It is never too early to plan your summer holiday, and if you are wondering where to go this year, we have the perfect destination for you: the Yorkshire coast.

In particular, the many beaches that line the coast are a great way to spend your days, no matter if that is with friends, family, or simply by yourself. With impressive sights to behold, and a mountain of activities to do, why wouldn’t go on a beach holiday on the Yorkshire coast?

Here are Yorkshire’s best beaches for you to explore:

Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Saltburn Beach is a stunning, sandy and shingle beach that can be found near Redcar. The beach boasts a wide array of facilities and amenities, including lifeguards, a Victorian pier, a promenade with food and drink stalls/shops, toilets, and more.

Just behind Saltburn’s pier is the cliff tramway, providing an easy way for you to travel from the top to the bottom of the 120ft cliff. Despite being the UK’s oldest water-balanced funicular and the second oldest of its kind in the world, it still operates to this day, meaning that you can also experience this historic 19th-century lift.

In terms of activities to do on the beach and its dazzling waters, you can:

• Swim
• Jet-ski
• Kayak
• Surf
• Windsurf

Surfing has actually become quite popular with both locals and tourists, with many shops providing equipment, rentals, and even lessons. For a Yorkshire beach with plenty to do, Saltburn Beach is one to visit.

Hornsea Beach

Another recommended beach on the Yorkshire coast is Hornsea Beach, a 2023 Blue Flag Award holder among 77 other beaches, and four in Yorkshire. Consisting of mainly fine sand and shingles, Hornsea Beach guarantees traditional seaside views and a peaceful atmosphere.

A promenade can be found here, running across the entire seafront, complete with facilities like toilets, restaurants, shops, and more. The beach is at one end of the Trans-Pennine Trail, a renowned trekking/cycling route that passes close to the Hornsea Mere

Lifeguard services are sometimes limited on this beach, which is something to keep in mind, but you can still participate in many activities like swimming and windsurfing.

The best way to visit this beach is to own your very own holiday home in Hornsea! This means that you can make however many trips you would like to this tranquil beach. With many caravans for sale in Hornsea, East Yorkshire, you’re bound to find the ideal one for you and your family.

Robin Hood’s Bay

Bringing your four-legged companion with you on your trip to the Yorkshire coast? Don’t worry, there are many dog-friendly beaches for you and your pup to enjoy, including Robin Hood’s Bay. Although small, this sandy beach is a haven for fossil hunters, situated on the famous Dinosaur Coast.

This means that there are plenty of opportunities for you to discover footprints, ammonites, belemnites, and more from the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods. During high tide, the beach is mostly submerged by the water, meaning that it is important to check high tide times when planning your visit.

The area is dog-friendly, with no restrictions on dogs at any time of the year. There are also toilets, a slipway, a promenade, and the town centre nearby. Rock pooling and fishing are also popular on this beach, with fish species like dab, pollack, and turbot commonly caught. It’s the perfect place for a tranquil holiday on the Yorkshire coast.

Bridlington Beach

In Bridlington, there are two beaches that you can explore, simply named the North Beach and the South Beach. Both offer their own unique charm and features, which is why some prefer one over the other. Nonetheless, the North Beach offers sand and pebbles, with a promenade against the backdrop of the Flamborough Headland. On these cliffs, you are likely to find thousands of seabirds, with the gannet making this their mainland nesting site.

Meanwhile, at Bridlington’s South Beach, you will find golden sand and blue waters, overlooking Bridlington Bay. Over a mile long, this expansive beach is regarded as the quieter one of the two beaches in Bridlington, ideal for a relaxing stroll or to simply sunbathe and unwind. With the town centre just 10 minutes away, you are never too far away from many shops, restaurants, and cafes.

Whitby Beach

Whitby Beach is a renowned Yorkshire beach, with Blue Flag waters and spectacular views of the rugged coastline. Also known as West Cliff Beach, this sandy beach is a wonderland for families with children, offering beach huts, donkey rides, and paddling pools for children. The beach huts, as well as the deckchairs and windbreaks, are all available for hire, meaning that you don’t necessarily need to bring your own equipment to enjoy a day out here.

There are many activities and events that occur throughout the year, from the Whitby Regatta, a weekend of yacht and rowing racing, to Goth conventions – after all, Whitby provided inspiration for Bram Stoker’s gothic novel, ‘Dracula’.

Filey Beach

With five miles of golden sand, and ‘Beach of the Year’ in 2018, you don’t want to miss out on Filey Beach on the Yorkshire coast. Lined with a charming promenade and beach chalets, the beach is ideal for those who prefer something a bit quieter than Whitby’s bustling beaches.

As a former fishing village, you can still spot fishermen reeling their catch, though the beach is now more popular for sailing. Lifeguards are present during the summer, meaning that you and your family can easily swim and play in the sea on a warm summer day.

Otherwise, we tempt you to simply lounge back and admire the marvellous views of the towering cliffs of Filey Brigg and Flamborough Headland.

A Beach Holiday Awaits on the Yorkshire Coast

From building sandcastles to combing for seashells, the many beaches that are scattered across the Yorkshire coast offer a number of opportunities to relax, have fun, and unwind. With Yorkshire beaches like those above to choose from, what’s stopping you from booking your next beach holiday on the Yorkshire coast?

Better yet, why not visit multiple beaches on the Yorkshire coast? Whatever you choose, just remember that there’s an abundance of beautiful Yorkshire beaches that await your arrival.