Oostduinkerke (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌoːstˈdœy̯ŋkɛrkə]; French: Ostdunkerque [ɔstdœ̃kɛʁk]; West Flemish: Ôostduunkerke) is a place in the Belgian province of West Flanders, where it is located on the southern west coast of Belgium, so that part of it is a seaside resort.
Once a municipality of its own, Oostduinkerke now is a sub-municipality in the municipality of Koksijde.
The name "Oostduinkerke" translates as 'East Dunkirk'. The town originally shared its name with the city of Dunkirk in current-day France ; therefore, in the 13th century, 'Oost-' was added to its name to avoid confusion with its namesake further to the west.
Oostduinkerke lies amidst a dune area (approximately 2.4 km2), which is now a protected nature reserve.
To go for walks in the nature reserves (7 km2) or on the beach (8 km) or on the promenade (3.6 km) is a refreshing experience. The sandy beach stretches from 250 to 700 m at ebb-tide and extends over 30 km, via De Panne to the beach of Dunkirk (France), which explains why Oostduinkerke is popular with sand yachters and parakarters.


The town is a popular tourist destination, especially for Dutch and Belgian tourists. The main attractions are the long beach, the dunes and the casino. In summer there are many festivals in Oostduinkerke: jazz festival (July), "Folklore" (August) or "Music at Sea" on board of a ship with live music from international artists every night during August-September). There is also an annual kite surfing contest which takes place in September/October.

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