Netherlands · province · official name Noord-Holland
Bathing water quality in North Holland, Netherlands
North Holland has 111 official bathing waters in the EEA dataset for the 2025 season (89 lake, 21 coastal and 1 river). 51.4% were classified Excellent — 19.5 points below the 70.9% across Netherlands — and 8 were Poor. By area, the Excellent share is highest in Alkmaar en omgeving (84.6% of 13) and lowest in Groot-Amsterdam (35.1% of 37). 33 sites have been Excellent in every season from 2015 to 2025.
Zwemwaterkwaliteit in Noord-Holland
Van de 111 officiële EU-zwemlocaties in Noord-Holland was in 2025 51,4% ‘uitstekend’; aantal locaties met ‘slecht’: 8.
111
official bathing waters
51.4%
Excellent in 2025
8
Poor in 2025
Not live: these are annual official classifications. Check the competent authority for today’s notices before swimming.
Map of official bathing waters in North Holland
Excellent 57Good 28Sufficient 15Poor 8Not classified 3
North Holland by area
Sites are placed in the Eurostat NUTS 3 areas that contain their reported coordinates.
| Area | Sites | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor | Not classified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groot-Amsterdam | 37 | 13 (35.1%) | 10 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| Kop van Noord-Holland | 27 | 13 (48.1%) | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Alkmaar en omgeving | 13 | 11 (84.6%) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Het Gooi en Vechtstreek | 13 | 9 (69.2%) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| IJmond | 13 | 7 (53.8%) | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Agglomeratie Haarlem | 5 | 4 (80%) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Zaanstreek | 3 | 0 (0%) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Sea, lakes and rivers in North Holland
| Water type | Sites | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor | Not classified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal | 21 | 17 (81%) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lake | 89 | 40 (44.9%) | 24 | 15 | 8 | 2 |
| River | 1 | 0 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Coastal waters are assessed against stricter bacterial limits than lakes and rivers but are diluted far more; see how the classes are calculated.
Most consistent Excellent sites
33 sites were Excellent in all eleven seasons. Ordered by the length of the unbroken Excellent run ending in 2025; the first 24 are shown and every site is in the full list below.
- 'T WED 11 seasons · Agglomeratie Haarlem
- BERGEN AAN ZEE 11 seasons · Alkmaar en omgeving
- BLEEKERSVALLEI 11 seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- BLOEMENDAAL AAN ZEE 11 seasons · Agglomeratie Haarlem
- CAMPERDUIN 11 seasons · Alkmaar en omgeving
- CASTRICUM AAN ZEE 11 seasons · IJmond
- DE KOOG 11 seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- DE KRIM 11 seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- EGMOND AAN ZEE 11 seasons · Alkmaar en omgeving
- ENKHUIZERZAND 11 seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 3 11 seasons · Alkmaar en omgeving
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 4 11 seasons · Alkmaar en omgeving
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 5 11 seasons · Alkmaar en omgeving
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 6 11 seasons · Alkmaar en omgeving
- GOOGPAD NOORDOOST STRAND (SPIEGELPLAS) 11 seasons · Het Gooi en Vechtstreek
- GROOTE KEETEN 11 seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- GROTE VLAK 11 seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- JULIANADORP 11 seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- MUIDERBERG 11 seasons · Het Gooi en Vechtstreek
- NIEUWE MEER WESTZIJDE, OEVERLANDEN 11 seasons · Groot-Amsterdam
- NIEUWE MEER, NOORDOEVER 11 seasons · Groot-Amsterdam
- OOSTERPLAS 11 seasons · Agglomeratie Haarlem
- PETTEN 11 seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- STRAND DE HOGE DIJK 11 seasons · Groot-Amsterdam
Rated Poor in 2025
For a Poor site the Bathing Water Directive requires management measures, including a bathing prohibition or advice against bathing, so check the authority before visiting.
