Handbook

Dear guest, 

We hope you look forward to your stay at Cocondo. To make sure you wil have pleasant stay, we will share some important information and tips.

Facilities / ground rules

Accessibility / Parking
Our process of obtaining all permits was long. Partly due to concerns from the residential area about parking nuisance and the blocking of exits. In order to accommodate each other, we have agreed that guests will park in this (free) parking lot
Coming by metro? The bunker can be reached after a (beautiful) hike of 15 minutes from the Beach Station. Bicycles can be parked in front of the bunker.

Checking in and out.
Self-check-in is possible from 14:00 by using the keybox. We will sent to you the code a week in advance. Check-out is possible up to 11:00 by placing back the key in the keybox. Be aware: always close the safe with the arrow downwords. When leaving it is not necessary to remove the bedding, but It’s nice if we can see what has been used or not. Used towels can be placed on the steel bars (not on the rusty steel door). 

Bedding and towels
We provide the bedding and towels. You will sleep wonderfully under products of Yumeko. Do you need extra blankets? You can find spare blankets underneath the right side of the bed downstairs. More towels can be found underneath the washstand in the bathroom. There is also soap and shampoo available from Marcel’s Green Soap.

Kitchen
The bunker has a fully equipped kitchen, including oil, tea and coffee. The teabags and coffee-pads are bio degradable so you can dispose them with the organic waste. Any fresh and clean leftovers from your stay? We prefer not to throw anything away, so feel free to leave it for the next guests.

Lighting
Aptum made an installation for the living room, which includes a remote control that hangs on the wall. With 8 different programs you can choose an atmosphere. The lighting behind the curtains in the bedroom works with both a control-pad next to the bed and wall switches.
The lighting for the kitchen works with a small black button that’s placed at the far right end on the shelf. There is also a small light above the furnace. 

Wifi
The WiFi network is called Cocondo and the password is telefoonj1.

Toilet / shower
Everything works on (green) electricity, including hot water. This requires a lot of energy, so enjoy your shower, but also keep the environment in mind. Wastewater is milled underneath the bunker and pumped up. All the pipes are buried meters deep, so we want to prevent blockages. Therefore, do not flush large food scraps down the sink or tampons or sanitary towels down the toilet. Only use our own toilet paper (modestly).

Heating / ventilation 
We heat the bunker with floor heating that works fully automatic. During the summer the display shows the floor and not the air temperature. You can temporarily change the thermostat by pressing on the temperature and choose a duration. When it’s below 10 degrees outside, the floor can’t get the bunker warmer than 18 degrees and the pellet stove will help you out.  The operation is simple by holding the on/off button for a few seconds. It then takes the stove 5 minutes to set everything in motion. Then you can choose the size of the flame (Pot 1-5). More pellets are stored in the container in the hallway. The bedroom has a radiator and you can easily adjust it to your liking.
The bedroom has a ventilator for fresh air. Don’t be scared by the noise, it will turn off automatically after 17:00 and turns on again at 11:00

Outdoors
Under the box bed you will find pillows for the lounge chairs and hammocks for the tree. Put it back after use to protect it from the weather.

The local flora and fauna
So far, our wildlife camera has recorded a fox, beach marten, stoat, many rabbits and two domestic cats. Bats are the other main residents of bunkers. About 150 specimens of different species use the bunkers in the Vineta dunes for hibernation. During the summer they reside in the forrest. There is a ‘bat detector’ you can use. With this device you can make the high frequency sonar orientation of bats audible. Each species has its own pitch. We recommend an adventure in the forest at dusk and search for water. Here the bats hunt for mosquitoes and moths. Did you know that one bat can catch up to 2000 mosquitoes per day? That is a lot less mosquito bites per bat.

Our personal tips for the area.

Groceries
For groceries you can visit the center of Hoek van Holland. Within walking distance there is also the Attent for fresh bread and small groceries (between April – October).

Activities
There is plenty to do during your stay. We would like to share some highlights:

The Noorderpier
The town of Hoek van Holland and all the fortifications were created after the ‘Nieuwe Waterweg’ was dug in 1872. To prevent this important waterway to Rotterdam from silting up, long piers were constructed on both banks. The 4.5-kilometer-long ‘Noorderpier‘ is now a wonderful place to have a walk. Here you can watch ships pass against the background of the port of Rotterdam. 

Beaches
Hoek van Holland has several beaches. The ‘Hoekse Strand‘ is a 15-minute walk. This is where the local ‘Hoekenezen’ and water sports enthusiasts go. It is relatively quiet and there are a few beach bars and surf schools. To the south lies ‘Rotterdam Beach‘. Bathers from Rotterdam and nearby cities come here. It is more crowded / lively and there is a dozen of beach pavilions. To the north is ‘Beach Vluchtenburg‘. This beach is more quiet and has two nice beach bars. A long walk or bike ride through the dunes is recommended.

Water sports
We recommend
de Surfschool if you want to have surf lessons, go blokarting or sandboarding. Reservations for an activity can easily be made via the website.

Cycling 
Hoek van Holland has excellent cycling opportunities. Highly recommended is a bike ride along the coast to the Zandmotor or even The Hague. Want to rent a bike? There are two shops in the centre of Hoek van Holland: Kleijn Tweewielers and Peter van Leeuwen. You can also bring your bike on the ‘Hoeksveer’ to the ‘Maasvlakte’ and visit Future Land.

Food and drinks
Would you rather eat out than cook in the bunker? Plenty of possibilities!
The nearby Plstk Café is our personal favorite and lies in the dunes. Here you can enjoy delicious food and drinks with a great view.

For a special beach atmosphere and plant-based menu, we recommend Pele’s Surfshack.

Strandtent de Pit on the beach of Vluchtenburg is well known for the free atmosphere and delicious pizzas from their own wood stove.

Also located on the beach of Vluchtenburg is Elements Beach. This special place breathes light and has a menu with only vegetable and organic products.  

Just fancy a snack? At the Noorderpier is ‘snackbar de Pier‘, built against a bunker. Here they sell (in their own way) a famous portion of grated chips with a beautiful view over the Nieuwe Waterweg. Or get the homemade fries from Ina’s snackbar, also near the Noorderpier. In the mood for fish? Near the bunker you will find the Hoekse Vishandel in the parking lot. It is the favorite spot for fish among the locals.

Contact
For questions about your stay, please call / sms / whatsapp +31641249432 or send an e-mail to info@cocondo.nl