Breskens: between the harbor and the beach

Beach life in Breskens

Breskens is home to a vast, 4 km long with cozy beach bars. There's also plenty of parking space near the beach. The beach is also easily accessible for people with disabilities. The lighthouse at the Breskens beach is very striking, and a popular photography scene with its black and white stripes. Breskens is in the province of Zeeland, which scores points for its many hours of sunshine, long sandy beaches, cozy beach pavilions, and clean water. It's also ideal for a vacation outside the peak season.

Restaurant recommendations for Breskens

The Zeeland coastal resort of Breskens, with its long beach at the mouth of the Scheldt, possesses something which draws many tourists in Holland in like bees to a honey pot: beach restaurants. With your feet in the sand and your head in the sun, you can have a marvelous breakfast, lunch or evening meal here. However, the beach pavilions by the North Sea are also perfect for a coffee and a slice of cake In Breskens, you'll find several beach restaurants, such as the Beach House 25 at the Walendijk, or the 't Halve Maentje at Nieuwesluisweg 44. However, there's also a large selection of restaurants in the center of the harbor town; steakhouses or Italian restaurants, freshly caught fish or pancakes in the Pannenkoekenhuis.

4 maritime Tips for Breskens

1. Trip to Vlissingen: The Westerschelde passenger ferry travels between Breskens and the port town of Vlissingen to the other side of the Westerschelde. Tip: Take a bicycle and explore the lovely peninsula of Walcheren.

2. Boat trips: De Festijn, a former mussel cutter boat, is located at Ponton in Westhaven/Handelshaven. Today, it takes guests on a round trip across the Westerschelde, where you can see seals lying on the sandbanks. If you're lucky, you'll also encounter a porpoise, which is similar to a dolphin.

3. Red penguins: When you visit the marina, look out for the red penguins, which look down from a 14 m high wooden frame, and were created by the Belgian artist William Sweetlove.

4. The wide beach: On the wide kilometer-long North Sea beach of Breskens, which invites you to sunbathe and come for a walk, you'll find wooden stages which are typical for Zeeland, and which spread out into the sea.

Other things to see and do in Breskens

The beach isn't all. There's even more things to discover in Breskens and the surrounding area;

• a walk across the long panoramic trail, which incidentally also leads to the Breskens lighthouse, offers a fantastic view of the North Sea.
• The octagonal Breskens lighthouse dates back to 1867 and is the oldest preserved cast-iron lighthouse in the Netherlands.
• Art lovers should not miss out on the religious wood carvings by the local priests in the St. Barbara Church.
• The Fishing Museum in the marina is also worth seeing. Surrounded by lovely natural and moorland areas, Breskens is also an invitation to nature lovers, walkers and cyclists.
• The fishing festival in the marina, which takes place every year at the beginning of August, attracts thousands of tourists and residents of Zeeland to the little harbor town.
• You should also visit the neighboring seaside resort of Cadzand, where fossilized shark teeth can be found on the long sandy beach of Cadzand Bad.
• Enjoy the delicacies of Zeeland, including the Oosterschelde lobsters, Zeeland mussels and oysters.

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Trip Destinations in the surrounding area

Have you heard of Renesse? This resort on the coast of Zeeland is very popular, as it has fantastic beach clubs and optimal conditions for windsurfers and kite surfers. Another highlight of the Zeeland coast is the maritime city of Vlissingen, where you can go for a walk on the longest beach promenade in the Netherlands, or meet sharks and pirates in Het Arsenaal. Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland, has all the charm of a proud city steeped in tradition, with the historic canal houses and twisty lanes. Another very charming place is the popular resort of Domburg, which has attracted many artists over the years. Zoutelande, where you can find the highest dunes in Zeeland at 54 m, lies on the so-called 'Zeeland Riviera'. Incidentally, Breskens is not too far from the Belgian border, and it's worth visiting the historic cities of Bruges (40 km) or Ghent (50 km).

Practical info

You can reach Breskens by car by traveling from the west, via Antwerp in Belgium, or from the north (Walcheren Peninsula) through the Westerschelde Tunnel, which is the longest tunnel in Netherlands at over 6 km. Breskens belongs to the Zeeland region of Zeeuws Vlaanderen, which is marked by neighboring Belgium. Hulst and Sluis are cities in Zeeuws Vlaanderen steeped in history, and definitely worth seeing. The area is also known for its light sandy beaches at Cadzand and Nieuwvliet. If you do not have a car, the best way to get to Breskens is with the passenger ferry from Vlissingen. An Intercity will take you to Vlissingen.

Your accomodation in Breskens

Breskens enjoys a marvelous location by the North Sea and the Westerschelde. Naturally, the best type of accommodation would be somewhere with a sea view … The vintage hotel de Milliano, for example, offers a view of the Westerschelde, and the Appartement aan Zee a view of the sea. Many visitors to Breskens rent a vacation apartment or vacation home, and vacation parks are also very popular.