- 'T PETJE Poor in 6 of 10 classified seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- 'T SKARPET Poor in 5 of 10 classified seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- DORREGEEST Poor in 5 of 11 classified seasons · IJmond
- RECREATIEPLAS TOOLENBURG, SPEELVIJVER Poor in 5 of 10 classified seasons · Groot-Amsterdam
- HAARLEMMERMEERSE BOS, SPARTELVIJVER Poor in 3 of 10 classified seasons · Groot-Amsterdam
- ANDIJK ZWEMSTRAND Poor in 2 of 8 classified seasons · Kop van Noord-Holland
- HAARLEMMERMEERSE BOS, ZUIDSTRAND Poor in 1 of 11 classified seasons · Groot-Amsterdam
- WESTEINDERPLASSEN, ZWEMSTEIGER HERENWEG Poor in 1 of 11 classified seasons · Groot-Amsterdam
Changes from 2024 to 2025
Improved (11)
- VILLA WESTEND, WESTBROEKPLAS Sufficient → Excellent
- DE HOORNE Good → Excellent
- GROENSTRAND, OUDERKERKERPLAS Poor → Sufficient
- HET TWISKE; BAAIEGAT, NATURISTENSTRAND Sufficient → Good
- HET TWISKE; DOESSTRAND Poor → Sufficient
- HET TWISKE; KURE-JAN STRAND Sufficient → Good
- HET TWISKE; SPEELSLOOT Sufficient → Good
- JAGERSVELD; DE FUUT-WATERSNIP Poor → Sufficient
Declined (14)
- HAARLEMMERMEERSE BOS, ZUIDSTRAND Good → Poor
- ANDIJK ZWEMSTRAND Sufficient → Poor
- CALLANTSOOG Excellent → Good
- DE SMIENT, JAGERSVELD Good → Sufficient
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 2 Excellent → Good
- HET TWISKE; SCHOORLSTRAND Good → Sufficient
- HUISDUINEN Excellent → Good
- SINT MAARTENSZEE Excellent → Good
How North Holland rated since 2015
Counts for the sites in today’s 2025 inventory; the Excellent share is calculated over classified sites only.
| Season | Classified | Excellent | Excellent share | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 108 | 57 | 52.8% | 8 |
| 2024 | 107 | 60 | 56.1% | 7 |
| 2023 | 107 | 61 | 57% | 10 |
| 2022 | 102 | 65 | 63.7% | 8 |
| 2021 | 106 | 67 | 63.2% | 11 |
| 2020 | 106 | 65 | 61.3% | 8 |
| 2019 | 102 | 61 | 59.8% | 4 |
| 2018 | 104 | 58 | 55.8% | 7 |
| 2017 | 103 | 58 | 56.3% | 7 |
| 2016 | 102 | 68 | 66.7% | 5 |
| 2015 | 101 | 68 | 67.3% | 6 |
Places with the most bathing waters in North Holland
Each site is matched to its nearest named place (GeoNames, within 8 km in a straight line), so beaches of one resort or lake shore can be compared together. Select a place to show only its sites in the full list.
| Place | Area | Sites | Excellent | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oostzaan | Groot-Amsterdam | 8 | 1 (12.5%) | 0 |
| Zuid-Scharwoude | Alkmaar en omgeving | 6 | 5 (83.3%) | 0 |
| Ankeveen | Het Gooi en Vechtstreek | 4 | 4 (100%) | 0 |
| Wijk aan Zee | IJmond | 3 | 3 (100%) | 0 |
| Velserbroek | IJmond | 3 | 1 (33.3%) | 0 |
| Cruquius | Groot-Amsterdam | 3 | 0 (0%) | 2 |
| Zaanstad | Zaanstreek | 3 | 0 (0%) | 0 |
| Badhoevedorp | Groot-Amsterdam | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Bijvanck | Het Gooi en Vechtstreek | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Broek op Langedijk | Alkmaar en omgeving | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| De Koog | Kop van Noord-Holland | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Diemen | Groot-Amsterdam | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Egmond aan Zee | Alkmaar en omgeving | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Marken | Groot-Amsterdam | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
| Muiderberg | Het Gooi en Vechtstreek | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 |
All 111 official bathing waters in North Holland
Grouped by area, alphabetical within each group. Open a site for its 2015–2025 history, nearby alternatives, weather forecast and the national profile link.
