Ter Heijde by the Sea

Ter Heijde combines a two-kilometre-long beach with traces of a rich local history. The two beach entrances, Strandweg and Karel Doormanweg, provide clear landmarks by the sea, alongside water sports and historical points of interest in the village. If you’re looking for hotels in Ter Heijde, the beach, water activities and local history can each shape a different kind of stay.

Beach entrances and getting around

The beach in Ter Heijde is two kilometres long. Its two entrances are called Strandweg and Karel Doormanweg. The beach by Karel Doormanweg is considered relatively quiet; at the same time, wave surfers use this beach. Parking is very limited at both beach entrances. If you’re arriving by car, take the limited parking into account when planning your trip.

At the Strandweg beach entrance, there is a beach vehicle, a beach wheelchair and an accessible toilet. Check whether these facilities are available before your visit. Clearly marked posts belonging to Nationaal Park Hollandse Duinen are located at the beach entrances. The different details are worth noting: the facilities are at Strandweg, while parking is very limited at both entrances.

Water sports and other activities

Dreams Surfschool offers surfing lessons in the North Sea in Ter Heijde. Its other activities include rafting, bodyboarding, stand-up paddleboarding and skimboarding. You can think of surf lessons and the other water sports as distinct activity options. From March to October, Dreams Surfschool is based at Ter Heijde’s family beach. The surf school offers weekly courses for children and adults; availability may vary by season. If you’re planning to take lessons, check the dates and course availability before your trip.

Dreams Playground has an indoor skatepark with various obstacles for learning to skate. Unlike the water sports, the focus here is on skateboarding and obstacles in an indoor setting. This offers different activity options: water sports on the one hand and indoor skating on the other.

Fishing history and memorials

Ter Heijde was once a fishing village where the catch was sold on the beach. In 1830, the last fishing boat disappeared from Ter Heijde’s beach. The beach can also be understood in the context of the village’s former fishing industry and the sale of its catch.

The Hervormde Kerk is considered the only tangible remnant of Ter Heijde’s history. It consists of an eastern section dating from 1720 and a western section dating from 1952. These dates are 232 years apart, so the church brings together two construction phases separated by a considerable period of time.

A Tromp plaque is set into the façade of the Hervormde Kerk. It commemorates Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp, who was killed on 10 August 1653 during the First Anglo-Dutch War in the naval battle off the coast of Ter Heijde. At the entrance to the village, a monument made of two cannons commemorates the 1653 naval battle between the English and Dutch fleets. Both memorials refer to 1653 but focus on different things: the plaque commemorates Tromp, while the cannon monument commemorates the naval battle.

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