Hook of Holland

Hook of Holland (Dutch: Hoek van Holland or De Hoek, literally "The Corner") is a small town on the Nieuwe Waterweg ship canal near the North Sea coast in Rijnmond. It is well connected to the nearby regional hub, Rotterdam. Most notable for travellers is Hook's ferry port, which has had services to the East of England since 1893.

Understand
Hook of Holland is a part of the municipality of Rotterdam, and it has an advisory council for local affairs. The settlement came into existence when the Nieuwe Waterweg was dug to create a better waterway from the harbor of Rotterdam to the sea.

Ferries from England (UK)

 * Stena Lines runs both daily and daily overnight between Hook of Holland and Harwich in Essex (England). (8 hr; €48 one-way foot passenger not including bunk or cabin.)
 * P&O Ferries runs daily overnight from Hull (England) to the Maasvlakte part of the Port of Rotterdam. (10 hr; €88+ one-way foot passenger not including bunk or cabin.) Then, a local ferry operated by RET links Hook of Holland with Maasvlakte, where the ferry from Hull arrives.

By public transport
The municipality can be reached by Rotterdam Metro line operated by RET or by bus 31 from Den Haag Leyenburg operated by EBS. The bus terminates at, next to Stena Lines and the Rotterdam Metro station. Since April 2023, Line B of the Rotterdam Metro now terminates at.

You can use an OV-chipkaart to use public transport in the Netherlands, or directly check in and out with a debit or credit card (this is called OVPay) or buy a special travel product from the operator.

For RET, check in and out with a debit or credit card, or buy a ticket at the machine on the Rotterdam Metro. They offer English-language menus and accept debit and credit cards. Cash is being phased out and many ticket machines do not accept cash. Alternatively, use the RET Barcode app to purchase tickets.

By foot
The Hook of Holland is a hub in the network of European long distance footpaths. It is served by E2 (GR 5), E8 and E9.

By bicycle
It can be reached by bicycle in about 1 hour from The Hague or Delft, and 1½ hours from Rotterdam. The route is flat, but strong wind near the coast can make the ride more difficult. You might pass some of the largest greenhouses in the world; the greenhouses in this area of the Netherlands produce enormous amounts of fruit, vegetables and flowers for domestic use and export.

There are different networks especially for touristic/recreational cyclists, see for more information the page of the whole region.

Get around
The town is small and easily walkable. However most of the draws for visitors are 2–4 km (30–50 min walking) from town—not all in the same direction—so a bike or car is helpful if you're hoping to fit a lot into your day.

See

 * Europoort — The largest port in the world (by some measures) sits on a series of islands facing the Hook of Holland. You can drive or bicycle here on your own, or take Rondvaart Europoort's harbour tour departing from the mainland:
 * You can get to the port on foot or bicycle via the RET Fast Ferry from Hoek van Holland Haven, departing hourly from 06:06 to 19:06. (You'll probably want a bike to get around upon arriving at the sprawling Europoort.) Round-trip ferry tickets €5.60.
 * Driving to the port is possible, but you'll have to go almost all the way to Rotterdam to get to the tunnel.
 * Driving to the port is possible, but you'll have to go almost all the way to Rotterdam to get to the tunnel.
 * Driving to the port is possible, but you'll have to go almost all the way to Rotterdam to get to the tunnel.
 * Driving to the port is possible, but you'll have to go almost all the way to Rotterdam to get to the tunnel.



Do

 * Get naked — The beach has a designated section for naturists, between poles 116,12 and 116,62.
 * Surf, Windsurf, or Kiteboard — Check out De Surfschool, Windsurfing Hoek van Holland, or the Kiteboard Shop for lessons or gear.
 * Surf, Windsurf, or Kiteboard — Check out De Surfschool, Windsurfing Hoek van Holland, or the Kiteboard Shop for lessons or gear.

Go next

 * Rotterdam — Major multicultural city known for its modern architecture.
 * Delft — One of the country's most picturesque canal-lined towns. Home of the famous Delft Blue pottery (or Delftware), and the home of Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.
 * The Hague — The seat of the Dutch parliament and government, and home to Scheveningen, the most popular seaside resort of the Netherlands.
 * East of England by ferry