A vacation on the Belgian coast with kids is fun! You have on the Belgian coast a huge number of nice seaside resorts, where there is plenty to do with the family! The beaches in Belgium are clean and on most beaches you have lots of facilities which is ideal for families with kids. We visited the Belgian coast several times with our daughter and in this blog we list the best seaside resorts on the Belgian coast!
Best travel time Belgian coast with kids
The best travel time to visit the Belgian coast with kids is from May to August. These are the summer months in Belgium and this is when the temperatures are most pleasant. Most families with kids come to the Belgian coast for the fine beaches anyway and during this period you have the greatest chance that it is warm enough to go to the beach with kids.
In terms of temperature, July and August are the months with the highest average temperatures. The chance of rain is also a lot less during this period, but you should always keep in mind that there may be a shower. We have also visited the Belgian coast in August and had a lot of rain. Fortunately, there are plenty of children’s activities on the Belgian coast that you can do even when it rains.
Transportation to and near the Belgian coast
For us as a family, the Belgian coast is about a 2 to 3 hour drive from where we live and from there we have always visited the different seaside resorts with our own car. Especially if you want to visit several destinations on the coast, it is nice to have a car at your disposal. In general you can park everywhere, but keep in mind that many places have paid parking.
A good alternative to the car is the coastal streetcar. This streetcar runs between the seaside resorts of De Panne and Knokke and stops at 67 different places. The streetcar comes several times an hour during the day and this way you can visit several coastal towns on the Belgian coast with kids.
If you come to Belgium by plane, most families with kids arrive at Brussels International Airport. From this airport it is about 1.5 hours drive to most seaside resorts on the coast. You can rent a car at the airport and explore the entire coast. To rent a car at the Brussels airport, take a look here.
In addition, it is also possible to fly to the Belgian coast. Near the seaside resort of Ostend there is also an international airport and from there it is a short drive to the various destinations on the Belgian coast.
Family-friendly resorts on the Belgian coast
Ostend
Ostend is one of the most famous seaside resorts on the Belgian coast and very popular among families with kids. You can visit several beaches in Ostend, where there is a suitable beach for everyone. It is also fun to visit Recreation Park Koninginnehof in Ostend with the family.
Here they have a nice playground, traffic square and it is possible to go boating. Also in this area you have a play forest and another large playground that you can visit with kids. You can already have a great time here for half a day.
You also have a trampoline park in Ostend and it is possible for kids to discover some of Ostend’s history. We wrote about Ostend the blog Ostend with kids, in which we list all children’s activities in detail.
If you’re looking for family-friendly accommodation to sleep in Ostend, the following are good options:
Budget accommodation: Hotel Princess
Mid-range accommodation: Upstairs Hotel
Luxury accommodation: Hotel Monarc
For the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Ostend, take a look here.
Newport
The seaside town of Nieuwpoort is also fun to visit with kids. Here too you have a nice beach and a nice boulevard along the beach. Also parallel to the boulevard there is a nice street with all kinds of stores and restaurants. You can rent gocarts here as in many of the seaside resorts on the Belgian coast with the family. They also often have all kinds of other electric vehicles here.
Our daughter rented an electric scooter from one of these rental companies and that way we took a tour of the beach. For families with kids, this is an ideal way to tour the beaches of the Belgian coast. You also have all kinds of other vehicles you can rent and these are suitable for kids of all ages.
In Nieuwpoort, you can also book a day ticket to Sunparks, which has all kinds of activities for kids. That way you can have a great time for a whole day in Nieuwpoort. We wrote the blog Nieuwpoort with kids about our visit to Nieuwpoort.
If you are looking for a nice family-friendly accommodation in Nieuwpoort, these are very good options:
Budget accommodation: Holiday Suites Nieuwpoort
Mid-range accommodation: B&B Lanterfanters’
Luxury accommodation: The CORNR Hotel
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Nieuwpoort, take a look here.
Knokke
Knokke is often in the news because of the partying youth in this seaside resort and the nuisance it regularly causes, but also for families with kids this seaside resort is definitely a must. Of course, you can also go to the beach in Knokke and you have several beach bars on this beach where you can go for a snack and a drink.
You have the Zwin Nature Park just outside Knokke, where you can enjoy biking with kids and where you can cycle to the Dutch seaside resort of Cadzand in just over half an hour. A great place to grab a bite to eat in Knokke with kids is at Marie Siska. This restaurant has a nice terrace outside and a very nice playground for kids. Ideal of course if you are looking for a place to have lunch with the family.
In addition, in Knokke on the Belgian coast it is possible to play miniature golf with kids, swim (at indoor pool Duinenwater) or play in the playground at restaurant de Zes Bochten. In short, this Belgian seaside resort also has enough to do for families with kids to keep you entertained for a whole day during the summer months.
Budget accommodation: Hotel Prince Baudouin
Mid-range accommodation: Hoeve Hazegras
Luxury accommodation: Hotel Lugano
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Knokke, take a look here.
