Hotspots

This forgotten piece of beach in Zandvoort has the nicest beach clubs

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Zandvoort may not be the prettiest little village in the Netherlands, but it does have the highest concentration of nice beach clubs. If Haarlem (at least, I’ve lived here for fifteen years, so I think I can count myself among the locals) I’ve admired just about every grain of sand and tested every beach tent. Tijn Akersloot, Ubuntu, Hippie Fish, and Kayuca, and the other big names on the strip, you know them. But let me tip you off about a few gems at the south beach. Because where you think it ends, that’s where paradise really begins.

South Beach Zandvoort: the quietest part of the beach

And not in LA, but just in Zandvoort. You park your car as far south as possible, roughly at the height of Tijn Akersloot (which has actually gone to new owners and been completely renovated, so definitely a recommendation), and then walk onto the beach and start your walk southward. So with your nose towards Noordwijk and your back towards Wijk aan Zee. Don’t be surprised if you see some genitals and dangling breasts appear in your field of vision; to reach the holy of holies, you have to cross the nude beach. The five beach tents with great beach bars ask little of you, except the willingness to really boost your step counter. Added bonus: you’ll be extra hungry when you arrive, and those calories you’ll consume later, you’ll laugh them off again.

After about 1500 steps, you’ll see the letters South Beach to your left, and that’s a stretch of beach that houses several restaurants. And there, dear readers, the food tastes good and life is sweet.

The best beach tents of South Beach Zandvoort

The five beach clubs that together form South Beach on the South Beach of Zandvoort are Bodhi Beach, Manii, Paal 69, Outpost and Fosfor. I literally often end up at Bodhi Beach because Bodhi is nice and close (saves another hundred steps compared to Fosfor and Outpost) and because it has such an incredibly laid-back vibe. There are water bowls for all the usually free-running dogs, there are blankets for when it gets a bit chilly in the evening, and the – by the way, particularly charming – cook leans against the doorpost with a glass of wine in her hand when there’s a moment for a petite pause. The serving staff always has time for a chat.

At Fosfor, according to friends who really know their stuff, you eat “really well” and Outpost is a favorite of Makkie Mulder, food guru and former editor-in-chief of Delicious. I haven’t tested Manii and Paal 69 myself yet, but I see that as delicious homework to change that this weekend and then tell you about it.

What is obvious, even if you haven’t eaten at all five yet, is that they all have their own character, but share that relaxed, free-spirited atmosphere that makes the South Beach so different from the busier boulevard. South Beach describes itself as a place where a group of world travelers discovered that paradise is just around the corner.

Bodhi Beach

Manii

Paal 69

Outpost

Fosfor

Alternative to busy beach tents in Zandvoort

If you don’t want to walk that far for some reason but still want that just-a-little-different vibe and not be part of a rolled-out concept? Then go to the Beachbarn, right next to Tijn Akersloot. Founded by the daughter of the old school principal around the corner and a few friends. Small-scale and pure, just as we wanted it.