SKL's Walking Blog

Belgium Coastal Path – 1

Zwin Natuurpark to Corsendonk Duinse Polders – 30th June 2025

I knew that this wasn’t going to be the usual unihabited landscapes of empty beaches and hills bereft of other people. But no matter, a gently stroll for a few days was the ticket.
There seems to be a paved promenade all the way along the coast of Belgium but the hard sand at the sea’s edge makes the best footing.
What I wasn’t prepared for is the heat. Thirty degrees at least today and if it wasn’t for the places to stop for drink and shade I’d be done.

The car park at Zwinn. Unfortunately, all the paths in and through the marshland and the dunes are shut. Reinstatement it seems. OF necessity I had to route aroudn the car park and try to reach the beach near the river mouth.

Artifical nesting posts. Could do with some at home to keep Esme’s crows away.

Strict delineation here and woe betide the walker who strays into the bike lanes.

Even a separate one for the horsey people.

The dutch coast across the river.

Ten miles of beach to Zeebruge which you can just see in the haze.

Starting to run into loads of people enjoying the sunny weather. One strange thing is that the vast majority of young men are of Middle Eastern extraction.

Bit of a problem, the road is in the air.

The reason why. They shuttle these huge ships up to Bruge or Brussels on the canals.

I rather enjoyed myself, at least until the lsast hour or so when the heat was bad and I had to dowse my head. Even that only lasted forty minutes and I was grateful for the end.