Camping Zeeburg Amsterdam: Holidays in full Technicolour

Lilly Likes reviews the most colourful campsite in Amsterdam.

When you first roll up to the gates of Camping Zeeburg Amsterdam, you are greeted with an atmosphere of excitement and good fun. One of the first things you will notice are the brightly coloured cabins, some two storeys high and all mish-mashed together like a beautiful hippy rainbow. Kids go mad for it. For the adults, that mixture of brightly painted wooden holiday homes reminds you of beach houses and summers in the sand.

Camp Zeeburg Amsterdam is just within the limits of Amsterdam itself. Technically it is in the Zeeburg suburb, allowing you to reach it within half an hour on the train from Centraal Station. It’s a refreshing, breezy breath of fresh air when you have been cooped up in the city. It’s a great campsite with more to it than just brightly coloured huts, but we will get to that in a moment.

First, let’s guide our newer guests around our own wonderful website. Those planning a last minute getaway to Amsterdam will find all the best deals on things to do when they get there, through the Lilly Likes Amsterdam site. If you want to have a laugh and read about some of the places you can visit, you can check out some of our blog articles. The Beer Bike tour is a firm favourite but let’s not forget our reviews of the coffeeshops of Amsterdam.

What’s Camp Zeeburg Amsterdam?

It’s a campsite just inside the boundaries of Amsterdam, where you can take your family for a cool retreat. Need a holiday? Desperate to take the kids somewhere they’ll love? Then this is the place you need in your life… That’s right, millennials have kids now… and some of them are teenagers.

Camp Zeeburg contains some awesome opportunities to create new memories. They aren’t just technicoloured either, they are a sustainable campsite that pride themselves on being as eco-friendly as possible.

When you stay here, you are treated to the outdoor lifestyle with a splash of fun attached. There are fun activities to enjoy, an environmental zone (that’s green belt area to the Brits) to explore, and a river to splash in. Let’s look at the facilities, amenities, and activities available in greater detail.

Camp Zeeburg: The Facilities and Amenities

There are a few branches of facilities and amenities in Camp Zeeburg so let’s start from the top.

The Accommodation

The cheapest way to stay in Camp Zeeburg Amsterdam is to hire a tent pitch for the duration of your holiday and bring your tent with you. This is easier to do if you are a Netherlands native. Carrying your tent and sleeping bags on the plane is likely to be just as expensive as taking accommodation, so we would recommend you do that.

Next up is the camper and caravan pitches. You can park up in the middle of the forest on one of their spacious pitches. Camper and caravan guests have access to fresh water, somewhere to fill up and empty as needed, and access to electricity where possible.

Last but by no means least, you can stay in one of the awesome accommodations that make driving into the campsite so exciting. Rent your very own brightly coloured cabin in Zeeburg and choose from a fascinating range of options.

The Eco Cabins fit 1, 2, or 4 people and come with grass roofing and underfloor heating. You can rent one in the complex or on the water since the camp is situated on the banks of the ijmeer river. They come with a beautiful view of the river and contain two beds, a table and chairs, and no cooking facilities, though a takeaway service is available.

If you don’t want an eco-cabin, what about a wagonette? These are equally as brightly coloured and sport enough room for a bunkbed, while you do everything else on your veranda. They have central heating and electricity, don’t worry. And before anyone panics, there’s Wi-Fi throughout the camp.

Asides from variations of the eco pod idea, you can stay in a 2-person barrel. That’s correct, we said barrel. It’s a long, barrel shaped building. You can cook in the barrels, as long as it is in the microwave. They also come with beds, tables and chairs, and fridges.

If you want the same amenities as the barrel but want a real house for the week, seek out the IJpods. They have the microwaves, fridges, and double beds you have been looking for. With the most space on offer, they also have couches inside.

Between all these accommodations you are bound to find something for your family. Although they are geared towards 2-4 people in each building, they do let you rent out adjacent rooms for larger groups.

Washing/Laundry/Toilet Blocks

The toiler blocks are cleaned several times a day and more so since coronavirus measures were introduced. Camp Zeeburg say they clean toilet and shower blocks every hour throughout the day. They have a site in the centre of the motorhome campsite, in the tent campsite, and in the central block of holiday homes. There are disabled facilities, too.

There is a laundry self-service unit where you can access washers and dryers. Kids create dirt, so they prepared for that. Washing coins are 5€ and coins can be bought from the candy machines or from the shop.

The supermarket staff know everything there is to know about the area. They will sell you freshly baked croissants as well as laundry tokens. You can find everything you need here so you never have to travel for milk. The supermarket sells merchandise of the camp so you can commemorate your holiday with a cool hoody, and it sells the Amsterdam OV cards that get you cheap access to Amsterdam attractions for a full day, should you wish to go enjoy yourself in the city.

Camp Zeeburg: Fun Times and Activities

There are loads of things to see and do around the campsite, even if the weather is bad. There are some lovely features at the café, for example. They have an open fireplace for you to cosy in front of, a darts board, a free book swap, an outdoor ping pong table, a lounge for your use, and a television for any sports matches you might miss.

The campsite offers bike rental because this is Amsterdam. This is the cheapest, most fun way to get around the area, plus there are loads of great bike tracks to explore nearby.

Canoe rental is a second option. It’s a little more expensive but it’s hella good fun. Rent a one person or a two person canoe and sail on down the Ijmoor river. They also offer Kayak and SUP rental.

They have an onsite animal farm, because why wouldn’t you put a petting zoo in the middle of a camp site? It’s near the tent pitches, so if you wake up to an alpaca munching yesterday’s damp trainers it’s kind of your own fault.

Where to eat and drink?

There is an onsite supermarket, so you don’t need to worry about running out of groceries. As well as the supermarket, they have an onsite restaurant which offers a takeaway service, even if your eco pod has no cooking facilities. The café/restaurant has a fresh feel and plenty of fresh ingredients to match it. It has outdoor or indoor dining, so you can eat out if the weather is nice.

Attractions within Driving Distance

Since you are right on the edge of Amsterdam, there are numerous big city attractions within driving, biking, or train distance. We happen to have reviewed many of them already, so let’s take a look at what’s on offer.

Amsterdam is famous for its art and museums. You can view the Van Gogh Museum, see the Ann Frank House, learn about cats in the cat museum, or visit the Embassy of the Free Mind. You don’t even have to go into the city. You can enjoy the Keukenhof Gardens, visit the windmills at the Zaanse Schans, or do any of our other suggestions of fun things outside the city. There’s an endless list brought about by Camp Zeeburg being in a fantastic location. Don’t let the chance pass you by.

Where is Camp Zeeburg?

It’s in Amsterdam but it is right on the outskirts to the southeast of the city. The Zeeburg district surrounds it and contains about 51k people spread out across a large area. The islands of Zeeburg were only built in 1990, so the campsite itself still has the fresh, modern feeling of a newly settled land. As of 2010, the Zeeburg area, where the city had built new islands, merged with Amsterdam-Oost. You can get there by taking the train from Amsterdam Centraal and it takes a little over half an hour. Or why not hire a bike and cycle?

You can book up to camp Zeeburg here.

Lilly’s Verdict on Camp Zeeburg

We love all things Amsterdam here at Lilly Likes, so you should expect it to be no secret that we love the brightly coloured cabins of Camp Zeeburg, too. We recommend it for families and small groups of friends, who can stay next door to each other and enjoy some nature. It’s a great location with a great vibe. Go along, see for yourself, and don’t forget to report back to us on social media.

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