When you think of a place with beautiful beaches, Belgium probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. But perhaps it should be. The beaches by Ostend on the North Sea are impressive! There’s a 9km promenade for walking, cycling or inline skating. Despite being chilly when I was there, there were a few brave surfers and another group that was braving the waters in inflatable boats. There’s beach volley ball and a large selection of restaurants on the promenade serving up fresh fish and seafood. Admittedly when I was there in September, it wasn’t the ideal beach weather. You need to go in July or August for that. But it still made for a lovely walk from Ostend to the Atlantic Wall, an extensive coastal fortification built by Nazi Germany. More on that later, but I will say it was totally worth the 6km walk. Alternatively, there’s a tram that will take you there as well – but then you’d miss the lovely beaches of Ostend:
Dunes can be found along some sections of the beaches
Surfers braving the cold waters of the North Sea
Typical scenery along the 9km promenade
Beach volleyball anyone?
Rafting on the North Sea
While you’re in Ostend, I also recommend dining at Finess. It was my favorite restaurant in Ostend.
Thank you to Oostende Tourism for making my visit possible. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
