Gouwe

Route of 19.8 km. No portages.

Kayak rentals and camping:

Camping De Gouw, Gouwe 5, 1718 LJ Hoogwoud. Tel.: 0651-520721.

Starting point Gouwe

You can start opposite camping De Gouw. There is a public kayak pier, but there's limited parking space. From the N242 (Alkmaar - Middenmeer) you exit in the direction Medemblik (N239). At Aartswoud you turn right on the Zuiderzeestraat. You go straight on along the Gouwe till the starting point.
From the A7 (Amsterdam - Afsluitdijk) you take exit 11 Lambertschaag. You turn left on the N239, and then left again at Aartswoud. You follow the Zuiderzeestraat along the Gouwe till the starting point.

Starting point along the A7

There's more parking space at the starting point at the busstation Abbekerk along the A7. There's a low side where it's easy to launch your kayak. From the A7, you take exit 10a towards Abbekerk. The bus-station with free parking place is right there.

Route of 19.8 km

Here's the route I made:
From the starting point Gouwe you head north. The canal is narrow, and in the summer-time the water plants will slow you down. But after you turn right things get better. You follow the canal. After the kayak pier on your left you turn right. You pass the windmill Koggemolen.
A little further you turn right. When you pass a bridge you go a little further passed the farmhouse and then you come at a T-junction. You turn left on the Dieringersloot. At Lambertschaag you turn left. At the next T-junction you turn right. The canal goes along the main road N239. It bends to the righ along the A7. Then you turn right (opposite a culvert under the A7).
At Lambertschaag you turn left and you pass Abbekerk. In the center of Abbekerk there are a few bends. Here you turn left under a bridge. A little further you turn right after the farm Catharina's Hoeve. The canal makes a number of bends. When you come at a T-junction you turn left on the Veken. The canal makes a bend to Gouwe. Just before Gouwe there is a kayak pier with a picnic table. A little further you come back at the starting point.