Sleeping in Petten: the quietest end of this coast
Petten runs on campsites and holiday homes; hotel rooms are thin on the ground. The village lies at the northern end of the Hondsbossche Zeewering sea defence, and the beach is noticeably emptier than at Egmond or Bergen aan Zee further down the coast.
Petten is the quietest option along this whole stretch of coast. That is the reason to sleep here, and it is just as much the reason not to if you are after liveliness.
What is there to see?
The Hondsbossche Zeewering, the man-made dyke that fills the gap where the row of dunes stops. On the beach stands the Palendorp, 160 posts in the shape of ten houses and a church, and north of the village lies the Panoramaduin, a viewpoint on the seaward side. Off the coast there is also the wreck of a British battleship from 1921.
Is the beach different here?
Broader and emptier. Since the reinforcement of the sea defence there has been a substantial body of sand in front of the dyke, which gives an unusually roomy beach.
How is this order decided?
The order below is not for sale. We sort on the Google rating, then on the number of reviews, then on the distance to the beach access. Whoever is at the top is there because guests put them there.