Blankenberge
Also in the seaside resort of Blankenberge on the Belgian coast you can do several children’s activities with kids in addition to the beach. For example, in Blankenberge you can take the kids to a branch of Sea Life. Sea Life is in many big cities around the world and the principle is actually a bit the same everywhere. You have different aquariums with all kinds of beautiful colored and tropical fish, jellyfish, rays and sharks.
Sea Life also has other animals such as penguins, sea lions and seals that you can view here. Of course, this is a good children’s activity on the Belgian coast when the weather is not so good, for example. For more information about Sea Life, take a look at the Sea Life website. Another fun children’s activity you can do with the family here at the Belgian coast is a visit to Leopold Park.
You can play a game of miniature golf with the children here, and kids can play in the playground and go kid-karting. In the latter, kids drive a cart across a traffic square. You pay per activity for the kids at this park.
If you are looking for a suitable place to stay in Blankenberge with the family, the following family-friendly accommodations are good options.
Budget accommodation: C-Hotels Helios
Mid-range accommodation: Hotel Sabot D’Or
Luxury accommodation: ABC Hotel
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Blankenberge, take a look here.
The Rooster
De Haan may not be the most famous seaside resort on the Belgian coast, but there is plenty to do for kids here as well. We visited De Haan for a weekend with our daughter and had a great time here as well. Of course, you can also go to the beach here and an advantage is that you can park your car for free in the center of De Haan. Here in the park you can play a game of mini golf with kids, among other things.
In De Haan you can buy a day ticket for Center Parcs’ vacation park De Haan, where you can do all kinds of things with kids. You can visit a subtropical swimming paradise here, where kids can also go whitewater rafting, among other things. You also have an indoor playground at the vacation park and there is also plenty to do for the kids outside.
For example, outside at this park there is a playground and a petting zoo, and kids can also drive electric cars around a track. We wrote the blog De Haan with kids about this seaside resort, in which we listed all the children’s activities.
Nice options to stay here on the Belgian coast with kids are the following options:
Budget accommodation: Hotel Escapade
Mid-range accommodation: Hotel Rubens
Luxury accommodation: Hotel Astoria
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in De Haan, take a look here.
The Panne
You can also go to an amusement park on the Belgian coast with kids. In the seaside resort of de Panne is Plopsaland de Panne. We visited this amusement park when our daughter was quite young and had a great time here for a whole day.
This amusement park is geared towards young kids and has more than 30 different attractions. You also have several shows at Plopsaland de Panne that you can watch in one day and especially with young kids, it is a very nice and very fun amusement park to visit.
In addition to the amusement park, Plopsaland also has a large water park you can go to. These are two separate parks and you will need a day to visit each one if you want to do it at your leisure. Of course, in de Panne you can also just go to the beach with the kids.
Near the beach you also have a visitor center located, where they can tell you all about the different hikes you can take as a family through this area.
You also have a cool playground on the beach at de Panne (Playground Arizona), where kids can play for a small fee. Again, they rent out all kinds of bikes here for kids to ride along the beach.
If you are looking for a nice family-friendly accommodation in De Panne, these are good options.
Budget accommodation: Le Rusticka
Mid-range accommodation: C-Hotels Continental
Luxury Accommodation: Hotel Donny
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in De Panne, take a look here.
Bredene
Bredene is a somewhat smaller seaside resort and you don’t have very many family-friendly accommodations to book in this resort. Of course, you can easily visit this resort during a day trip from one of the other resorts. Bredene has a kilometer long sandy beach with the necessary facilities for families with kids.
The most famous place to go in Bredene is Recreation Domain Grasduinen. This recreation area has a large playground for kids and also a swimming pool. You can also go biking and hiking with kids in this area. Bredene is also a cool place to visit for lovers of street art.
For example, you have a street art project here (Tour Elentrik), where all kinds of buildings are decorated throughout the resort. For a map of all the places where you can see street art, check out Tour Elentrik‘s website.
Oostduinkerke
If you’re looking for a fun activity when the weather is a little cooler on the Belgian coast, you can go to Aquafun in Oostduinkerke. For Aquafun, you can buy a day ticket for the subtropical swimming pool which is indoors and which has, among other things, a fun slide. The pool also has a pool where they can generate artificial waves.
In addition to an indoor pool, you can also book tickets for the outdoor water park at Aquafun Oostduinkerke. These are all inflatable play equipment placed on a lake where the kids can play for a certain time slot. So you have an option for when the weather is less and an option for when the weather is nice in Oostduinkerke.
If you want to stay overnight in Oostduinkerke with the family, we have listed several family-friendly accommodations below. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: Youth Hostel The Peerdevisser
Mid-range accommodation: Vacation Domain Ter Helme
Luxury accommodation: Rewind Hotel
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Oostduinkerke, take a look here.
