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Why is autumn the best season by the sea? Because October and November give you the coast at its most alive and at its most peaceful, all at once. The crowds are gone, so you have the beach almost to yourself. Meanwhile nature puts on a show: autumn storms, mushrooms in the dunes and thousands of migrating birds overhead. Spend the day outside, then come in from the wind and get warm.
Everyone knows the sea in July. We have a soft spot for the sea in autumn. The beach pavilions grow quiet, the dunes turn red and gold and the sky does something different every day.
Calm and active at the same time. Here's what makes an autumn day by the sea so good.
Storm watching: the best show on the coast
Autumn is storm season on the coast, and a good storm by the sea stays with you. The waves rise high and white, sand whips across the beach and the wind almost pushes you back into the dunes. All you have to do is watch.
The best spot? On top of a dune with a view over the sea, or sheltered behind the glass of a beach pavilion with something warm in your hands.
A few things to keep in mind:
- Stay well back from the waterline, piers and breakwaters. Waves are unpredictable in a storm.
- Check the KNMI weather warnings before you go. On a code orange or red day, enjoy the storm from behind a window.
- Bring a hat that actually stays on. Trust us.
Beach walks with room to think
In summer you share the beach with towels, windbreaks and footballs. In autumn you share it with a few dogs and the odd jogger. You can walk for miles without crossing anyone's path.
The light is lower and softer, so everything looks a little more beautiful. After a storm the beach is full of surprises: shells, seaweed, driftwood and sometimes something you can't quite place. Set yourself a challenge, like the prettiest shell or the strangest find, and see who wins.
Our tip: walk out with the wind at your back and take the bus or a sheltered dune path home. Or do it the other way round and earn your hot chocolate.
Mushroom spotting in the dunes
After a few rainy days, the dune woods come alive. Suddenly you see them everywhere: between the pine needles, on fallen trunks, in the moss along the path. Autumn is peak mushroom season, and the dunes are one of the richest places in the country to find them.
See if you can spot these:
- Fly agaric: red with white spots, straight out of a fairy tale.
- Parasol mushroom: big, tall and with a cap that really does look like a parasol.
- Earthstar: a small ball with star-shaped arms around it. Typical of the dunes, and always a small victory when you find one.
Looking is fine, picking is not. Many species are poisonous, and in a national park everything stays where it grows. Bring a magnifying glass or your phone camera and get down on your knees. Up close, it's a different world.
Migrating birds: the great move overhead
Stand in the dunes early on an autumn morning and you'll see something special. The coast is a highway for migrating birds, and October and November are rush hour. Flocks of finches, starlings and thrushes fly low over the dune tops heading south, often from sunrise onwards.
You don't need to be a birdwatcher to enjoy it. Find an open spot, look north and listen. You'll often hear them before you see them: soft calls from the sky, group after group. On a good morning, hundreds pass by.
Want to know more? Bring binoculars or download an app that recognises bird calls. That way you'll know exactly who just said hello on their way south.
And then: warm and cosy inside
The best part of an autumn day by the sea might just be the moment you come back in. Cheeks red from the wind, sand in your shoes, and then that warmth that greets you at the door.
Pull on dry socks, find a spot by the fire or sink into a deep chair and let the day settle. A cup of tea, a good book, a hearty dinner with seasonal dishes. Outside the wind is still blowing; inside it's quiet. That contrast is what makes autumn by the sea so good: you get both in a single day.
Come and explore autumn at Blendin Bloemendaal
The dunes start right behind our door, and the beach is only a short walk away. By day you head out; in the evening you come home to us. That's the kind of day our Cosy Autumn Package was made for.
You'll arrive to a mug of hot chocolate, which feels well earned after a walk along the waterline. Your room looks out over the sea or the dunes, so the storm keeps you company even once you're inside. Fancy dinner close to home? Our own restaurant, The Blonde, is just downstairs. The hotel and The Blonde have both found their way into the MICHELIN Guide, so a good dinner and a good night's sleep are only a staircase apart. The next morning there's a generous breakfast buffet, and with check-out at noon there's no rush. Plenty of time for one last walk before you head home.
So grab your hat, your walking boots and your curiosity.
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