Viking

Residentie Viking is in Koksijde-Bad, eighty metres from the sea dike. On the coast that is the distance that matters: no hunting for a parking space and hauling your things, you pick up your towel and you are there. The apartment has three bedrooms, a bathroom with a bath and toilet, a separate shower and a second toilet. Even at full occupancy nobody queues in the morning. The kitchen is fully fitted, with a dishwasher, a fridge with freezer compartment and a microwave. The living room has a digital smart TV with DVD player and Chromecast, and there is wireless internet throughout. Central heating means the apartment works just as well outside the summer months. The practical advantage of this address is the garage, four by five metres, set under the dike with an exit onto the beach. If you arrive with bicycles, a beach cart or simply a lot of luggage, that pays off every single day. There is a bicycle store too, and toys and beach gear are provided. For the youngest guests there is a cot and a high chair. One thing we mention up front: there is no terrace and no garden. If you want an apartment to sit outside, this is the wrong one. If you want a base eighty metres from the beach with everything within reach, this is exactly it. Pets are welcome and the apartment is wheelchair accessible. In Koksijde-Bad the shops, bakeries and restaurants are within walking distance. The coastal tram stops nearby and reaches De Panne or Nieuwpoort in half an hour. At Oostduinkerke, shrimp fishermen still ride into the sea on horseback, a tradition on the Unesco list that you can watch from the beach at low tide. Further inland are the Ten Duinen abbey ruins and the Hoge Blekker, the highest dune on the Belgian coast. With children, Plopsaland De Panne is a quarter of an hour away by car.