Download all 111 sites as CSV (classes 2015–2025, coordinates, nearest place; EEA data, CC BY 4.0)
Groot-Amsterdam 37 sites · 35.1% Excellent · 4 Poor
- DE GROTE SPEELWEIDE, AMSTERDAMSE BOS · Bovenkerk Good
- GROENSTRAND, OUDERKERKERPLAS · Ouderkerk aan de Amstel Sufficient Poor → Sufficient since 2024
- HAARLEMMERMEERSE BOS, SPARTELVIJVER · Cruquius Poor Poor in 3 of 10 classified seasons
- HAARLEMMERMEERSE BOS, ZUIDSTRAND · Cruquius Poor Poor in 1 of 11 classified seasons
- HET TWISKE; BAAIEGAT, NATURISTENSTRAND · Oostzaan Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- HET TWISKE; DE LEERS · Oostzaan Excellent Excellent 5 seasons in a row
- HET TWISKE; DOESSTRAND · Oostzaan Sufficient Poor → Sufficient since 2024
- HET TWISKE; KURE-JAN STRAND · Oostzaan Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- HET TWISKE; SCHOORLSTRAND · Oostzaan Sufficient Good → Sufficient since 2024
- HET TWISKE; SPEELSLOOT · Oostzaan Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- HET TWISKE; VENNEGATSTRAND · Oostzaan Sufficient
- MARINETERREIN AMSTERDAM · Nieuwmarkt/Lastage Not classified
- MARKEN, MARKERMEER Excellent Excellent 6 seasons in a row
- MOLENPLAS, HAARLEM · Cruquius Good
- NIEUWE MEER WESTZIJDE, OEVERLANDEN · Badhoevedorp Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- NIEUWE MEER, NOORDOEVER · Badhoevedorp Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- OOSTERBAD · Oosteinde Excellent Excellent 10 seasons in a row
- RECREATIEPLAS TOOLENBURG, GROTE STRAND · Zwaanshoek Good
- RECREATIEPLAS TOOLENBURG, SPEELVIJVER · Zwaanshoek Poor Poor in 5 of 10 classified seasons
- SLOBBELAND, VOLENDAM Good Excellent → Good since 2024
- SPARTELVIJVER TWISKE POORT · Oostzaan Sufficient Good → Sufficient since 2024
- SPEELSLOOT (DE HOGE DIJK) · Abcoude Good
- SPEELVIJVER-NOORD, GAASPERPLAS · Amsterdam-Zuidoost Sufficient
- STRAND DE HOGE DIJK · Abcoude Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- STRAND DIEMERPARK · Diemen Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- STRAND IJBURG · Diemen Excellent Excellent 6 seasons in a row
- STRAND PIETERMAN, VOLENDAM Good
- STRAND SCHARDAM · Oosthuizen Sufficient
- STRAND UITDAM · Marken Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- STRAND ZUIDOEVER, GAASPERPLAS · Driemond Good
- STRANDBAD EDAM Sufficient
- WARDER · Oosthuizen Excellent Excellent 8 seasons in a row
- WATERLANDSTRAND HEMMELAND MONNICKENDAM Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- WESTEINDERPLASSEN, VROUWENTROOST · Aalsmeer Excellent Excellent 7 seasons in a row
- WESTEINDERPLASSEN, ZWEMSTEIGER HERENWEG · Kudelstaart Poor Poor in 1 of 11 classified seasons
- ZANDSTRAND, OUDERKERKERPLAS · Ouderkerk aan de Amstel Sufficient
- ZWEMSTEIGER NIEUWE MEER · Amsterdam-Zuid Excellent Excellent 2 seasons in a row
Kop van Noord-Holland 27 sites · 48.1% Excellent · 3 Poor
- 'T PETJE · t Veld Poor Poor in 6 of 10 classified seasons
- 'T SKARPET · De Noord Poor Poor in 5 of 10 classified seasons
- ANDIJK ZWEMSTRAND · Bangert Poor Poor in 2 of 8 classified seasons
- BLEEKERSVALLEI · De Koog Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- CALLANTSOOG Good Excellent → Good since 2024
- DE KOOG Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- DE KRIM Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- DE LEIJEN · Hensbroek Excellent Excellent 5 seasons in a row
- ENKHUIZERZAND · Enkhuizen Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- GROOTE KEETEN · Callantsoog Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- GROTE VLAK · Den Burg Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- HOOGE OUDE VEER · Anna Paulowna Excellent Excellent 5 seasons in a row
