8 Best Beaches To Visit In North Yorkshire
When you think of England’s most appealing bays and coves, Cornwall and Devon probably spring to mind. But North Yorkshire's best beaches certainly give these southern counties a run for their money. And there's plenty of variety too – choose from scenic swathes of sand, sheltered family favourites and spectacular seaside resorts.
Travelling from north to south along the dramatic North Sea coastline, here are the eight best beaches to visit in North Yorkshire on your next break. If you’re keen to make the most of your time outdoors, think about booking a camping or glamping break – Pitchup has a great selection of family-friendly camping options, holiday parks and nearly-wild farm sites close to many of these beaches.
Browse North Yorkshire campsites near the sea
Saltburn Beach
Colourful beach huts and surfing waves
These days well-known for the excellent seafood at the Seaview Restaurant and the Victorian tramway, which shuttles up and down the cliffside to the pier in summer, the stretch of sand and shingle at Saltburn-by-the-Sea has a bit of a buzz about it. Backed by beach huts in crayon-box colours, the north-facing beach picks up a strong swell and is one of North Yorkshire’s top surfing spots. There’s a watersports school with board rental available, as well as plenty of cafés and kiosks selling ice cream along the prom.
Other family-friendly amenities include the summer-season mini-train that runs through Saltburn Valley Country Park, and lifeguards on the beach, so kids can paddle and swim safely. Dogs are allowed on Saltburn Beachall year round, and you can exercise both the family and your four-legged pals on a walk north to quiet Marske-by-the-Sea beach. For longer leg stretches, join the Cleveland Way, which hits the sea at Salburn, and walk sections of the coastline right down to Filey Bay (see below).
Runswick Bay
Fossil hunting and hobgoblin caves
The vast crescent of sheltered stone-and-sand beach in the pretty (and pretty steep) whitewashed fishing village of Runswick Bay is a firm family favourite for rockpooling, fossil hunting and building sandcastles. If the kids tire of creating architectural masterpieces, keep them entertained with a hike to the Hob Holes, a series of tiny caves said to house hobgoblins, or follow the coast along the Cleveland Way. (If you’re generally more into strolling than sunbathing, check out our suggestions for the best walks in North Yorkshire.)
Runswick is also a popular spot for dog walkers as the beach is open to them all year round. There are two car parks – one at the top of the vertiginous hill and a smaller one at the bottom – but if you choose to walk down from the top, you can at least cool off with a well-deserved dip (or doggy paddle) in the sea when you get there.
Unlike many other North Yorkshire seaside villages, Runswick is not packed with eateries – there are two pubs open for business all year round, and in high season (from around Easter) you also have the choice of a couple of seafront tearooms.
West Cliff beach, Whitby
Sandy spot set below a famous Gothic abbey
Whitby actually has two beaches divided by the River Esk: to the east is the pocket-sized sheltered Tate Hill, which is dog-friendly all year round. To the west of the Esk, the larger West Cliff is the town’s main beach, a sandy affair backed by beach huts, with deckchairs and windbreaks (you'll often need one of these) for hire, an outdoor paddling pool and donkey rides.
Other fabulous family facilities include mini-golf courses and play areas, plus the cliff lift, which runs from late April until September. It’s a pretty spot to catch your breath after scaling the harbour town’s famous 199 Steps up to the equally notorious clifftop Whitby Abbey – eerie crumbling ruins immortalised in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula – which has an exceptional gift shop. As one of our best places to go in North Yorkshire, it's well worth a visit.
Robin Hood’s Bay
Dog-friendly beach with fossils and hidden coves
Come to sandy Robin Hood’s Bay beach to hunt for fossils on the Dinosaur Coast – visitors have found ammonites and belemnites, as well as Jurassic and Cretaceous-era footprints, among the rocks. It’s another steep climb down to the waterfront here, with car parking at the top of the hill.
Dogs are allowed on the beach here all year round, so it’s a fantastic spot to let your furry pal off lead without worrying about breaking the rules. When you both start to get hungry, there’s a selection of dog-friendly cafés and restaurants in the village itself, as well as gift shops and galleries.
