Holiday apartment in Waarland: circular routes, polder history and family experiences

Waarland combines polder history, signposted circular walks, a 12-kilometre canoe route and special family experiences. If you are planning a stay in a holiday apartment in Waarland, you will find specific opportunities here for walks, waterways, culture and shared discoveries.

Holiday apartment in Waarland between waterways and history

Before the land was reclaimed in 1575, Waarland consisted of low-lying islands, marshy reedlands known as the “Druiplanden”, and lakes. The Molenhuijs presents a permanent exhibition about the centuries-long struggle against the water, as well as the origins, benefits and necessity of the polders. The landscape is therefore closely connected with a long history of water management.

Signposted circular routes through the village and polder

Waarland is a starting point for several signposted circular walks in the hiking network of Kop van Noord-Holland. The orange-marked Ommetje Schaapskuilmeer circular route passes the Waertmolen, built in 1571, and runs westwards through the polder along a rural farm track. The green-marked Klein Rondje Waarland leads through the old village and over a high footbridge, known as a “kwakel”, across the Boomervaart. The route then follows the grass embankment along the Kanaal Alkmaar-Kolhorn and returns to the village along the unpaved Waardkade on the canal’s southern bank.

The Waarland canoe route, also called Rondje Waarland, is a 12-kilometre circular route. The boat, sloop and canoe rental service in Waarland starts at a harbour at Waarddijk 1; from there, a tour leads through various agricultural areas, villages and idyllic locations.

Mills, exhibition and local history

The octagonal body of the Waarlandsmolen was built in 1532. The Waarlandsmolen is considered very likely to be the oldest surviving polder mill in the Netherlands. The Waarlandsmolen and the Molenhuijs are open on Sundays from 13:30 to 16:30, from 4 May to 28 September. In 1919, Pastor Vollering founded the Catholic Sint-Wulfram parish on behalf of the Bishop of Haarlem.

Indoor Adventure Minigolf in the covered tropical garden

Indoor Adventure Minigolf features 15 artificial-turf courses with elevation changes and various obstacles in a covered tropical garden with koi ponds. Indoor Adventure Minigolf is open seven days a week all year round: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00, and Sundays and public holidays from 11:00 to 17:00. At Vlindertuin Vlindorado, butterflies of various species and sizes flutter among exotic flowers and plants. Vlindorado offers children a free treasure hunt, a wooden playhouse, a sandbox, a stepping-stone path in the ponds, fish feeding and mini golf at Indoor Adventure Minigolf.

Traditional event in August

The annual fair in Waarland will be held from Saturday, 22 August 2026, to Tuesday, 25 August 2026. Café De Pub is the centre of the festivities for four days; music, games and traditions are part of the programme every day. Katknuppelen is an old Waarland tradition held on the Monday of the fair.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Waarland, you can tailor these highlights to your holiday day: signposted routes, canal trips, water management history or activities for children. You can also include Schagen and Schagerbrug among your other destinations.

To the overview of the wider area: Schagen.