An ancient town on the edge of the North Sea: Whitby is home to magnificent soaring herring gulls, crashing waves, miles of sandy beach, towering cliffs, jet, ship wrecks, ammonite-embedded rocks and dinosaur footprints.

Walks around Whitby are stunning.
There are lots of paths to explore along the coast, across moorland and through forest and industrial heritage.

Even on the days when the weather is raw and the wind snatches your words, the countryside is always stunning. Whitby is famous for sunsets. Unusually, the harbour points north, and in the summer the sun both sets and rises over the North Sea. In winter, when the afternoon light is fading, the full moon can appear to grapple up the east cliff to hang in the sky above St. Mary’s and the Abbey.

Whitby has a rich heritage and history. Here you can learn about the whaling industry, the ship building trades and apprentices the age of steam and railways and the Victorian jet industry.

There is of course the Bram Stoker connection to the dramatic Abbey, but there are also lots of other literary connections, including Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland. Whitby has a strong language legacy of the Vikings and you can also learn about the tough lives of fisher families, the evolution of the lifeboat service and the history of the Quakers.

If you are feeling nostalgic for a traditional British day out at the sea side Whitby has everything you need.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy your stay, from relaxing in one of the numerous cafés, bars and pubs, to enjoying a paddle in the sea, building sandcastles or snoozing in a deckchair. There are donkey rides, amusement arcades, palmistry and crystal ball readings on offer. The iconic stripy sticks of rock are still to be found and, last but by no means least, when you are feeling hungry for fish and chips, you can take your pick from an abundance of restaurants and take-aways!