Watching the huge waves crashing into the sea wall at high tide, my imagination takes me to times gone by in the 18th century. I imagine dark and stormy nights, with ships heading precariously close the the jagged rocks of the North Yorkshire Coast. Sailors and smugglers disembark in the shadow of darkness and carry their contraband through the dark and narrow cobbled streets, lit only by lamplight. They make their way through a network of underground tunnels, with secret hatches to the houses and businesses above. The pubs are full of locals swigging beer and singing sea shanties, unaware of the illegal goings-on happening under their feet. Those days are long gone now, but the magic and mystery of Robin Hood’s Bay remains, making it one of the most popular villages to visit on the North Yorkshire Coast.
Located a few miles south of Whitby on the North Yorkshire Coast, Robin Hood’s Bay is a gorgeous and picturesque fishing village built into the hillside. A maze of narrow, cobbled alleyways, the lower bay is a photographer and Instagrammers dream, with stunning colourful cottages at every turn. A village full of quaint cafes, restaurants and independent shops, it’s a joy to explore. The village is also surrounded by the natural beauty of the coastline, with a long expanse of beach flanked by the magnificent cliff faces of the North Yorkshire Coast. Read on for an epic guide of things to do in Robin Hood’s Bay, as well as some hints and tips about places to eat and drink in the village.
The best things to do in Robin Hood’s Bay
As far as coastal destinations go, Robin Hood’s Bay is one of my favourite UK spots. Situated on a spectacular section of coastline, the village is effectively split into two sections – the upper and lower village. The upper village, easily accessible from the main A171 road from Whitby, or regularly serviced by bus, is located at the top of the cliffs. The upper village has a number of car parks, some hotels, guest houses and restaurants with the remainder being residential.
A steep hill leads from the upper village down to the lower section of Robin Hood’s Bay, providing panoramic views of both the village and surrounding coast. The lower village is the more picturesque area, with its collection of narrow and winding cobbled alleyways. Vehicles are only allowed to the lower village for access and delivery purposes, but there are private car parks for residents and visitors staying in cottages. Although relatively small in stature, staying and walking around Robin Hood’s Bay provides a good workout, thanks to its hillside setting.
Even though Robin Hood’s Bay is the perfect base for exploring the surrounding North Yorkshire Coast and Moors, there’s plenty to do in the village without needing to get back in the car for the duration of your stay. We spent four nights in Robin Hood’s Bay, and our car remained in the car park throughout. There was time for exploring, eating, drinking and doing lots of walking. What better way to see this awesome stretch of England’s coastline, than by walking along it? Here’s a run down of the best things to do while staying in Robin Hood’s Bay.
Explore the maze of narrow alleyways
Honestly, you could wander the alleyways of Robin Hood’s Bay all day. From the main road which leads down the steep hill towards the beach and slipway, every little alleyway (or ginnel) needs to be explored. Most involve steps or an incline of some sort, but the reward is some of the most beautiful properties and scenery you’ll find. Whitewashed cottages and Yorkshire stone houses with brightly painted doors and window frames surround the narrow cobbled pathways. Cute gardens and gorgeous flowers are seen at every twist and turn. It almost seems too picture perfect, like an elaborate set of an old TV show. The street furniture is rustic and ancient, old Victorian style lamps and intricate wrought iron framed wooden benches. It’s like taking a step back in time.
Be sure to explore all the alleyways of the lower village. You might reach some dead ends along the way, but keep going and it won’t be hard to find your way back to the main road. Every turn provides a different vantage point to view the village, and marvel at the architecture and design. Houses seem to sit on top of other in a higgledy-piggledy fashion. From the higher sections of the lower village, the views of the red tiled rooftops of the village buildings show how many different levels there are.
Walk the Cleveland Way from Robin Hood’s Bay
There’s nothing like a coastal walk to blow away the cobwebs and the Cleveland Way takes in a beautiful stretch of North Yorkshire Coast, as well as moorland. A 109 mile walking trail, the Cleveland Way starts in the market town of Helmsley in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, before making its way along the moors towards the coast at Saltburn-by-the-Sea. The path then heads south towards the seaside town of Filey. Robin Hood’s Bay is located right in the centre of the 50 mile coastal stretch, making it a great place to start a walk north or south. We chose to take two walks, one south in the direction of Ravenscar and the other heading north towards Whitby.
