1. Ostend Beaches
The beaches at Ostend are among the most popular resort destinations in Europe, famous for high-end spas and luxury accommodations. Ostend is also very popular as a day trip from Bruges, only 30 minutes by rail, with trains leaving every half hour.
Ostend’s beaches are also known for their annual events, like the Sculpture Festival and the Theater aan Zee (TAZ) Festival, which occupies multiple locations in a celebration of culture. As a major port town, Ostend also welcomes a great deal of visitors from the United Kingdom.
There are six separate beach areas in Ostend, totaling seven kilometers in length and averaging 80 meters wide. The Albert I Promenade is four kilometers long, starting along the interior of the Voorhaven harbor canal behind the Klein Strand (Small Beach). From here, it wraps around and extends west behind the city’s most populated beaches. There is no swimming allowed at Klein Strand, but it is often used as the setting for events and festivals.
2. Knokke-Heist Beaches
The easternmost of Belgium’s beaches, the municipality of Knokke-Heist borders the Netherlands along the edge of Zwin Nature Park. There are actually four beaches here, totaling 12 kilometers of white sand and grassy dunes.
The two most popular beaches are Het Zoute («the salt») and Albertstrand, both home to high-end luxury resorts. Duinbergen Beach and Heist Beach have more relaxed atmospheres and are more popular with locals and families.
Het Zoute is the easternmost of the beaches, abutting the nature park, and stretches for two kilometers of coastline, reaching 150 meters wide in some places. This is where you will find the most exclusive resorts and private residences, as well as the most expensive art galleries and restaurants. Neighboring Albertstrand is home to the more boisterous luxury resorts where you will find endless entertainment just steps from the beach. There is a fireworks festival held here each year, and the local yacht club can be found at the western end of the beach.
The more family-friendly Duinbergen Beach picks up at the yacht club and extends about one kilometer to the dunes at Directeur-Generaal Willemspark, the area’s last remaining intact dunes. This is Knokke-Heist’s least developed section, most popular with locals.
On the other side of the dunes, Heist Beach is the widest, at an average of 270 meters, and extends 1.6 kilometers until it meets the port at Zeebrugge. This area is more developed, offering a good variety of amenities to beachgoers. Tourists can find sightseeing cruises, charters, and ferries to the United Kingdom at the adjacent port.