Our top 5 beaches on the Yorkshire Coast
We love the seaside and I guess if you've landed on our website that you do too! We thought it might be handy to let you know our favourite beaches on the Yorkshire Coast as they are well worth a visit if you are staying with us in Filey. They're not the most obvious choices but they are our personal favourites. As a family of 4 plus Bella the Labrador it is important for us to find a beach that we can all enjoy. So here goes......
1) FILEY
We may be a little biased, but how could we not give Filey beach the number 1 spot? Brigg View Apartment is located on Filey seafront which was named Britain's Best Beach 2018 by The Sunday Times. Filey Beach won a further accolade earlier this year in the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards as the only Yorkshire Beach to feature in their top 10 UK beaches. What we love about Filey beach is the space. When the tide is out you can walk for miles. There is a seasonal dog ban on the beach however this ban really just stretches the breadth of the sea wall and you will still find miles of beach to exercise your dog. We like to walk to the Beach Café at Hunmanby Gap for refreshments.
2) CAYTON BAY
Our beach neighbour is located between Filey and Scarborough and offers a beautiful sandy bay, a paradise for surfers and is dog friendly all year round. If you are feeling energetic you can walk to Cayton Bay from Filey (approximately 5.5 miles) along the Cleveland Way which offers beautiful coastal scenery. If you are visiting by car there is a pay and display parking field charging just £3 for the whole day or £2 after 4pm or if you are lucky and can get a space you can park roadside for free. Head to the Cayton Bay Surf Shop for surf hire and lessons. Visit Lucy's Beach Shack for food drinks and all your beach toys. Our favourite thing about Cayton Bay are the World War II bunkers that line the beach.
3) FRAISTHORPE BEACH
Fraisthorpe Beach is located a few miles south of Bridlington. It used to be a naturist beach but thankfully for us the dogs have taken over! This is a very popular beach for dog walkers , horse riders and wind surfers as there is so much space! The beach stretches some 10 miles between Bridlington and Hornsea. We would recommend a visit to the Cow Shed Tea Shop on your return to refuel.
4. SANDSEND
This is one of our favourites for one very strange reason - you get to share the beach with ducks!! The East Beck runs right onto the beach offering a lovely place for children to paddle and feed the ducks - they love peas by the way! You may want to tie in a visit to Sandsend with a trip to its neighbouring town Whitby. Parking in Whitby can be pretty hectic so we like to park up in Sandsend and walk along the beach into Whitby town. There is a cliff path if you are visiting at high tide. Sandsend is a sweet little village with some lovely independent shops, cafes and restaurants. We would recommend the Sandside Café for their amazing selection of cakes and the Estbek House Restaurant for a fancy fish supper. Visit Wild Hart for lots of beach inspired gifts.
5. THORNWICK BAY
Last but by no means least is Thornwick Bay and this place is seriously spectacular with its bright white chalk cliffs. The stony white beach is a fun place for children to explore and at low tide it is possible to explore hidden caves which were a haven to smugglers in the 18th and 19th centuries. We would recommend a walk north along the cliff tops to Bempton to see puffins, guillemots and kittiwakes nesting in the cliff side. To get to Thornwick Bay from Filey head towards Bridlington then follow signs to Flamborough. Just before you reach the North Landing turn left down a track towards the Thornwick Bay Café which is due to reopen on Saturday 6 April 2019. You are able to park at the café for a small daily fee.