The Yorkshire coastline stretches for over 100 miles, offering a dramatic contrast to the rolling green dales and heather-clad moors inland. Where the North York Moors National Park abruptly meets the North Sea, you will find some of the most rugged, atmospheric, and visually arresting landscapes in the United Kingdom. This is a coast of two distinct characters: the wild, fossil-strewn cliffs that plunge into the churning sea, and the grand, historic Victorian seaside resorts that still echo with a bygone era of coastal promenades.
From smugglers’ coves hidden at the bottom of precipitous ravines to sweeping arcs of golden sand, exploring the Yorkshire coast offers a brilliant mix of maritime history, traditional fish and chips, and mesmerising natural beauty.
Saltburn-by-the-Sea: Victorian Elegance and Surf Culture
Heading to the northernmost edge of the Yorkshire coast brings you to Saltburn-by-the-Sea, a town that perfectly balances Victorian grandeur with a thriving modern surf culture. Built at the height of the railway boom in the 19th century, Saltburn was designed as a refined resort for wealthy industrialists.
Today, its heritage is beautifully preserved. The jewel in Saltburn’s crown is its spectacular 600-foot Victorian pier—the last remaining pleasure pier on the northeast coast. To reach it from the town above, you can take a ride on the Saltburn Cliff Tramway. Opened in 1884, this water-balanced funicular is the oldest operating of its kind in the UK, offering a charming, clanking descent down the steep incline.
Once on the beach, the atmosphere shifts from historic to contemporary. Saltburn is widely regarded as one of the best surfing destinations on the east coast of England, catching the North Sea swells that roll into the bay. Whether you are grabbing a coffee from a beachfront kiosk to watch the surfers brave the cold waters or walking the expansive sands towards the towering cliffs of Huntcliff, Saltburn is an unmissable coastal highlight.
Whitby: Gothic Heritage and Maritime Legends
Further south lies Whitby, a town that requires little introduction. Bisected by the River Esk, Whitby is a working fishing port wrapped in layers of maritime history and gothic folklore.
Looming high on the East Cliff are the skeletal, wind-battered ruins of Whitby Abbey. Reached by climbing the famous 199 steps from the old town below, the 7th-century Christian monastery provided the atmospheric inspiration for Bram Stoker, who stayed in Whitby while writing his legendary novel, Dracula. Standing among the ruined arches as the sea fret (a coastal fog) rolls in from the North Sea, it is easy to see how the landscape fuelled such dark, romantic fiction.
Down in the harbour, the town’s seafaring legacy is evident everywhere. This is where Captain James Cook learned his trade; you can visit the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, housed in the 17th-century building where he served his apprenticeship. A trip to Whitby is also incomplete without partaking in its culinary heritage. The town is fiercely proud of its traditional oak-smoked kippers, prepared at Fortune’s Kippers (which has been smoking fish the same way since 1872), and its world-famous fish and chips, best enjoyed sitting by the harbour walls while fending off opportunistic seagulls.
Robin Hood’s Bay: Smugglers’ Secrets
Just a few miles south of Whitby, hidden at the bottom of a steep ravine, is the impossibly picturesque fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay. You cannot drive down into the old village; visitors must leave their vehicles at the top of the cliff and walk down the incredibly steep, twisting main street.
As you descend, you are entering what was once the smuggling capital of the Yorkshire coast. During the 18th century, the labyrinthine network of narrow, cobbled alleyways and tightly packed, red-roofed cottages was used to move contraband—silk, tea, gin, and tobacco—from the shore to the moors. It was said that a bale of silk could pass from the beach up to the clifftop without ever seeing the light of day, passed through secret cellars and adjoining attics.
Today, Robin Hood’s Bay is a tranquil spot. It famously serves as the terminus for Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk, and its rocky shoreline, exposed at low tide, offers some of the best rock pooling and fossil hunting in the country.
Scarborough and Filey: The Classic British Seaside
Continuing south brings you to the granddaddy of them all: Scarborough, widely considered the world’s first seaside resort. Visitors have been travelling here since the 1600s to take the medicinal spa waters, and the town retains a sense of faded, grand elegance, dominated by the medieval ruins of Scarborough Castle that divide the town’s two sweeping bays.
If Scarborough is the bustling, vibrant heart of the traditional seaside holiday, neighbouring Filey is its quieter, more refined sibling. Filey boasts a magnificent five-mile stretch of award-winning sandy beach, bordered by the dramatic rocky peninsula of Filey Brigg to the north. It is the perfect destination for a slower-paced coastal day, characterized by Edwardian architecture, peaceful promenade walks, and uninterrupted views across the water.
Spurn Point and Flamborough Head: Nature’s Drama
For those who prefer their coastlines wild and untamed, the East Yorkshire coast delivers spectacular natural phenomena. Flamborough Head features sheer, gleaming white chalk cliffs that jut aggressively into the North Sea, providing a dramatic contrast to the dark sandstone further north.
Further south still is Spurn Point, one of the UK’s most unique coastal features. This sweeping, three-and-a-half-mile-long sand and shingle spit curves out into the Humber Estuary, constantly shifting and reshaping with the tides and storms. It is a fragile, desolate, and incredibly beautiful environment, beloved by migrating birds and those seeking total isolation at the very edge of the county.
Capturing the Coast: A Note for Photographers
The Yorkshire coast is a paradise for photography, but the North Sea lighting conditions can be challenging. Whether you are using a professional DSLR or relying on the advanced lenses and computational photography of a modern smartphone like a Google Pixel, the key is timing.
The dramatic cliffs at Whitby and Flamborough are best captured during the “golden hour” just after sunrise, when the low light picks out the textures of the rock and ruins. For capturing the winding, shadowed alleyways of Robin Hood’s Bay, overcast days often work best, providing soft, even light that prevents the narrow streets from plunging into total darkness while keeping the sky properly exposed. When shooting along the beaches at Saltburn or Filey, try getting low to the wet sand as the tide retreats to capture brilliant, mirror-like reflections of the sky and the Victorian piers.
