Beka Nature Reserve

The Beka Nature Reserve (Rezerwat Beka, roughly "BEH-kah") protects rare coastal salt meadows on Puck Bay, at the old mouth of the Reda River, about 15 km (9 miles) north of Gdynia. Its caretakers at OTOP, the Polish BirdLife partner, call it "the Polish Serengeti." From a wooden observation tower, you look out over flooded meadows, grazing Polish konik horses and the Hel Peninsula on the horizon. It is one of the best birdwatching spots on the Polish Baltic coast and an easy, peaceful half-day trip from the Tricity (Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot).

Where it is and how to get there

The reserve lies between the villages of Osłonino, Mrzezino and Rewa. It is about 25 minutes by car from central Gdynia and roughly 45 minutes from Gdańsk or Gdańsk Airport. Drive along Morska Street to the turnoff for the observation tower (about 54.6577 N, 18.4587 E), where there is a small pull-in at the start of the dike. The nearest bus and train stops are in Mrzezino, about 1.5 km away, and Osłonino, about 1 km away.

History and conservation

The reserve was created in 1988 and has been managed by OTOP since 1999. In 2018, it was enlarged to 355.6 hectares (879 acres), including a strip of the bay. Its salt meadows formed over two centuries of flooding by seawater combined with mowing and grazing. When farming stopped, reeds took over, so OTOP brought back grazing and, in 2019, introduced a herd of konik horses, a hardy Polish breed descended from wild forest horses.

The name comes from Beka, a fishing hamlet that stood at the canal mouth until the mid-20th century. In Kashubian, the regional language of this coast, beka means a harpoon for hunting seals and fish.

What you can see

• Salt meadows with specialized salt-loving plants such as saltmarsh rush, sea milkwort and sea aster.
• Wet meadows and fens with orchids and the insect-eating common butterwort.
• Birds: lapwings, redshanks, snipe, shelducks and goosanders. In fall, sometimes more than 1,000 cranes roost here, and in winter you can see rafts of diving ducks and white-tailed eagles on the bay.
• Konik horses, on the pasture from early May to late November.

Trail rules and seasonal closures (as of October 2026)

• Admission: free.
• The educational trail is about 4.5 km (2.8 miles) long. The dike section with the tower is open year-round to walkers and cyclists.
• The inner section to the old Beka hamlet and along the shore is open on foot only and closed from early March to the end of July for nesting birds.
• OTOP suggests a flat 3.5 km (2.2-mile) loop outside the breeding season.
• Stay on marked paths; leaving them is strictly forbidden.
• Bring rubber boots, since some stretches flood, and binoculars. The free "Beka rezerwat przyrody" app (in Polish) has a map and species guides.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially for birders and anyone who wants wide-open coastal scenery away from the crowded Tricity beaches. The best months are August to October, when the whole trail is open and migration is in full swing.

Nearby

Rewa's Szpyrk sandspit stretches into the bay, Rzucewo has an open-air museum dedicated to prehistoric seal hunters, and Mechelinki has a scenic cliff.