Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood's Bay is the most famous village on this stretch of coast: a cascade of cottages, ginnels and steps squeezed into a ravine above a wide, rocky bay. In the 18th century it was the busiest smuggling port in the north, with tunnels and connecting cellars said to let a bale of silk pass from the beach to the top of the village without seeing daylight. Today it has pubs, cafés, galleries and the National Trust's Old Coastguard Station on the slipway (its café closed in 2026; check whether the visitor centre is open) (its café closed in 2026; check whether the visitor centre is open).

At low tide the beach is a classic fossil-hunting spot and the rock pools stretch for hundreds of yards. The village is also the eastern end of Wainwright's Coast to Coast Walk, whose finishers dip their boots in the sea by the Bay Hotel.

From the Esk Valley, take the bus from Whitby, walk the Cleveland Way along the cliffs from the abbey (about seven miles) or cycle the Cinder Track. Parking is at the top of the hill; the village streets are for feet only.