- HOORN-ZUID Not classified
- HUISDUINEN · Den Helder Good Excellent → Good since 2024
- JULIANADORP Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- LUTJESTRAND, AMSTELMEER · Hippolytushoef Excellent Excellent 3 seasons in a row
- PETTEN Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- RECREATIEGEBIED UITERDIJK SCHELLINKHOUT · Wijdenes Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- RECREATIEPARK BROEKERHAVEN · Bovenkarspel Excellent Excellent 6 seasons in a row
- SCHELLINKHOUTERDIJK · Hoorn Sufficient
- SINT MAARTENSZEE · Petten Good Excellent → Good since 2024
- STRAND DE WIEL, SCHAGEN Good
- STRAND ZUIDERHAVEN, DEN OEVER Sufficient Good → Sufficient since 2024
- STREEKBOS · Bovenkarspel Good Excellent → Good since 2024
- VOOROEVER HET NESBOS · Onderdijk Good
- VOOROEVER; VLIETSINGEL POEL · Medemblik Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- WIJDENES Not classified
Alkmaar en omgeving 13 sites · 84.6% Excellent
- BERGEN AAN ZEE · Egmond aan Zee Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- CAMPERDUIN · Groet Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- EGMOND AAN ZEE Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 1 · Zuid-Scharwoude Excellent Excellent 3 seasons in a row
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 2 · Zuid-Scharwoude Good Excellent → Good since 2024
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 3 · Zuid-Scharwoude Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 4 · Zuid-Scharwoude Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 5 · Zuid-Scharwoude Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 6 · Broek op Langedijk Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 7 · Broek op Langedijk Excellent Excellent 2 seasons in a row
- GEESTMERAMBACHT, ZWEMBAAI 8 · Sint Pancras Excellent Excellent 5 seasons in a row
- NOORDERPLAS · Zuid-Scharwoude Excellent Excellent 6 seasons in a row
- STRAND VAN LUNA, HEERHUGOWAARD · Nollen Sufficient
Het Gooi en Vechtstreek 13 sites · 69.2% Excellent
- DE BERGSE AKKER · Ankeveen Excellent Excellent 7 seasons in a row
- DE WIJDE BLIK · Loosdrecht Excellent Excellent 6 seasons in a row
- GOOGPAD GROOTSTRAND (SPIEGELPLAS) · Ankeveen Excellent Excellent 2 seasons in a row
- GOOGPAD NOORDOOST STRAND (SPIEGELPLAS) · Ankeveen Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- HARDERWIJKERZAND · Bijvanck Excellent Excellent 9 seasons in a row
- MUIDERBERG Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- NAARDERBOS · Muiderberg Excellent Good → Excellent since 2024
- STRAND GOOIERHOOFD-ZOMERKADE · Huizen Good
- STRAND MARKUS POS, LOOSDRECHTSE PLASSEN · Oud-Loosdrecht Good
- STRAND MEENT, LOOSDRECHTSE PLASSEN · Breukelen Good Sufficient → Good since 2024
- STRAND SPORTHAL SPIEGELPLAS · Ankeveen Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- STRAND VOORLAND STICHTSEBRUG · Bijvanck Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- VUNTUSSTRAND · Oud-Loosdrecht Good
IJmond 13 sites · 53.8% Excellent · 1 Poor
- CASTRICUM AAN ZEE · Duin en Bosch Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- DE HOORNE · Akersloot Excellent Good → Excellent since 2024
- DORREGEEST · Uitgeest Poor Poor in 5 of 11 classified seasons
- IJMUIDEN KLEIN STRAND Good
- KENNEMERSTRAND · IJmuiden Excellent Excellent 5 seasons in a row
- NAAKTRECREATIE, SPAARNWOUDE · Spaarndam Good
- PEDDELPOEL · Velserbroek Good
- STRAND NOORDPIER, VELSEN · Wijk aan Zee Excellent Excellent 6 seasons in a row
- VILLA WESTEND, WESTBROEKPLAS · Velserbroek Excellent Sufficient → Excellent since 2024
