The new students have arrived in Amsterdam! As I type this I can hear the tippy-tap of their footsteps in front of my neighbor's house which is actually a sorority house. (go figure!)

The mix of recent arrivals and good weather prompted the new group I was guiding to ask about the beach. Isn't there one nearby? What is it like? Worth a trip?

The good news for them, and perhaps you, is that if you're in Amsterdam you're not far from the beach at all. And while you could hop on a train that will get you to a perfectly respectable beach named Zandvoort, in about 20 minutes... I wanted to recommend another option.

Instead of taking a train to that particular beach, go out the opposite side of central station to where the ferries arrive and depart. All the way down past the blue and white GVB ferries, there are flags marking the stop for the super-fast ferry that goes to the beach! When I say superfast ferry, you really do have to see it. Kind of reminds me of a hydrofoil, but it isn't one. It simply starts off calmly and slowly, and makes a sound like a small jet preparing for takeoff, rises up out of the water and voooosh, tears through the inner habor in the direction of the ocean. The few times I've been boating as this thing passes at full speed, I've had quite a scare.

The stop of interest for beach goers is Velsen-Zuid, a quaint seaside town with a good sized beach. Get out here, walk around snapping some photos, and indeed, enjoy the beach if the weather allows. Afterwards hop back on the green bullet-ferry and in the blink of an eye, you'll be back in Amsterdam. At about 8 and a half euros for a round trip ticket, it is one of the best beach deals around.

Oh and hurry.. September is just about here and warm sunny days must be taken advantage of.