Robin Hood’s Bay to Ravenscar – 3.5 miles one way
Our first walk along the Cleveland Way was south towards Ravenscar. One top tip to remember when walking along the North Yorkshire Coast is that the cliffs are high, the pathways get close to the edge and there a number points along the way where the path heads down to beach level. This involves a significant amount of steps, so a relatively decent level of fitness is required. From the slipway at the bottom of the village a set of steps lead up behind the Old Coastguard Station towards the Quarterdeck. There’s a signpost at this point, where another set of steps leads onto the Cleveland Way and climbs up towards the clifftop. The path meanders along the clifftop, before dropping down to the fabulously named Boggle Hole where a beck runs into the sea. There’s a YHA Hostel and cafe at Boggle Hole, making it a great place to stop for a rest before a climb back up to the clifftop.
From Boggle Hole, the buildings of Ravenscar can be seen atop the highest point of the landscape a couple of miles south. Looking north, there are also fabulous views back to Robin Hood’s Bay. The walk continues along the clifftop before reaching the ruins of a 16th century Peak Alum Works, with some interesting historical information provided by the NATIONAL TRUST. A final climb from this location through the woodland leads up to the small clifftop village of Ravenscar, which has a couple of tearooms for refreshments. Interestingly, the Victorians had planned to develop a large scale resort in this spot, which would be named Peak. Plans were drawn out for this large resort, expected to rival nearby Scarborough, but the town never materialised – perhaps due to the long and steep walk down to the beach.
Robin Hood’s Bay to Whitby – 7.0 miles one way
The second walk of our trip saw us head north along the Cleveland Way towards the seaside resort of Whitby, dominated by the ruins of the Whitby Abbey. At a distance of seven miles, we were prepared for more clifftop pathways and steps than the previous day, but were amazed by the stunning scenery along this stretch of coast. Heading up towards the upper village of Robin Hood’s Bay, the Cleveland Way path was clearly signposted and soon we were out into the open countryside with views for miles. The pathway hugged the clifftop, and aside from some expected drops and climbs, it offered the best views of the North Yorkshire Coast in both directions. Rugged cliff faces, hundreds of feet high, dropped down to the North Sea below, with waves crashing against the shoreline. Exhilarating and dramatic scenery.
After mile upon mile of spectacular coastal scenery, the dominating structure of Whitby Abbey became apparent on the horizon. Not far to go, or so we thought. Turns out the Abbey can be seen from at least a couple of miles away, but the end point was clear to see. Nearing Whitby, beautiful sandy coves opened up ahead, with steps leading down from the cliffs. Wild and wonderful beaches – perfect to explore in all seasons. Arriving into Whitby, there was plenty to explore along the clifftop including the Abbey Ruins and a quick pit stop at the WHITBY BREWERY to sample their local ales, before heading down the famous 199 Steps into the town. We opted to take a taxi back to Robin Hood’s Bay, a ten minute journey that cost £12.00.
Visit the Robin Hood’s Bay Museum
While exploring the alleyways, be sure to call into the ROBIN HOOD’S BAY AND FYLINGDALES MUSEUM located on the south side of the village. Located in the old Coroner’s Room and Mortuary, the volunteer run museum is small but packed full of information about the village and surrounding area. You’ll find history of the fishing trade as well as shipwrecks from the area, information about the smuggling history of the area, with over a thousand years of history covered.
Take time to relax with a beach walk
The first tip for your Robin Hood’s Bay beach walks is make sure you check the daily tide times. The high tide comes right up to the sea wall, so it’s easy to get stranded along the beach if you’re not careful. From the slipway in the village, the beach stretches to the left and right. At low tide, it’s a playground for rock-pooling fans thanks to it’s rocky makeup. There’s an abundance of rockpools which are great to explore and search out sea life. The base of the ragged cliffs are popular with fossil hunters, where people will often find ammonites and other fossils, some dating back to the Jurassic period. The cliffs in the area have been prone to rockfalls, so it’s important to take care and not get too close.
Heading south along the beach from the slipway, or from the Quarterdeck at high tide, the sandy expanse of beach heads towards the cliffs of Ravenscar. It’s possible to walk along this section of beach when the tide is lower all the way to Boggle Hole and beyond. Popular with families and dog walkers, it’s a great stretch of the North Yorkshire Coast for a paddle and provides stunning views back towards Robin Hood’s Bay.
