Gravel routes in the Netherlands can be found almost everywhere. Only the provinces Groningen And South Holland is less well endowed, but you can still find some unpaved stretches there. Zeeland has a large selection of gravel paths thanks to its islands and fields. I was on the island North Beveland, the 4th cycling municipality in the Netherlands in 2022. Here I went in search of all the beauty that this Zeeland island has to offer in the gravel area. A gravel route on North-Beveland. You can read about what that looks like in this story.
Neeltje Jans
North-Beveland is the middle island of the Zeeland islands of Schouwen-Duiveland, Walcheren/Zuid-Beveland, and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. If there is one thing that is synonymous with North-Beveland, it is the Delta Works of Neeltje Jans. At the Banjaard and Banjaardstrand lies the imposing dam that shines through. After the flood disaster of 1953, this is the pièce de résistance of the Netherlands Waterland. The dam is an ingenious construction and you really should have driven it once in your life, on a bicycle or in a car. Near the Banjaardstrand is also the MTB route of Schotsman. A beautiful stretch of almost four kilometers of unpaved terrain.
Wind
The struggle with the wind and the water is a theme in this region. The fact that the water barrier is also a sophisticated wind turbine park says enough. It is also logical that every year the wind turbines are installed here. NK windsurfing The race is organized. It also means that you have to take the wind direction into account when you set off in this region. While I’m preparing the bike for departure, there’s a strong wind, wind speed 5. That’s not nothing. To get to the beautiful gravel tracks, I first have to pedal against the wind. Downstream of the dike is still the best option, because that’s where the wind blows less hard. When the wind is in your back, you’d better cycle on the dike. Grab some more unpaved meters if you have them with you.
Direction to Goudplaat
North Beveland and gravel are not a very happy marriage. The best chance of finding unpaved paths is on the south side of the island. Goudplaat, a kind of land spur near Schotsman, is a nice piece of unpaved road. You have a MTB route, but also a somewhat wider carriage path that yields about two to three kilometers of gravel road. You can vary and thus get some unpaved kilometers under your tires. When I bike there, I’m the only one. That’s really nice. After goudplaat, I head east. South of Geersdijk you find the Willempolderseweg and Willempoldersedijk. Beautiful unpaved stretches, where you actually only encounter those 4×4 buggies. You also follow the local MTB route here. It’s quite doable, but unfortunately you end up on the dog poop patch of the Roompotpark. But that’s okay. Start with that.
Straight roads and fields
Unfortunately, Noord-Beveland has little to offer in the way of extra features. You have to search for stretches of unpaved road. Often you can pick up a few extra meters if you include the entrances and exits of the fields. These are sometimes 100 meters long, but often as well 300-400 meters long. A nice by-product. Further along the north side you find the dyke at Colijnsplaat, where a natural singletrack seems to have emerged. Presumably other mountain bikers created this elephant trail. As you make the crossing, it’s a delight to ride along the straight roads past the fields. The fields are in bloom and during my visit potatoes are being planted at full speed. A beautiful backdrop for this.
In the middle of the island, near Bokkegat, you will also find a mini MTB trail. It’s still nice. If you start your tour at Neeltje Jans, you’ll end up taking a nice stretch of unpaved road at ROompot. After your ride, you can then relax at the Seafarm or on the Panjaard beach. The view is priceless.
Gravel route Noord-Beveland
The gravel paths on Noord-Beveland are a bit of a find, but once you find them, you’re in for a treat! Here’s a nice gravel route across the entire island, with start and finish at Neeltje Jans (or at the bike park). For more tips on Zeeland and cycling, see here.
Read also: Mountain biking in West-Zeeuws-Vlaanderen: bouncing over cobblestones with the wind in your hair
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.