It only spans 40 miles but the Belgian coast is one long line of fun resorts, nature reserves and beaches, all linked by the world’s longest tramline
Desperate for crashing waves on a beautiful sandy shore – but keen to avoid a beach packed with boozy post-lockdown holidaymakers – I’ve opted for a road trip along Belgium’s North Sea coast, which stretches for 40 miles between the French and Dutch borders. There are 15 resorts dotted along the dunes that line the entire coast, and as Belgium has been out of confinement since 8 June, everything has pretty much reopened. I can choose between campsites, B&Bs and classic hotels, enjoy a traditional Belgian beer in a cosy, pub-like estaminet or sit outdoors at a sunny beach cabana, ordering at the bar. Restaurants have also reopened, and the only reason to book is to ensure a table, capacity having been reduced to ensure social distancing.
While it is easy to drive here from the UK, via the Eurotunnel or the ferry to Calais or Dunkirk, I am embarking on a different kind of road trip, jumping on the Eurostar to Brussels, followed by a local train to Ostend, where right outside the station, De Kusttram, the Coastal Tram (€1.80 a ride, €7.50 for a day ticket) is waiting to whisk me off to my first stop, De Panne. Close to the French border, this is the starting point of the world’s longest tramline, which hugs the coast up to Knokke-Heist near the Dutch border, with 67 beach stops along the way.
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