Best Beaches in Yorkshire for Walks, Views and Days Out

Yorkshire’s coast is not just a line of beaches. It has fishing villages, fossil cliffs, Victorian resorts, seabird colonies, castle ruins, cliff railways, harbour walls and long-distance walking routes linking beaches, villages and clifftop viewpoints. Some beaches are built for a family day out while others make more sense if you want a walk first and a beach stop afterwards.

The main coastal walking route is the Cleveland Way, which starts inland at Helmsley and finishes at Filey Brigg after following the North Yorkshire coast from Saltburn southwards. Around Flamborough and Bridlington, the coast changes again, with chalk cliffs, nature reserves and wider resort beaches.

Here are some of the best Yorkshire beaches for walks, views and days out, with practical route ideas and local landmarks to help you choose where to go.

Filey gives you a simple mix of wide sand, seafront facilities and walking routes from the edge of town and is one of the best seaside towns in Yorkshire. The town sits above a long sandy bay, with a seafront promenade, beach chalets, gardens, cafés and a wide sweep of sand at low tide. It is also a sensible stop for walkers because the Cleveland Way passes through Filey before finishing at the Brigg.

The main walk is Filey Brigg, the long rocky headland at the northern end of the bay. The circular route from Filey is just over 4 miles and is usually classed as easy, although the rocky sections on the Brigg need care if you leave the main path. It is a good half-day walk, with views back across Filey Bay and out towards the North Sea.

Runswick Bay is one of the most attractive villages on the Yorkshire coast, with cottages tucked into the slope above a sheltered sandy beach. It is small, steep and compact, so it pays to think about parking before you arrive. The upper car park is usually the best option, with a walk down into the village.

The beach is sandy and ideal for a relaxed day by the sea, especially outside of the peak summer season. It’s also known for fossil hunting, although cliff falls are a risk, so keep well away from the cliff base and only search along the open beach when the tide is safely out. The beach is also dog friendly with special zones marked out for the summer months, check out our dog friendly guide for tips and advice on holidaying with your hound.

Sandsend sits just north of Whitby and has one of the nicest beaches on this part of the coast. The beach is sandy at low tide, with views back towards Whitby Abbey and the town’s west cliff. The village has cafés and places to eat, so it works well for a beach day that doesn’t need a lot of planning.

The easiest walk is the beach or promenade route between Sandsend and Whitby. At low tide, you can walk along the sand for most of the way, while the surfaced path above the beach is a safer choice when the tide is in. The route is roughly 3 miles one way and is easy, although the beach section depends entirely on tide conditions.

Robin Hood’s Bay is one of Yorkshire’s best beaches and is highly recommended for serious beach lovers. It’s well suited to holidaymakers interested in rock pools, fossils, old fishing lanes and a proper coastal walk. The village drops steeply down to the sea, with narrow streets, cottages, pubs and cafés packed into the hillside.

The beach is best at low tide, when the bay opens out and the rock platforms are exposed. It’s a good place for rock pooling and fossil hunting, but be aware as the tide comes in quickly and can cut off parts of the shore. We recommend you check tide times before planning a day on the beach.

Cayton Bay sits between Scarborough and Filey, but it feels less built-up than either. The beach is wide, sandy and backed by cliffs, with access from the clifftop down to the shore. It’s popular with surfers, paddleboarders, fossil hunters and walkers who want a beach with more space than Scarborough’s main sands.

The cliffs around Cayton Bay are part of the appeal, but they’re also a reason to be careful. Keep away from the cliff base, especially after rain or high tides, and check local signs before fossil hunting. The beach is often described as one of the main surfing spots on the Yorkshire coast, with the Scarborough Surf School based nearby.

Scarborough gives you two different beaches in one town. South Bay is the busier, more traditional resort beach, with the harbour, amusement arcades, cafés, shops and donkey rides in season. North Bay is quieter and more open, with Peasholm Park and the Sea Life Centre nearby.

The headland between the two bays is topped by Scarborough Castle, which is the main landmark in the town. A simple but worthwhile walk links South Bay, the harbour, the castle headland and North Bay. The distance is around 2 to 3 miles depending on the route, with some steep streets and steps if you climb towards the castle.

Saltburn is one of the best Yorkshire beaches for a day that mixes sand, surf, Victorian engineering and coastal walking. The beach is long and sandy, with a pier, promenade, beach cafés and the famous cliff lift connecting the seafront with the town above.

The Saltburn Cliff Lift is one of the town’s standout landmarks. It is a water-balanced funicular and saves the climb between the pier and the upper town. The pier is another key feature, and the beach is well known for surfing, with local surf schools and equipment hire available.

Bridlington has two main beaches divided by the harbour. South Beach is wide, sandy and better suited to traditional beach days, with the promenade, Spa, harbour and town facilities nearby. North Beach has a more open feel and links naturally towards Sewerby.

For walks and views, the route from Bridlington towards Sewerby is the perfect route for spending quality time by the sea. The cliff-top walk from the north promenade leads towards Sewerby Hall and Gardens, with sea views along the way. A return walk between Bridlington and Sewerby is usually around 5 to 6 miles, depending on where you start and whether you explore the grounds.

Flamborough is not a single beach day in the normal resort sense. It is a headland of chalk cliffs, coves, caves, seabirds, lighthouses and coastal paths. North Landing and South Landing are the main beach areas, both set below cliffs and both very different from the long sandy beaches at Bridlington or Filey.

North Landing has fishing boats, cliffs and rock pools at low tide. South Landing has a more wooded approach and a sheltered feel. Both beaches need tide awareness and care around cliffs. They are better for exploring, short beach stops and coastal walks than for a lazy all-day beach affair.

Staithes is more village and harbour than classic beach resort, but it deserves a place here because it gives you one of the most distinctive coastal days out in Yorkshire. The beach is small and tidal, sitting below a tightly packed village of cottages, lanes and fishing history and is one of the best dog friendly beaches in Yorkshire.

The village has strong links to Captain Cook, who worked in Staithes before moving to Whitby, and to the Staithes Group of artists, who painted the local coast and fishing communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The narrow streets, harbour walls and cliff-backed setting make it a good place to explore on foot.

For traditional beach days or last minute breaks, choose Filey, Scarborough South Bay, Bridlington South Beach or Sandsend. They have sand, food, toilets and the kind of facilities that make a day by the sea easy and a lot of fun.

For walking, Filey Brigg, Runswick Bay, Robin Hood’s Bay, Saltburn and Flamborough provide interesting routes and better views. Choose these beaches if you want cliff paths, views or village stops as part of the day.

For wildlife and natural interest, Flamborough, Bempton, Filey Brigg, Cayton Bay and Robin Hood’s Bay stand out. You have seabirds, rock pools, fossils, cliffs and tidal shorelines, but also more reasons to check tides and stay away from unstable cliff faces.

For villages and character, choose Staithes, Runswick Bay, Robin Hood’s Bay or Sandsend. These are the places where the setting, lanes, harbour walls and local history are just as important as the beach itself.

Yorkshire’s beaches vary a lot, from resort sands and harbour beaches to fossil shores, surf spots and cliff-backed coves. The best choice depends on whether you want sand and facilities, a cliff walk, a village day out or a route with landmarks along the way. And if you are holidaying with your hound, be sure to check out all of the Yorkshire dog friendly coastal cottages listed with us, some that boast wonderful sea views.