It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about 9 km west of Alkmaar.

[3] A new seaside village was built as a result of private investment by large landowners and the mayor of Bergen.

Bergen aan Zee has grown into a beach resort town, popular for surfing and sailing.

The majority of the visitors come either from the Netherlands or Germany, to enjoy the sandy beach.

Between 1909 and 1955 it was the terminus of a light rail line from Alkmaar to the coast, where the iconic Dutch steam engine "Bello" was one of the locomotives.