New Haven 402

From the balcony you look down the street and see the sea. New Haven 402 sits in the Goethalsstraat in Nieuwpoort-Bad, a dead-end side street two hundred metres from the seafront promenade. No through traffic passes, so you are close to the beach without the bustle of the promenade on your doorstep. The apartment sleeps four. The living area runs from the seating corner with its leather sofa through to a large dining table for six, and the glass door opens onto the balcony, where a balcony set with two chairs and a small table is ready. The open kitchen is fully equipped for proper cooking: induction hob, a combi oven that doubles as a microwave, dishwasher, fridge with freezer compartment, kettle, toaster and a Dolce Gusto machine for coffee. The living room has a TV, a hi-fi set and a DVD player. The first bedroom has a bed of 140 by 200 centimetres and fitted wardrobes up to the ceiling. The second sits between the bathroom and the main bedroom and has no window. It has bunk beds of 90 by 200, which works well for children or for two friends. The bathroom has a roomy walk-in shower of 160 by 80, a washbasin, the toilet and a washer-dryer. If you travel with young children, the cot, high chair and baby bath are already here. Slatted blinds keep the light out at the windows. There is wifi and heating, and you check in on your own, so you are not tied to a set arrival time. The building has a bicycle store. Nieuwpoort-Bad starts at the front door. The promenade is two hundred metres away, a walk of a few minutes. The Nieuwpoort Bad stop on the coastal tram is a little over two hundred metres away, so you can reach Oostduinkerke, Koksijde and De Panne without a car, and Middelkerke and Ostend in the other direction. The IJzermonding nature reserve is a good kilometre away, with paths between the dunes and along the harbour channel. Nieuwpoort's marina, with its cafes and restaurants, lies on the far side of the reserve. Outside the high season this is a quiet base for a long weekend by the sea: fresh bread from the baker a hundred and thirty metres away in the morning, where the supermarket is too, walking or cycling along the coast during the day, cooking with the balcony door open in the evening. In July and August the owner rents by the week, Saturday to Saturday. Worth knowing: dogs are welcome, but not in the bedrooms. Smoking is allowed on the balcony, not indoors. Parties are not allowed. A stay is three nights minimum. The final cleaning of 75 euros is part of the booking. Bed linen and towels are available at 20 euros per person, or you can bring your own.