Okay, let's be honest, there's really not much that's interesting about a lake but here in Utrecht…read moreit gives you a much needed "nature break" from a fairly urban environment. Especially given that the Haarrijnse plas is just of the free way yet still is very peaceful and quiet, love it. The lake and beach themselves are pretty straightforward: water and sand. But what's really nice is that you can walk around for a little stroll of go for a swim in nice weather while not being bothered by traffic noise. A recent addition to the beach is a restaurant: Key West Beach House, which is great! The beach was kind of missing somewhere to get a drink, maybe something to eat and just lounge. Even though the Haarrijnse plas was already popular without it, I really think it's a great development and will encourage people to stay a bit longer, really make a day out of their visit to the Haarrijnse plas. I have yet to try the food at Key West, but the menu sounds very inviting so I can't wait until I have the time to go there. One big downside however is that you're not allowed to bring your dog on the beach. Of course many people still do and I'm not sure if that's the case for the entire beach or just the part we were at the other day, but still, my dog loves swimming too! So anyway, I love the beach and I love taking the baby out for a nice walk in more natural surroundings so Haarrijnse plas really is a much appreciated break from our urban environment. As they say in Dutch, the Haarrijnse plas is "klein maar fijn" which means small but great!

I'm glad I found this place to enjoin the lovely beach and its beautiful neighborhood. It is only…read moreabout 30 mins away from Amsterdam central station by train. They're not too many people.

I was brought here on a day trip by my tough cookie of an (then) 86-year old grandaunt "Grandma…read moreHilly" who lives in a quaint little house all by herself in Amsterdam. It's a great spot to enjoy the weather, the ocean, but mostly.. for people-watching. The beach was also surprisingly clean in spite of the huge crowd on a random mid-August weekend. Grandma Hilly tells me that if you walk down a little, there's also a nude beach.

Such a wonderful place to spend a lovely Sunday along with two beautiful girls. The beach is clean…read moreand water was perfect. While in The Netherlands spend time outside of Amsterdam.

I am not sure what to think about this park. It has something for everyone (small beach, good for…read morerunning, cycling etc), and there are sport fields (mainly field hockey) I am a new resident to IJburg, and not familiar with the history of the park, until I looked into that for this review. This used to be a landfill, even for chemical waste. Mid 1990's the area was completely remediated and isolated. The area is under constant active control to make sure that everything stays clean. The impact of all of this is clearly visible in the terrain: there are no large trees (the roots would penetrate the isolation layer), and there are concrete wells clearly visible throughout the park. Anyways, back to my review. You can run, skeeler and cycle here perfectly. The quality of the roads is good, and since there is no traffic, you can do your thing in peace. There are a couple of grass fields where you can play some sports, or even do Yoga if the weather is good. So why am I giving just 3 stars? The park is big enough to also allow for a dog park, however, dogs are only allowed off lead on a few small grass strips at the edges of the park. MIssed opportunity for all the dog owners on IJburg :(. Also, this island is owned by rabbits. It must not be nice to play any kind of sports on the grass fields, that are covered in rabbit holes. Unless you want to break your ankles of course. Lastly: I understand why there is no light on the park, however, it would give a safer feeling at night (when cycling or running there), to at least be able to see where you are going.

I am a big fan of cycling through Diemen Park in the summer. This region has the best cycling…read moreroutes outside of Amsterdam. It's a unique location with beautiful cycling routes towards the sea. What is so awesome is that it takes you just a few minutes to cycle so quickly outside of the city. Ijburg has become one of Amsterdam's upcoming districts to live and enjoy time outside of the city. This area has several islands all connected by bridges.This new man-made Island east of Amsterdam is a wonderful place to go if you would like to take a break from the city. Also make sure to stop by Vrijburcht Café for lunch and a beautiful overview of the sea. It is reachable by bike or tram of Central Station. There are also 3 small beaches to soak up the sun in this region Blijburg, Strand West, and Amsterdam Plage. There is also a camping spot called Zeeburg for local and adventurous international travelers.

Nice quaint little town with plenty of lodging, dining options and shopping. Sunsets are gorgeous…read morelots of history with bunkers built into the sand dunes and a working lighthouse.

It's a pretty awesome place, very close to Amsterdam. Coming from the US the beach on the north…read moresea is familiar, if a little chilly for August :) It's a nice beach, the view here faces West, so we got a great sunset from our table at dinner. The restaurant has an open plan with basically all glass walls, so the view is awesome. There are little fireplaces spread about, which is probably important in spring/fall and critical in winter. I wore a jacket in August, but it was pleasant. Food was excellent too. We had a big group of 7, got a lot of different apps and entrees, all were very good. We also knocked down a bunch of desserts and maybe a few beers. Full bar, the staff is standard "Dutch hospitable," which is pretty amazing (even coming from a part of the US famous for hospitality). We had a good time. I'd bring my family here.