Things to Do in and around Haarlem Outdoors

We all have been unexpectedly trapped home, quarantined, cut from our social circles. And while we’re doing our best to fight the coronavirus pest, let’s see how we can make the best out of this time.

First, let’s appreciate the bonding opportunity with our beloved family members and be easy on yourself and the kids. School subjects will be forgotten but your relationship will be influenced by every moment, you choose in what way.

It might be hard to get along for those who are not used to being stuck at home with the whole family. Not to go crazy, you may want to go out to explore the neighborhood. Don’t go to playgrounds because the germs live for a couple of hours on surfaces, so you can catch something even when nobody’s around.

Just remember to keep the 1,5 distance with other people and avoid crowds. The places listed in this post are usually easy to do so. Enjoy!

Where to go around Haarlem?

Flower fields

Finally, here’s a year when you can go and see the flower fields without crowds of tourists from around the world. Grab this opportunity, take a car or a bike and go on a flower watching tour, make plenty of nice photos. Take this opportunity once in a lifetime. Check Flower radar for the most recent updates on the blooming fields.

If you want to walk around a tulip field, pick the tulips and even have a tea/coffee, there’s a special place dedicated to this indulgence – The Tulip Barn. We haven’t been there but it was recommended to us and the concept seems to be interesting. This is a paid service but it’s the only place where you may walk into the field, otherwise you can only take photos on the edge.

This is our favorite tulip field – it has plenty of space, colours and we spotted the earliest tulips there.

Please, be considerate of other people’s work and be careful with the flowers. Don’t step on them or damage in any way.

Elswout

I’m surprised to sometimes hear from people they’d never been there. It’s a nice park, with the deer and sheep to watch and some trails to walk.

The dunes

Good for hiking and biking, if you’re not afraid of biking on uneven surfaces. You may see some bisons.

Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen

Stroll along canals and along the forest paths, spot the deer and various birds, pick up pine cones.

The beach

Be it Zandvoort or Bloemendaal aan Zee, the beach is always beautiful. Just check the weather forecast – you don’t want to be at the beach on a very windy day. Otherwise, why not go there for a nice stroll? Go by bike or car, public transport is best to be avoided now.

Engelandpark

A nice park in the east of Haarlem, with lots of trees, ducks in the pond and neat trails to walk. Do a free ferry ride across the Spaarne nearby. If it’s not packed with people.

Houtpark

Watch the deer, walk along the paths. Maybe a picknick when the weather is nice?

Or just sit on a bike and go for a ride, or let your kids cycle or ride their scooters and practice gross motor skills more these days.