Cycling day trip from Den Helder to Schagen

Get ready for a classic North Holland ride! Starting from Den Helder—famous for its naval base and the Texel ferry—you’ll roll south toward Schagen, a charming market town known for its historic old center and traditional West Frisian cultural events.

This 30-kilometer cruise is super beginner-friendly: it’s almost perfectly flat, with just a whisper of elevation change, so you can relax and enjoy the wide-open views. Most of your route is on comfortable, well-marked cycle paths and quiet side roads. Expect plenty of smooth asphalt and some stretches of concrete, with hardly any traffic to worry about. Just watch for the occasional transition where the surface might change.

You’ll pedal past dykes, green fields, and classic Dutch windmills, enjoying those big skies and maybe spotting a sheep or two. Schagen makes a rewarding finish—check out the weekly market if you’re there in summer!