Yorkshire’s best beaches for different types of people with different moods

Beaches, beaches, beaches. Can we think of anything else when the temperature in God’s Own Country rises above 20C?

Fixing the aircon in your car, perhaps? Your third shower and change of clothes that day? We can but aircon and showers don’t make for interesting tales about what to do in your spare time. Beaches do though.

Perhaps you’re a social butterfly or a total misanthrope. Perhaps candy floss and coin pushers are your panacea – or mildly preferable to having your toenails removed. Different folks, isn’t it? We’re not judging.

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Rather than write a guide about every single beach from Spurn to Redcar we thought we’d do something a little different and produce a guide to our stretches of sand and shingle – according to your personality type and mood. OK, it’s not Psychology Today but you’ll get the idea.

1. The social butterfly

You like being around other people and trust us, on a warm day during the school holiday there will be a lot of people in Scarborough.

Scarborough is your classic, northern English seaside town with two beaches of different character. The South Bay is your quintessential kiss-me-quick resort with pubs, cafes, restaurants, ice cream parlours and amusement arcades galore. While the sands are fine for sunbathing, swimming isn’t advised as the water still isn’t clean enough. The North Bay is quieter and less developed but the sea is clean enough to swim in.

Alternatively go to Bridlington. The North Beach has a similar vibe to Scarborough’s South Bay, albeit in a less spectacular setting. The water is good for swimming too.

2. The shrinking violet

Perhaps you agree with the sentiment of a Slipknot song with a title too vulgar to print here. There are plenty of quiet, unspoilt beaches along the Yorkshire coast. Of course all this tranquility comes at the cost of amenities, or more aptly, the lack of. Here are our favourites from north to south.

Marske , between Redcar and Saltburn, offers fun-size sea cliffs and a wide stretch of silky sand. The setting between the Tees estuary and the sizable Hunt Cliff is the perfect frame for the canvas. It’s best accessed from the Coast Road East car park where there are conveniently located public conveniences.

Saltwick Bay , just south of Whitby is relatively small but it packs in plenty other than golden sand. Framed by imposing cliffs, the bay has boulders, prehistoric fossils, Whitby jet (a black precious stone) and three shipwrecks. Saltwick Bay can be accessed via Hawkser Lane from Whitby.

Six miles south of Whitby is Reighton Gap , another unspoilt stretch of golden sand. The walk down from Sands Road – the beach is best accessed through the Reighton Gap Holiday Park – is steep but the tidepools, boulders (in fact, the remains of World War Two defences) and aforementioned silica are worth the mildly treacherous trek.

At the easternmost tip of Yorkshire is Spurn . This near-featureless sand island jutting into the mouth of the Humber has an edge-of-the-world feel. Its remoteness means it’s seldom busy and with three miles of coast, you can find a secluded spot to watch the island’s incomparable sunsets. Also watch out for high tide – or you’ll be stranded.

3. The steady Eddie

Not too developed but not bereft of amenities, Filey is Yorkshire’s MOR (middle of the road) seaside spot. But unlike MOR music, Filey isn’t boring. It’s a charming little town with quaint shops, cafes, pubs and of course, a decent beach.

Steady Eddie may find the town’s famous steampunk festival bemusing but for the rest of us, it’s a chance to see some pretty far out eyewear and facial hair.

4. The edgelord

The edgelord will go where people tell them not to. Redcar could be described as ‘edgy’. This once buzzing seaside town has seen better days but is undergoing substantial investment.

It’s rough around the edges but it isn’t without charm. The smooth sand, which graces most of the Yorkshire coast, is in abundance. A stroll between the sand dunes and the sea at Coatham Beach is quite delightful, especially now the redundant steelworks no longer pokes out of the horizon.

Ever the contrarian, the edgelord will probably find some joy in The Beacon – a puzzling monument to Redcar’s long demolished pier – even if the locals don’t.

5. The culture vulture

The culture vulture won’t be content simply sitting on a beach or feeding 10p pieces into coin pushers. They’ll want to see a bit of history and culture.

Whitby with its narrow, ancient streets and of course, its world famous abbey should do the job. The fishing village of Staithes has a similar appeal with its old winding streets.

Saltburn has a Victorian pier – the last of six remaining in Yorkshire – which can be accessed in ceremonial style via the Cliff Tramway, a funicular railway which opened in 1884.

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