Head out of the village on The Cinder Track
As well as the Cleveland Way, the area has another popular walking route – THE CINDER TRACK. The Cinder Track follows the route of an old railway line between Scarborough and Whitby, which operated between 1885 and 1965. The 21 mile stretch of railway has now become a popular walking trail between both towns which runs right through Robin Hood’s Bay. We walked a 4.5 mile stretch of The Cinder Track as our return journey from Ravenscar to Robin Hood’s Bay. After the drops and climbs of the Cleveland Way, The Cinder Track was relatively flat in comparison, making it a much more leisurely walk.
Visit the local craft shops and galleries
The lower village of Robin Hood’s Bay is full of small shops selling a range of goods. From bookstores to sweet shops, gift shops to clothing outlets, it’s worth spending some time exploring. Many of the independent gift stores stock high quality, locally sourced products including artwork and household products made by local artists. Jewellery lovers should seek out products made from the locally sourced Jet – a black stone dating back to the Jurassic period, created from fossilised Monkey Puzzle trees dating back some 180 million years.
Art lovers should head to the upper village and seek out the ROBIN HOOD’S BAY ART GROUP studio which is located near the old station building. A group of six female artists have set up the gallery and studio where their work is for sale in the form of original artwork, prints and gift cards. It’s a lovely space, with some great artwork to purchase.
Catch an epic sunrise on Robin Hood’s Bay Beach
With its east facing location, Robin Hood’s Bay might not be a great sunset location, but it is the perfect spot for an epic sunrise in the right conditions. I’m not normally a sunrise person, but given the location and the time of year, I was happy to haul myself out of bed at 6.30am and make the minute walk down to the beach in anticipation.
I wasn’t disappointed.
As the sun climbed towards the horizon, the light cloud cover evolved from grey into orange and pink shades. The sun exploded into view throwing bright orange light across the coastal scene, and as it rose higher in the sky, cast long shadows across the bay and reflections in the rockpools. The Yorkshire stone and roof tiles of the buildings dazzled in the morning sunlight and the scene was absolutely perfect.
Buy yourself a Gansey
My other half, Pete, is from the North Yorkshire Coast. In the time we’ve been together, he’s always called a jumper (or sweater) a Gansey. A what?, I asked, initially. A Gansey, he happily replied, as if I should know. Anyway, I assumed this was local dialect, so thought nothing of it. For the last fifteen years, a jumper has been known as a Gansey in our household. Imagine my surprise, when during lockdown, we watched a coastal walking programme on TV hosted by the lovely Julia Bradbury. Julia was walking the North Yorkshire Coast, stopping along the way to learn about the area, and lo and behold, there was piece about the history of the fisherman’s Gansey.
A hand knitted, tightly woven woollen sweater, the traditional Gansey was designed for sailors and fishermen to protect against wind and water. They were designed to be worn as a snug fit and their patterns were distinct to each different village and town. I can’t confirm or deny this was anything to do with easier identification of drowned fishermen washed up on the shores. Anyway, there’s a gorgeous shop in Robin Hood’s Bay called BERTIES OF BAY, which sell a range of Ganseys featuring the Staithes, Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay patterns. It’s a wonderful little shop, which also sells other nautical based clothing, but the Ganseys are the main draw. They’re not cheap at £130.00, but they are a quality piece of clothing, great for those winter coastal walks (or fishing trips). I treated myself to a Staithes Gansey, it’s super cosy and warm.
Stop by the Old Coastguard Station
Located at the top of the slipway at the dock, the OLD COASTGUARD STATION in the heart of Robin Hood’s Bay originally dates back to the 1800’s. Over the years the building has seen many guises and rebuilds, most recently in the 1990’s when it was purchased by the National Trust and rebuilt as true as possible to the 1800’s design. The Old Coastguard Station opened to the public in the year 2000, as an educational visitor centre and attraction. Today, the building houses a cafe and shop area on the ground floor, with an education space on the first floor.
Explore the village at night
I can’t vouch for the summer months, but during our September visit to Robin Hood’s Bay the village was very busy during the day, but relatively quiet in the evenings. This made it perfect to explore the cobbled alleyways, which were beautifully lit by lamplight, with very few people about. Exploring the village under the shadow of darkness gave it an even more magical feel, and really did feel like stepping back in time.
