Things to do on the Belgian coast

Family days out, museums, walks, sport and ideas for rainy days.

Build a day that suits you

Choose your main activity first: exploring a reserve, visiting a museum, walking by the sea or learning a sport with a club. Add a break and a short walk instead of constantly changing location. The guides below explain how activities differ and how to prepare.

Adapt to the weather

Keep an indoor option for rain and a shorter alternative if wind makes walking tiring. Prepare water sports with the organiser: how the weather feels on the promenade is not enough to decide on a trip out to sea. For swimming, follow the lifeguards’ instructions on site.

Culture, nature and food

The museum guides help you choose a theme: maritime history, painting or fortifications. Nature guides distinguish open walking routes from protected areas. Our shrimp and fish guide helps you ask useful questions about a menu.

Programmes are suggestions. Check opening and booking conditions in the relevant guide before leaving.

• Horseback shrimp fishers in Oostduinkerke

  In Oostduinkerke, part of Koksijde, shrimp fishing also takes place on horseback.

• Shrimp and coastal food

  Read menus, shop for fish and discover the food traditions of the coast.

• Nature and dunes

  Choose a nature reserve and prepare your walk or wildlife watching trip.

• Museums and heritage on the Belgian coast

  Art in Ostend, military structures at Raversyde and fishing in Oostduinkerke offer different ways of understanding the coast.

• James Ensor House in Ostend

  James Ensor House in Ostend: plan your visit and journey.

• Paul Delvaux Museum in Sint-Idesbald

  Paul Delvaux Museum in Sint-Idesbald: plan your visit and journey.

• Fort Napoleon in Ostend

  Fort Napoleon in Ostend: plan your visit and journey.

• Mercator: museum ship in Ostend

  Mercator: museum ship in Ostend: plan your visit and journey.

• Cycling on the Belgian coast: between sea and polders

  Choose a loop, use cycle junctions and prepare for a comfortable coastal ride.

• Walking on the Belgian coast: promenade, dunes or village?

  Choose the right terrain and prepare a walk that suits the whole group.

• Watersports on the Belgian coast: choosing a first lesson

  Questions to ask a club before booking surfing, sailing, SUP or wing activities.

• Land sailing in De Panne: planning your first session

  Discover sand yachting and prepare an introduction with a coastal school.

• Pedal carts on the Belgian coast: choosing your ride

  Choose a suitable pedal cart, confirm the permitted route and enjoy a shared outing.

• The Belgian coast with children: a manageable day

  Combine the beach, discovery and breaks without filling the day with transfers.

• What to do on the Belgian coast when it rains

  Choose a nearby indoor visit and keep a flexible plan for a rainy day.

• The Belgian coast outside peak season: a flexible stay

  Plan walks, visits and meals when daylight is shorter and opening days change.

• A weekend on the Belgian coast: a realistic itinerary

  Build two days around one base, a walk and a visit, with a weather alternative.

• Photographing the Belgian coast: subjects and preparation

  Plan a photo walk with landscapes, architecture and public art while respecting access.

• Free things to do on the Belgian coast

  Plan walks, public art and a park visit while separating entry costs from travel.

• Beaufort on the Belgian coast: sculpture in the landscape

  Prepare a contemporary art walk around the permanent Beaufort sculpture collection.

• Raversyde in Ostend: Atlantikwall, medieval village and park

  Choose between military heritage, Walraversyde and a nature park walk.

• NAVIGO in Oostduinkerke: visiting the fishing museum

  Discover fishing communities, life at sea and the practical preparation for a NAVIGO visit.

• Ten Duinen in Koksijde: visiting the abbey museum

  Combine the museum and archaeological site to understand the former abbey and its setting.

• Watching seals on the Belgian coast without disturbing them

  A seal on the sand may simply be resting: keep your distance, leash dogs and report concerns carefully.

• Birdwatching on the coast: choosing your landscape

  Estuary, polders or nature park: a straightforward way to begin watching birds without disturbing them.

• Visiting Zwin: nature park and birdwatching

  Prepare a visit to Zwin Natuur Park in Knokke-Heist: exhibitions, observation points and the Zwin plain.

• Westhoek in De Panne: planning a dune walk

  Maps, route choice and a car-free arrival: explore the Westhoek dunes with a prepared walking plan.

• IJzermonding in Nieuwpoort: exploring the Yser estuary

  Understand the estuary, distinguish public viewpoints from the reserve and prepare a guided visit.

• Uitkerkse Polder: walking among meadows and birds

  Behind Blankenberge, explore the polders with the manager’s route map and time for observation stops.

• Fish markets and auctions: a different way to explore the ports

  Oostende’s Vistrap and visits to Nieuwpoort’s fish auction: distinguish shopping from exploring a working port.