Beach holiday on the Belgian coast
A beach holiday in Belgium is something many German tourists underestimate. The Belgian coast offers 67 kilometres of uninterrupted sandy beach, often wider and softer than many German North Sea beaches. The water is cleaner than at Scheveningen, the beaches less crowded than at Sylt, and the beach culture is unique: combine a day of paddling with freshly cooked eel at the estaminet and a bike ride along the dike. At DLVX Rentals we rent apartments in Ostend, one of the liveliest seaside resorts on the Belgian coast, with direct beach access and North Sea views.
Short answer
A beach holiday in Belgium is something many German tourists underestimate. The Belgian coast offers 67 kilometres of uninterrupted sandy beach, often wider and softer than many German North Sea beaches. The water is cleaner than at Scheveningen, the beaches less crowded than at Sylt, and the beach culture is unique: combine a day of paddling with freshly cooked eel at the estaminet and a bike ride along the dike. At DLVX Rentals we rent apartments in Ostend, one of the liveliest seaside resorts on the Belgian coast, with direct beach access and North Sea views.
- •Booking direct with DLVX Rentals avoids Airbnb and Booking.com platform fees.
- •The apartments are in Ostend, close to the beach, coastal tram, and city center.
- •Guests speak directly with the owner for check-in and local questions.
What makes Belgian beaches special
The Belgian coast is a continuous strip of fine light-yellow sand, on average 100 to 300 metres wide at low tide. That is wider than most Dutch beaches and considerably more than the beaches of Sylt or Sankt Peter-Ording. At low tide, large sand flats appear, ideal for walking, kite flying or building sandcastles with children. The beaches in Ostend, Knokke, Nieuwpoort and Koksijde all have Blue Flag certification for water quality. The water is safe and watched by lifeguards from late June to early September, with marked swimming zones. Thanks to the tides and gentle seabed, the water is relatively warm for the North Sea: in July and August between 18 and 20 degrees, sometimes higher. What makes Belgian beaches unique are the beach bars and estaminets. Almost every kilometre has a cosy terrace where you can eat fresh mussels, grilled fish, fried shrimp or typical Belgian fries with a sea view.
Activities on and around the beach
A beach holiday on the Belgian coast is much more than just lying around. The Ostend promenade is 8 kilometres long and perfect for walking, jogging or cycling. You can rent bikes at almost every beach hotel or Kustram stop, and the bike paths run all the way to De Panne at the French border or to Knokke at the Dutch border. For watersports there is kitesurfing, windsurfing and sailing, especially at the Spuikom in Ostend where the shallow water is ideal for beginners. Surf and kite schools give lessons, also in German. Inland you will find Plopsaland in De Panne, a large amusement park twenty minutes away by Kustram. For culture lovers there are Bruges and Ghent an hour by train, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. And then there are the typically Belgian beach activities: a day of fishing on the Ostend piers, watching shrimp fishermen riding horses through the water at Oostduinkerke, or a visit to the Mu.ZEE in Ostend with works by Ensor.
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