Towns on the Belgian coast: discover them all from Nieuwpoort

The towns on the Belgian coast sit along a single ribbon between De Panne and Knokke-Heist, and Dune Hotel Nieuwpoort sits centrally on it. From our hotel in Nieuwpoort-Bad you can reach every seaside resort from west to east within a 50-minute drive, and the coastal tram stops at the Sint-Bernardusplein stop right outside the door. So you sleep at one address and see a different town every day: the harbour of Ostend in the morning, the dunes of Koksijde in the afternoon, and back to your room with a view of the dunes in the evening. For each town, you will find the travel time and a link to our page of tips below.

The west coast: De Panne, Koksijde and Oostduinkerke

On the west coast, west of Nieuwpoort, it is quieter than on the east coast and the dunes are at their highest. These three towns are closest to our hotel and easy to reach by bike or coastal tram. 

Nieuwpoort itself: your base by the sea

Your base, Nieuwpoort, has two parts: Nieuwpoort-Bad on the beach, where our hotel stands, and Nieuwpoort-Stad around the harbour and the fish market, linked by a traffic-free walking and cycling path. The beach of Nieuwpoort is 150 metres from our front door, the Simliduinen dunes border the hotel and in October the town celebrates the Shrimp Month. For everything you can do here, even when it rains, see things to do in Nieuwpoort in bad weather.

The middle coast: Westende, Middelkerke, Ostend and Bredene

East of Nieuwpoort, the coastal tram follows the promenade towards Ostend, the city by the sea. All four towns are within half an hour's drive. 

The east coast: from De Haan to Knokke-Heist

The east coast is a day trip: allow 40 to 50 minutes by car, or take the coastal tram and hop off wherever you like. Here you will find belle époque, a harbour town and the Zwin nature reserve. 

Across the border and inland

If you look beyond the promenade, Nieuwpoort offers two more options: across the border or inland. Dunkirk in France is just a 32-minute drive away, a trip to another country within the hour. And inland begins the Westhoek: polders, the market squares of Veurne, Diksmuide and Ypres, and the heritage of the First World War, of which Nieuwpoort itself is part with the Westfront.

How to travel from town to town

The easiest way to travel is the De Lijn coastal tram: it runs along the entire coastline and stops 10 metres from our hotel, so you move from town to town without any parking worries. If you come by car, it stays in our covered, secure car park, included when you book through our website or at reception. Hire a bike at reception for the shorter distances, and read how the tram works on our page about the coastal tram. Prefer nature to towns? Then take a look at our overview of the nature reserves on the Belgian coast.

Stay centrally on the coast

Stay centrally on the coast: Dune Hotel Nieuwpoort has 88 rooms for 2 or 4 guests, with rooms for families, couples and guests with a dog, all with a balcony or terrace. The breakfast buffet is ready every morning and included with a direct booking, so you board the tram well fed. After a day in another town, you come home to the calm of the dunes, with Restaurant The Dunes for dinner (reservation required). Which town on the coast will be your first? See our rooms and book your stay in Nieuwpoort.