via Limmerweg, you reach Egmond Abbey, the first abbey in the County of Holland.

• The Heiloo Route (purple) is a long circular walk through the green spaces in and around Heiloo. The Zuiderloo district is home to three historic hedgerows that were created centuries ago to protect fields and gardens from wind erosion. No dogs allowed.