If you enjoy open water, wind, and some waves – and also have some canoeing experience – the Uitgeestermeer route is highly recommended. Posts/buoys with a blue band mark the canoe route. Enjoy the exertion and relaxation of a day of paddling under your own power.
Onto the open water
From the starting point at De Aker canoe rental in Uitgeest, where you can rent a canoe or launch your own, you paddle into the polder to the canoe portage point. There, you transfer the canoe using rollers to the Uitgeestermeer. A canoe travels at approximately 2.5 km per hour, depending on the wind and your own skill and strength. On the open water of the lake, you share the water with other water sports enthusiasts, so stay as close to the shore as possible. Sailors and inland vessels have the right of way.
Picnicking on a small island
Meanwhile, you continue sailing towards the small island of Pannekoek. Yes, exactly, shaped like a pancake, situated just in the Alkmaardermeer. It is a beautiful spot with a view of the Dorregeestermolen and perfect for going ashore for a picnic. Along the reed beds of the Dorregeesterpolder, you sail back to the surfing shore at the Zwaansmeer recreation area, the end point of this route.
