The Yorkshire Coast is one of the finest stretches of coastline in the country, with long sandy beaches, tall cliffs, beautiful fishing villages, and some of the best seaside resorts anywhere. Whether you're looking for fossils or exploring smugglers' coves, climbing the cliffs or searching out caves, you'll find them all along the Yorkshire coast.
There's a wide range of types of resort - from "small but perfect" fishing villages like Robin Hood's Bay, to family-oriented large resorts such as Scarborough. In between there are a host of other delightful seaside towns and villages, including Bridlington, Filey, Staithes, and the traditional town of Whitby watched over by the dramatic ruins of its ancient abbey.
With so many beautiful long sandy beaches, a bucket and spade is essential for any family holiday, and you can still find donkey rides, candy-floss and Punch & Judy shows.
This part of Britain's coastline has more than its share of heritage too - Captain Cook spent much of his youth in and around Whitby, where he learned the craft which would lead him on his great adventures sailing around the world. And Bram Stoker was inspired by the haunting beauty of the ruins of Whitby Abbey to write Dracula.
Scarborough Castle makes its imposing presence felt on the headland which divides the North Bay from the South Bay.
The heritage goes back much further than medieval times though, as the Yorkshire coast is a great place for finding fossils - from trilobites to ichthyosaurs, from ammonites to plesiosaurs, from plants to gastropods, from fishes to reptiles. They've all been found on Yorkshire's own "Jurassic Coast", as well as the famed Whitby jet.
An easy way to find fossils is by visiting one of the museums that can be found in almost every resort -small or large. And the story of Yorkshire's heritage and culture can be further explored by visiting some of the historic houses, country homes, country parks, traditional Victorian parks, theatres, cinemas, or art galleries.
The Yorkshire coastline includes Sites of Special Scientific Interest, as well bird and nature reserves. At RSPB Bempton Cliffs you may well see puffins emerging from their burrows in the spring, flying off to sea to catch sandeels and returning home with five, six, or more dangling from their characteristically-striped beaks, or (depending on the season) short-eared owls hunting over the grassland, kittiwakes nesting, or gannets diving into the sea with their wings tightly closed.
And don't forget to bring walking boots too if you wish to explore the miles of coastline on the clearly-marked coastal footpaths, or any of the famous trails which strike inland from the coast.
Interesting fact: The length of the North Yorkshire coast varies enormously depending on how it is measured. A "smooth line" of the coast gives it a length of about 68 km, but if you follow the rocky high tide line using Ordnance Survey it is closer to 107 km.
For the latest Yorkshire Coast events, check the Hello Yorkshire blog.
Bridlington
Filey
Flamborough Head
Robin Hood's Bay
Runswick Bay
Sandsend
Scarborough
Staithes
Whitby
Bayle Museum, Bridlington
Bayside Pleasure Park, Bridlington
Beside The Seaside - The Bridlington Experience Museum
Birds Of Prey & Conservation Centre, East Ayton, Scarborough
Boyes Museum, Bridlington
Bretton Farm Visitor Centre, Scarborough
Bridlington Harbour Heritage Museum
Bridlington Priory
Burton Agnes Hall
Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby
Church of St Stephen, Fylingdales
Cleveland Way
Country Park, Filey
Crescent Gardens, Filey
Dracula Museum, Whitby
Esk Valley Railway, Whitby
Farsyde Riding Centre
Filey Bird Garden & Animal Park
Filey Brigg
Filey Golf Club
Filey Museum
Flamborough Head
Flamborough Lighthouse
Fossil hunting on the beaches
Gasworx Skatepark, Bridlington
Great Yorkshire Bike Ride Cycle Route
Hispaniola sea cruise, Scarborough
Honey Park Farm, Scarborough
Hornsea Freeport, Hornsea
Hornsea Museum, Hornsea
Hunmanby Hall 9-Hole Golf
Kinderland, Scarborough
Little Hoppers Adventure World, Scarborough
Luna Park Funfair, Scarborough
MV Queensferry seal trips, Scarborough
North Bay Miniature Railway, Scarborough
North York Moors National Park
Old Coastguard Station
Old Penny Memories, Bridlington
Oliver's Mount Races, Scarborough
Peasholm Park (oriental themed park), Scarborough
Robin Hood's Bay Museum
Rock-pooling
Rotunda William Smith Museum of Geology
Royal Albert Park, Scarborough
RSPB Bempton Cliffs
Scarborough Art Gallery
Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Harbour
Scarborough Lighthouse
Scarborough Pleasure Steamers
Scarborough RNLI Lifeboat House
Scarborough Sealife and Marine Sanctuary
Sewerby Hall and Gardens
Shuttleworth Garden for the Blind, Scarborough
Southburn Archaelogical Museum, Driffield
Spa Theatre, Bridlington
Spa Theatre, Scarborough
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
Swell Cinema
Terror Tower, Scarborough
The Bark Endeavour, Whitby
The Woodcraft Workshop
Trailways Cycle Hire, Hawkser, Whitby
Valley Gardens, Scarborough
Whitby Abbey
Whitby Harbour
Whitby Museum
Whitby Regatta
Whitby Wizard Science Museum