- WESTBROEKPLAS · Velserbroek Good
- WIJK AAN ZEE Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- ZWAANSMEER · Uitgeest Good
- ZWARTE WEG, HEEMSKERK · Wijk aan Zee Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
Agglomeratie Haarlem 5 sites · 80% Excellent
- 'T WED · Overveen Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- BLOEMENDAAL AAN ZEE Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- OOSTERPLAS · Santpoort-Zuid Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
- VEERPLAS NOORDZIJDE · Haarlem Sufficient Good → Sufficient since 2024
- ZANDVOORT AAN ZEE Excellent Excellent 11 seasons in a row
Zaanstreek 3 sites · 0% Excellent
- DE KUIFEEND; JAGERSVELD · Zaanstad Good
- DE SMIENT, JAGERSVELD · Zaanstad Sufficient Good → Sufficient since 2024
- JAGERSVELD; DE FUUT-WATERSNIP · Zaanstad Sufficient Poor → Sufficient since 2024
Compared with other provinces in Netherlands
| # | Province | Sites | Excellent | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zeeland | 58 | 89.7% | 0 |
| 2 | Drenthe | 41 | 87.8% | 0 |
| 3 | North Brabant | 101 | 85.1% | 2 |
| 4 | Gelderland | 97 | 79.4% | 2 |
| 5 | Overijssel | 51 | 78.4% | 1 |
| 6 | Limburg | 34 | 76.5% | 0 |
| 7 | Flevoland | 30 | 73.3% | 1 |
| 8 | Utrecht | 29 | 69% | 4 |
| 9 | South Holland | 104 | 67.3% | 2 |
| 10 | Groningen | 49 | 53.1% | 7 |
| 11 | North Holland | 111 | 51.4% | 8 |
| 12 | Friesland | 52 | 48.1% | 4 |
Provinces with at least 15 official bathing waters. Size, water type and how densely sites are designated differ, so the table is context rather than a verdict.
Quick answers
- How many bathing waters in North Holland were rated Excellent in 2025?
- 57 of 111 (51.4%) in the official EEA 2025 classification; 28 were Good, 15 Sufficient and 8 Poor, and 3 had no class. That ranks North Holland 11 of 12 Netherlands provinces by Excellent share.
- Which area of North Holland has the highest share of Excellent sites?
- Alkmaar en omgeving: 84.6% of its 13 sites were Excellent in 2025. Agglomeratie Haarlem follows with 80%. Only areas with at least five sites are compared; see the full table.
- Which beaches and lakes in North Holland have the best long-term record?
- 33 sites were Excellent in every season from 2015 to 2025, for example 'T WED, BERGEN AAN ZEE, BLEEKERSVALLEI. See the ranking.
- Which places in North Holland have the most official bathing waters?
- Oostzaan (8, 12.5% Excellent), Zuid-Scharwoude (6, 83.3% Excellent), Ankeveen (4, 100% Excellent). See the place table; places are the nearest named settlement to each site.
- Were any bathing waters in North Holland rated Poor?
- Yes, 8: 'T PETJE, 'T SKARPET, DORREGEEST, RECREATIEPLAS TOOLENBURG, SPEELVIJVER and 4 more.
- Where do I check whether swimming is allowed today?
- On Zwemwater.nl (The provinces, with Rijkswaterstaat for national waters). Temporary bans, pollution alerts and closures are published there and on signs at the water, not in the annual EEA class.
Netherlands overview · All provinces of Netherlands · Bathing waters near Amsterdam · Bathing season dates
Sources and method
Bathing-water records: European Environment Agency (EEA), data and coordinates reported by Netherlands, licensed CC BY 4.0. Region and area boundaries: Eurostat NUTS 2024 (© EuroGeographics for the administrative boundaries). Place names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). A site belongs to the area that contains its reported coordinates; a site up to 10 km off the generalised coastline is placed in the nearest area of Netherlands. Counts, shares and rankings are calculated by BathingWaterFinder from the official records.