Westhoekwandelroute

From the Duinpanne car park, which stands in the Calmeynbos, follow the hexagonal 'Westhoek' signs to the nature reserve De Westhoek, where the path runs through dunes and dune valleys close to the Belgian-French border. Visit Flanders lists two works from the Beaufort art triennial on the way, Gerhard Lentink's wooden 'Christophorus' and Michael Rakowitz's 'Cast Away'. The walk reaches the Westerpunt, a 6 m high lookout between the dunes and the beach with a 360-degree view. The way back crosses more dunes and the Calmeynbos, a 55 ha forest planted in the early 1900s, to the visitor centre.

It is 10.3 km round; allow about 2¾ hours; the grade is Easy. About two thirds of the way is on sand paths, which are slower going than the time suggests. Our height data give 29 m of ascent, but they probably under-read the dunes and no official climb is published, so expect more. Visit West-Vlaanderen also offers a shortened loop of 7.2 km.

Part of the Westerpunt is under water at high tide, so check the tide before you go onto the beach side. Highland cattle and Konik horses graze parts of the reserve; dogs are banned in the grazing zones and must be on a lead on the marked walking paths. The area is open from 5:00 to 23:00 and closed in a storm, and fires are forbidden.

The walk starts at the car park beside the provincial visitor centre Duinpanne (Olmendreef 2, De Panne). The Province of West Flanders, which runs the centre, says the car park is in De Panne's paid parking zone at weekends, on public and school holidays and every day from 9:00 to 19:00 between 1 May and 30 September, and free on weekdays from 1 October to 30 April, with a limit of 5 hours. Visit Flanders names the Kusttram stop Kerk De Panne and the bus 56 stop De Panne Esplanade for getting there.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.