News Beat
North Yorkshire beach in old village among UK’s must-visit
The beach at Robin Hood’s Bay described as “something from a fiction tale” is highly recommended to visit, especially during the winter months.
Found along the Heritage Coast of the North York Moors, the “friendly sandy” beach offers rock pools and ancient fossils, all waiting to be discovered.
It comes as travel experts at The Sun have curated a list of the best beaches to explore this year “whether you want a quiet spot ideal for the family, or a more tropical feel beach”.
You can take a look at all of the UK’s “must-visit” beaches for 2026 online.
Why is Robin Hood’s Bay among UK’s ‘must-visit’ beaches this year?
Sophie Swietochowski, assistant travel editor at The Sun, shared: “Perched atop a craggy cliff, overlooking a dinky shore, Robin Hood’s Bay seems like something from a fiction tale or a North Yorkshire postcard.
“In summer, you’ll find dogs sprinting along the sands, while owners tuck into fresh crab sandwiches from the beachside hut and little ones fish for treasures in the rock pools.
“I prefer the village in winter, though, when the weather takes a turn and nature comes alive with the grassy dunes dancing in the wind and moody waves thrashing on the rocks.”
The North York Moors website adds: “At low tide it’s possible to walk along the beautiful beach, where a vast rock platform is revealed, made up of alternate layers of soft and hard rock.
“As the soft rock has eroded, the hard rock remains, resulting in a series of curving ridged ‘scaurs’.
“Wander past rocky ledges filled with rockpools to reach the secluded cove of Boggle Hole.
“Legend has it that Boggles, or hobgoblins, once lived in the caves and would use their healing powers to cure sick children.”
But what do recent visitors think about it? On Tripadvisor, the beach at Robin Hood’s Bay has 452 “excellent” reviews.
Best-Rated UK Beaches for 2025 – TripAdvisor Rankings
This person wrote: “A beautiful beach, amazing for crab spotting and fossil finding.
“Coming in October, the tide does go out later and in earlier, so is worth checking the tide times, but is overall a stunning beach and I believe it would be very enjoyable with children.
“Shops and restaurants next to the beach. The whole village is very quaint and cute. A lovely stop if ever in the area.”
Meanwhile someone who visited in summer posted: “Beautiful beach, clean and plenty of room if you need spacecraft from others.
“Fantastic rock pools and lots of opportunities to find pieces of Jet. Didn’t find any fossils but believe the area to the left of the beach is the better area for these.
“Very nice and easy bus ride from Whitby or Scarborough. Very steep hill down to the beach so please be prepared. Great ice cream van on the beach. Lovely day out.”
Robin Hood’s Bay provides easy access to the likes of Whitby and Scarborough (which celebrates 400 years of being a spa town in 2026) and is said to be a “vibrant” village these days.
It’s famed for being the end point of Alfred Wainwright’s iconic Coast to Coast Walk that starts at St Bees in Cumbria.
The Robin Hood’s Bay website reveals: “Wandering through its narrow, twisting cobbled streets and alleyways, you can easily imagine the sailors and fishermen, smugglers and press gangs that walked these streets hundreds of years ago.
“Today it is a vibrant village, with a wide range of cafes, pubs, restaurants, small shops and places to explore, as well as many stunning coastal and country walks, cycle-paths and bridleways right on the doorstep.”
Recommended reading:
Elsewhere, the village was recently praised for its ability to “charm you at every corner”.
It highlighted by travel expert Flying Scots Girl in a roundup of “gorgeous” Yorkshire villages to explore, that are all “unique and different from the rest”.
Is Robin Hood’s Bay on your travel bucket list this year? Let us know your “must-visit” beaches in the comments.
