Yorkshire Coast: Best tourist attractions along the coastline from coves of Whitby to sandy beaches in Scarborough and Robin Hood’s Bay where visitors can plan their own outdoor adventures

Visitors and local communities are being encouraged to celebrate World Tourism Day along the Yorkshire coast by travel experts at Route YC - here are some of the best coastal tourist attractions.

As part of the autumn campaign, the organisation Route YC is raising the profile of the region’s coast and countryside to mark the annual event.

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World Tourism Day, which takes place on Friday, September 27, 2024, was first established by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in 1980 to highlight the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.

The goal of the annual event is to promote responsible and sustainable tourism, and appreciating the cultural heritage and diversity that tourism brings to the world. The international event also encourages responsible travel practices that benefit both travellers and local communities.

Robin Hood's Bay. (Pic credit: Route YC)Robin Hood's Bay. (Pic credit: Route YC)
Robin Hood's Bay. (Pic credit: Route YC)

The Route YC campaign is now helping visitors to explore a choice of destinations along the coastline, from Spurn Point to the coves of Whitby, the golden sandy beaches of Hornsea and Bridlington, as well as Scarborough, Filey and Withernsea and many more.

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Whether you are looking for peaceful drives through countryside and by the sea, cycling, hiking, wildlife spotting, there is not a shortage of things to do along the coast and Route YC is encouraging visitors to create their own outdoor adventure.

Visitors can also spend more time off the beaten track to discover the hidden gems along the coast.

From spending time bird watching from the cliffs at RSPB Bempton to discovering the Yorkshire coast on two wheels, there’s plenty to see and do.

Bempton Cliffs. (Pic credit: Ellen Leach)Bempton Cliffs. (Pic credit: Ellen Leach)
Bempton Cliffs. (Pic credit: Ellen Leach)

Best tourist attractions along the Yorkshire coast

1 - Route YC cycle network

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The organisation has introduced 12 new cycle routes which showcase some of the region’s best coastline, countryside and attractions.

These cycle paths range from nine to 260 miles in length and are designed to help visitors of all ages and abilities explore the Yorkshire coast by bike, or start or finish at public transport links which would make this an environmentally friendly way of travelling around the coast.

Cycling along the Yorkshire coast. (Pic credit: Route YC)Cycling along the Yorkshire coast. (Pic credit: Route YC)
Cycling along the Yorkshire coast. (Pic credit: Route YC)

2 - Spurn Point Nature Reserve

This location is Yorkshire’s very own Land’s End, a unique and consistently moving peninsula that curves between the North Sea and the Humber Estuary.

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It is three miles long and 50 metres wide and people can visit this natural wonder and take a Spurn Safari tour in a specially designed ex-military, 4x4 truck called the Unimog.

Visitors will get to hear all about the peninsula’s history and observe wildlife on a three-hour guided tour. The trip also includes a visit to northern England’s tallest lighthouse.

3 - RSPB Bempton

These are some of the most popular attractions along the coast and home to around half a million seabirds that gather here to raise their offspring.

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It is considered a birdwatcher’s dream as they can visit the beautiful spot with white cliffs, wildflowers and incredible sea views.

The natural inhabitants are the main draw to the attraction with puffins, gannets, kittiwakes and guillemots, corn buntings, skylarks, linnets, kestrels and barn and short-eared owls.

An adult ticket costs £8 during the summer, £4 during winter and free for RSPB members.

4 - Fossil hunting

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Robin Hood’s Bay is famous for its vast fossils and the Yorkshire Coast is also known as the Dinosaur Coast for families to go hunting for ammonites, belemnites and devil’s toenails (gryphaea).

A spokesperson for Route YC said: “After a stormy weather is the best time to look but don’t chip away to uncover fossils; you’ll never know what beauty you might damage.

“If you do find a remarkable fossil, please record where you found it and take a picture of it, ideally with something else in the picture, like a pen, to help provide scale. Report your finds to the local geology society or museum.”

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