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If you own a boat yourself, you might well want to explore the 42 km long port in your own vessel. Naturally, this is possible. The Port of Rotterdam offers you the necessary information needed when sailing through the Riverguide app and the linked website. The most essential rules to follow are to keep to the starboard rank, listen to the VHF and report if you are requested to do so. Keep a good view of your surroundings, including what's behind you, and navigate your crossings as straight as possible, keeping a clear view of the port entrance.
Port of Rotterdam Visitor Centre
Museum of the port of Rotterdam, specifically focussing on the recent (2013) addition of the Tweede Maasvlakte. The museum features exhibits the like of an interactive maquette, a film hall, as well as several interactive exhibits. The museum organises sightseeing of the "Gateway to Europe" by ferry and bus.
A 1.6 km long concrete wall, testament to the fact that when given an element, the Dutch will try to conquer it. After the water was conquered, the wind was next. The Wind Wall exists to remove the wind's influence on large cargo ships navigating the Calandkanaal, especially through the Calandbrug bridge.
Maeslant Barrier
Storm surge barrier completed in 1997 as the last part of the Delta Works, a plan set in place to defend the low-lying Netherlands against flooding. The barrier gates are able to close off the Nieuwe Waterweg completely, defending Rotterdam against excessive flooding. The barriers are almost always opened, but are closed about once a year around September to verify its workings. It has been closed because of storm surges twice, once in Novembe 2007 and once in early January 2018. The visitors centre is located on the northern bank, in Hoek van Holland.
Windmill dating back to 1887, when it was built to replace an older 1658 mill, which had to be demolished due to waterworks along the Scheur (which nowadays is the Nieuwe Waterweg to the north of Rozenburg). The mill hasn't been milling actively since the early 1960s, but can be used as a wedding venue or can be visited on an appointment-basis.