Paddling near Amstelveen, North Holland

Amstelveen sits in the flat polder landscape of North Holland, directly south of Amsterdam, threaded by the Amstel river and ringed by canals and lakes. The Amsterdamse Bos — a 1,000-hectare urban forest straddling the city's western edge — has a canoe and kayak rental on its large pond, making it the most accessible on-water starting point. Beyond the forest, the Westeinderplassen and the Loosdrechtse Plassen give paddlers open still water, while the Amstel itself connects into a wider network of polderland canals ideal for touring by canoe, kayak or SUP.