The best places to eat and drink in Robin Hood’s Bay
For a relatively small village, there are a wide variety of food and drink outlets in the town, but my top tip would be to pre-book dinner reservations before arriving. With the struggles that the hospitality industry has seen over 2020 and 2021, some cafes and restaurants were running with reduced offerings and hours, especially during the weekdays. We booked dinner reservations a couple of weeks prior to visiting, and even then had to be really flexible on timings. We managed to eat and drink at some fabulous spots though, here are my top recommendations.
For brunch, coffee and cake head to THE COVE in the lower village. Serving great breakfast and lunch options, The Cove has an elevated position in the village with a large outdoor seating area overlooking the bay. Another great lunch option near the slipway is TEA, TOAST AND POST located in the old Post Office building. For a takeaway coffee with a view, had to GALLEY AT THE QUARTERDECK – a kiosk located on the quarterdeck with plenty of bench seating overlooking the beach.
There are great dinner options available in both the upper and lower village. For a great dining experience in a beautiful setting, the panoramic Sea View Orangery Restaurant at the VICTORIA HOTEL had a lovely menu including some great local seafood dishes. The WAYFARER BISTRO in the upper village is a contemporary restaurant with a great vibe, featuring an extensive menu and a huge specials board.
For something more traditional and in-keeping with the Robin Hood’s Bay vibe, SMUGGLERS BISTRO AND BAR is located near the dock and is a must visit. With dark wood panelling, low ceilings and lit only by candlelight and twinkling fairly lights, the restaurant is really atmospheric with a lovely vibe. Smugglers has a great pizza menu, but don’t feel that you will need to order a side dish – the pizzas are huge, tasty and really filling. Smugglers is also a great spot for a drink. For drinks with a bay view, head across to THE BAY HOTEL on the dock to grab yourself a pint of local ale.
Stay in a Robin Hood’s Bay Cottage
There’s a great selection of accommodation including hotels, B&B’s and Guest Houses, but I would recommend staying a Robin Hood’s Bay cottage to get a real feel for the village. A large percentage of the properties in the lower village are let for rental, and amongst these are some fantastic cottages. We booked a cottage through BAYTOWN HOLIDAY COTTAGES, a local company who look after a large number of rental properties in the village, many in the lower bay. Their service was fantastic from the booking process, to the information provided and they were also on hand to assist if there were any problems during our stay.
Our cottage, or BERT’S COTTAGE, was a gorgeous three storey property on the main road in the lower village. Access was via a set of steps above the Morwen Le Faye Tea Room on New Road, and there was private parking available at the Fisherhead Car Park a short walk away. At less than a minute’s walk to the beach, Bert’s Cottage was perfect for us.
The Grade II listed property was traditional in style – cosy and rustic with many original features and the décor provided a nod to the coastal setting. The ground floor featured a cosy lounge area with log fire, leading through to a modern kitchen with all amenities. This floor also featured a spacious bathroom with walk in shower. The stairway to the first floor led to a double bedroom with an en-suite WC. A twin bedroom on the second floor was accessed via another stairway from the double bedroom, so the layout would be preferable for a family rather than a group of friends.
We had a fabulous four night stay in Bert’s Cottage for £405.00 in September 2020, Monday to Friday, and will definitely book via Baytown when we next visit the area.
Book direct on the BAYTOWN HOLIDAY COTTAGES website.
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Kudos for getting the term higgledy piggledy into a blog. We use the word Gansey too, I think it’s an anglicised spelling of geansai which is Gaelic for jumper. Robin Hood bay looks so charming, and I’d love all the walks too.
After reading the blog I can understand why Robin Hood’s Bay is one of your favorite UK locations. THXS for highlighting this gem and who knows a possible die trip the next time we visit.
I’ve never heard of Robin Hood’s Bay before. What a charming place! This post definitely sold me on going there. Hopefully soon!
This brought back such wonderful memories of my time in Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay. It certainly is a beautiful part of England. I miss the cobbled streets and the old village pubs with their amazing history.
Stunning! There’s a hidden gem of a destination there. I love discovering such beautiful towns hidden away from the tourist spotlight. Robin Hood’s Bay looks gorgeous!
Thank you – it’s a fabulous place to visit!
We were wondering if this was wroth a day away from the Dales on our trip. Looks like it is! Thanks.
Thank you for creating such an interesting and informative post. I wasn’t sure if I would stop in Robin Hood’s Bay during an upcoming trip, but now I will! Well done.
Hi David, thanks for the comment. I hope you enjoy, it’s a beautiful place to visit. Be prepared for some steep hills though!