The little-known cove of Boggle Hole can easily be reached from the bay if you follow the shore at low tide or take the cliff path. There’s lots to see there, including some hidden coves and a dog-friendly walkers’ café – and if you have the urge to just keep on walking, have a go at finding the subterranean passageways said to lurk underneath some of the village’s houses; they were once used by smugglers.
Scarborough’s North and South bays
Amusement arcades and a seafront promenade
Scarborough is another wonderfully family-centric town with excellent coastal amenities – from cafés to fairgrounds and car parks as well as the option of two excellent beaches.
Fancy fish and chips? Make a beeline for sheltered and sandy South Bay, protected from the weather by Castle Headland. Here you have access to all the chippies, stalls selling fresh seafood, ice-cream parlours, amusement arcades and adventure golf courses you could possibly need. There’s also the Scarborough Big Wheel, overlooking the beach for fantastic coastline and North Sea views, alongside pretty Victorian-era gardens – making this the place for anyone seeking traditional British seaside vibes.
Scarborough’s North Bay is more suited to visitors seeking a little more calm, although it's still backed by a few eateries and mini-golf courses. It's further away from the main road along a chalet-lined seafront promenade; you can carry on walking north along the Cleveland Way to see the rescue seals and stately manta rays in the aquarium at Sea Life Scarborough.
Cayton Bay
Surfing and dog-friendly beach days
Cayton Bay is a quiet sweep of sandy beach squeezed between Scarborough and Filey. There’s a slight slope and a few steps to scramble down to the sand, and the vast open bay is completely exposed to the North Sea, so it’s a popular spot for surfers and windsurfers to catch a decent amount of swell. Board hire and watersports lessons are available.
Dogs are allowed all year round, and at low tide you and your canine chums can explore rocky outcrops and walk north through the woods behind the sands to Knipe Point. From there you’re back on the Cleveland Way heading north on the summit of High Red Cliff, which towers several hundred feet over the sea, all the way to Scarborough.
There’s a beach shack serving decent coffee and bacon butties, but no restaurants or shops in the immediate vicinity, so you may prefer to bring provisions for a picnic on the beach.
Filey Beach
A traditional seaside resort and comical puffin colonies
Filey's five-mile beach of golden sand runs alongside the low-key seaside resort, which manages to maintain a rather traditional air – at least in comparison with Whitby and Scarborough. Filey Beach has its fair share of facilities, from seafront cafés to fish and chip shops, and a sculpture trail along the seafront promenade. Add to that plenty of sandy space with lifeguards operating in summer and, all in all, this is a great option for families with younger children. (Dogs are welcome too, but there are restrictions between May and September.)
The sands are bookended by the soaring Filey Brigg peninsula in the north and RSPB Bempton Cliffs in the south; the major USP of the latter is the squawking birdlife living on the spectacular chalk cliffs. Visit between spring and early autumn to spot up to half a million seabirds perched in their nests, gannets diving into the sea and endangered puffins – the comedians of the birdworld – bumbling around feeding their young.
Hunmanby Gap Beach
Spectacular sandy stretch with a dog-friendly café
Just south of Filey, the massive sandy beach at Hunmanby Gap is surrounded by dramatic cliffs and extends right along to the white chalk cliffs at Speeton Beach, passing Reighton Sands on the way. The eponymous village has a handful of pubs and grocery shops, and sits on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, connecting with hiking routes like the Centenary Way to the Howardian Hills and the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail for any long-distance walkers among you.
Dogs are welcome on Hunmanby Gap at any time of year – and it’s well-loved by dog walkers, as the waters are clear for paddling and the scenic backdrop is spectacular. After a swim, you and your doggo may want to sit and take in the views at the dog-friendly beach café.
Visitors can use the car park at the end of Sands Road, but be aware that there’s a slight hill on the walk down to the seafront.
If you’re looking beyond North Yorkshire’s spectacular beaches, Pitchup’s detailed guides to North East England will help you discover your favourite Yorkshire city, suggest cultural days out and point you in the right direction for visiting both the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales national parks. And of course, wherever you rock up in North Yorkshire, Pitchup has a whole host of wallet-friendly alfresco accommodation options for you.