The entrance to Whitby Harbour
Whitby Abbey
The River Esk near WhitbyWhitby is a beautifully quaint seaside town on the Yorkshire Coast, and there is just as much to do and see near Whitby as there is in its town centre. The town is just four miles from the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and the beach is practically on its doorstep, making Whitby perfect for everyone. You can travel to any nearby towns or cities by way of the ample buses, coaches and trains that are available.
Whitby has a lavish maritime history, partly due to Captain James Cook, the famous British naval officer who lived there for part of his life. You can visit the Captain Cook Museum to learn all about him, or you can go to one of the other museums in the area and learn about Whitby's formation. Whitby Abbey is possibly the most visited attraction in the town though, and you should not leave before seeing this ancient building for yourself.
The North Yorkshire Moors is the best place to walk near Whitby. The Moors' landscape is wonderful, with gigantic open landscapes, rocky cliff faces, hidden valleys and luscious fields of heather. Walking on the North Yorkshire Moors is great for the whole family.
You can go rambling on the Moors and experience the serenity of the area at your own pace, or you can follow a stricter route. There are upwards of a hundred known walks and more are constantly being found. They all range in length and difficulty, so there will always be something suitable for everyone.
For an easygoing walk you should try walking south from Robin Hood's Bay near Whitby. The route is eight miles long and you can use the old coastal railway to guide you through the varied scenery. It is a reasonably long walk, but hardly any of it is uphill and you will be offered an incredible view of Robin Hood's Bay as you return via the cliff tops.
If you don't want to go walking on the moors, you can always do some walking in Whitby. You can walk up the 199 steps, known as Caedmon's Trod, that lead to the east cliff and look out across the harbour to see a panoramic view of Whitby. Or you can walk along Whitby Beach and take in some of the sun!
Whitby is a culture-rich town and if you want to dig into Whitby's important history in the navy or its murky prehistoric past all you need to do is visit one of the museums, stately homes and gardens that are dotted all over the place. You have to pay to get into most of them, but some allow free admission.
The Captain Cook Museum in Whitby is located within the Grade 1 listed building that Cook served his apprenticeship in before sailing off on his voyages. The exhibitions are constantly changing and they always have some special exhibitions on. You can learn all about Cook's life as a voyager and of his discoveries.
Whitby Museum is possibly one of the most eclectic museums there is - it has everything you could ever want to see! They have exhibitions on archaeology excavated from Whitby Abbey, fossils discovered on the beaches, natural history, weapons and military items and much, much more. The museum is independently run and all of the employees are volunteers so they rely solely on donations.
One of the largest museums is Eden Camp. Eden Camp is a modern history museum and is situated in a real Second World War prisoner of war camp. The exhibitions are arranged in the sheds that take up the camp and each exhibit will transport you back to Britain's wartime past.
A great little village near Whitby is Robin Hood's Bay. This village may be just a tiny network of streets, but there is so much to do there! Both adults and children can go horse riding on the beach, you can visit the Old Coast Guard Station and learn how the landscape has been formed or you can go to the Swell Cinema to watch a movie.
You don't have to go swimming in the sea to discover all of the animals there; you can just go to the Sea Life and Marine Sanctuary in Scarborough. The Sanctuary has over one hundred and fifty species of fish and hundreds of seals that have been rescued. You can even visit Sea Life's rock pool and hold a crab or touch a starfish!
Whitby Abbey is an incredibly atmospheric attraction, and you can understand why so many people visit it every year once you have stood in front of its ruined walls. You can learn all about the abbey's history and see how it would have once looked in the interesting visitor centre.
For a superb day out, you can visit one of the many beaches near Whitby. You could go to Robin Hood's Bay or Sandsend or you could go to the safe and friendly beaches of Scarborough. Children always love beaches, so they are the perfect destination for the entire family.
The Magpie Caf is reputedly the best seafood restaurant in Whitby - ask any of the locals and they'll tell you. The restaurant overlooks the harbour and the chefs only serve the best fish that has been caught the same day by Whitby fishermen. It is a little expensive, but this is reflected in the quality of the food, so you know you are paying a good price.
If you are in Robin Hood's Bay you absolutely have to eat at the Bramblewick. It is just a short walk from the beach and they have tantalising meals at reasonable prices. Their menu is quite eclectic with their contemporary take on many traditional dishes. They have vegetarian options and an expansive dessert menu.
When the weather is good one of the most enjoyable things to do is to eat a scrumptious meal outside. At Crossbutt's Stable Restaurant you can do this in their huge garden, and when the weather is colder you can snuggle up to one of the open fires and treat yourself to a meal from either their daytime, evening or Sunday lunch menu.
With so many restaurants near Whitby serving seafood, it can be nice to break away from tradition and taste something a little different. Whitby Indian & Tandoori Restaurant is the perfect example. Their curries range from flaming Vindaloos to mild mannered Kormas, and on top of that the staff are friendly and helpful and the prices are cheap.
Harbour entrance image contributed by Roger Pagram. Whitby Abbey image contributed by Roger Pagram. River Esk image contributed by Humphrey Bolton. All images are copyrighted but licensed for further reuse under the Creative Commons License.
