Yorkshire Coast by Motorhome

The Yorkshire Coast stretches over 40 miles from the chalk cliffs of Flamborough Head in the south to the fishing villages of Staithes and Runswick Bay in the north. Sandy bays, dramatic cliffs, working harbours, seaside resorts, and the best fish and chips in the country. The distances between towns are short enough that you can move every day or stay put for a week - a motorhome gives you both options. The coast is about 90 minutes from our depot, putting it within comfortable reach for a weekend or a full week.

Filey and Flamborough

Filey is the quiet start - a proper old-fashioned seaside town with a sweeping crescent beach, a Victorian promenade, and the Brigg, a natural rocky peninsula with excellent rock pooling at low tide. South of Filey, Flamborough Head is a dramatic chalk headland with the RSPB reserve at Bempton Cliffs - viewing platforms where you can watch gannets, puffins, razorbills, and guillemots at close range during the breeding season from April to August. It is one of the finest wildlife spectacles in England.

Campsite: Filey Brigg Caravan Park sits on the cliff above the Brigg with views south toward Flamborough. Crows Nest between Filey and Scarborough has super pitches with individual water and waste points.

Eat: Ingham's on Belle Vue Street in Filey - widely regarded as the best chippy in town.

Scarborough

The big beast of the Yorkshire Coast. Two sweeping bays divided by a castle headland, enough amusements and ice cream shops to keep children occupied for days, and a surprising amount of genuine history. The South Bay has traditional seaside atmosphere - the Spa complex, funicular cliff lifts, and the harbour with its fish market. The North Bay is quieter: Peasholm Park with miniature naval battles on the boating lake, the Open Air Theatre, and the Sealife Centre. The castle on the headland dates from the 12th century and the views from the top stretch from the Moors to Flamborough on a clear day.

Campsite: Scalby Close Park on the north side of Scarborough - 42 pitches, hardstanding, walking distance to the North Bay. Cayton Village Club Site to the south is quieter with good facilities.

Eat: The Magpie Cafe on the harbour is the famous choice but always has a queue. Mother Hubbard's on Westborough is excellent and less crowded. The Golden Grid on Sandside has been serving since 1883.

Robin Hood's Bay

A tiny fishing village tumbling down a near-vertical cliff through a maze of cottages and smugglers' passages to a slipway at the bottom. The rock pools at low tide are spectacular - fossils embedded in the shale, sea anemones in every crevice. The Wainwright Coast to Coast walk finishes here, and you will often see walkers dipping their boots in the sea.

Important: You cannot take a motorhome into the village. The road is too steep and narrow. Park at the car park at the top and walk down - ten minutes to the bottom, a proper workout back up.

Campsite: Hooks House Farm just outside the village has clifftop pitches with coastal views and Cleveland Way access. Basic but brilliantly located.

Whitby

The crown of the Yorkshire Coast. Captain Cook's sailing town, Bram Stoker's inspiration for Dracula, and home to what many consider the best fish and chips in the country. The 199 steps up to Whitby Abbey are a rite of passage. The harbour divides the town into the atmospheric east side (narrow yards, jet jewellery shops, Cook Memorial Museum) and the west side (main shopping streets, beach, amusements). The swing bridge connecting them opens regularly for fishing boats.

For kippers, Fortune's Smokehouse on Henrietta Street has been smoking fish since the 1870s. Buy a pair and cook them in the motorhome for breakfast.

Campsite: Whitby Holiday Park on the west cliff - 8 hardstanding pitches with 16-amp hook-ups, walkable to town. For more options, see our Whitby campsites guide.

Staithes and Runswick Bay

North of Whitby, the coast becomes wilder and less visited. Runswick Bay is a crescent of golden sand backed by a tiny village of red-roofed cottages - less famous than Robin Hood's Bay but arguably more beautiful, and far quieter. The beach is excellent for swimming and dog-friendly year-round.

Staithes is a fishing village wedged into a cleft in the cliffs. The harbour is tiny, the cottages stack against each other up the cliff face, and Captain Cook worked here as a grocer's boy. The Cod and Lobster pub sits on the harbour wall and gets waves against its windows in a storm. Parking note: Staithes has a pay car park at the top - the road down is too narrow for a motorhome.

The Steam Railway

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway runs 18 miles from Pickering to Whitby through moorland and forest. Park the motorhome in Pickering, take the steam train to Whitby, spend a few hours exploring, and ride back. Arriving in Whitby by train - emerging from the moors to a sudden sea view - is genuinely special.

Seasonal Guide

Summer (June-August): Best for beaches and Bempton Cliffs seabirds. Busiest period - book campsites ahead. Filey and Scarborough beaches are at their best.

Autumn (September-October): Quieter, golden light, excellent walking weather. Whitby Goth Weekend in October draws a unique crowd.

Winter: Whitby is atmospheric in any weather. Storm-watching from the cliffs. Fish and chips taste better eaten warm while rain hammers the roof.

Spring (April-May): Seabird colonies return to Bempton. Wildflowers on the clifftops. Campsites opening for the season.

The coast connects to the North York Moors inland and the Yorkshire Dales to the west. A weekend covers Scarborough and Whitby. A full week lets you work from Filey to Staithes at a relaxed pace. Browse our fleet and check our packing checklist. Bring your own bedding - we do not provide duvets or towels.