I can’t believe I’ve never actually written about this before, maybe it’s the proximity to the place, but here we are! We live smack bang between York (my fave) and Scarborough, which is wonderful because it means we have all the beauty and fun of York City Centre, with the beach not too far away in the opposite direction. Whilst I’m not a fan of Scarborough Beach itself, much preferring the local haunts where tourists are absent (which I’m foolishly going to spoil and tell you all about) there are some wonderful things that you can do in the area and you should whack on your to-do list for a staycation in Scarborough.
Visit Peasholm Park
It really is one of the prettiest places in Scarborough! Whether you’re looking for a nice walk through pretty scenery, a play or a picnic, it’s a great place to visit. You can take a boat out onto the lake too, though be warned it gets rather busy in Summer!
Grab an Ice Cream at Harbour Bar
I’ll be honest, I’ve had better ice cream in places like Groovy Moo in Malton, but I think that the experience of Harbour bar makes it worth a visit. Very much an olde-worlde ice cream parlour with big sundaes and waffles, overlooking the seafront whihc makes it feel all the more special. Again, this is on the seafront so it gets heaving, but if you didn’t want to wait for a table you can take away from their window too.
Visit Ravenscar and see the seals
Ravenscar is fab, but be warned, it’s a steep decline to get to and not pushchair or disability friendly at all. Once you’re there, the seals are all there for you to see – relaxing and enjoying their natural habitat. There is a visitors centre at the top of the hill and buses will run from Scarborough to Ravenscar which is around 10 miles away. Highly recommend, as with anything involving wildlife, you’re basically walking into the seal’s home, so be mindful and keep a good distance from them at all times. I wrote this blog post including it here.
North Yorkshire Water Park
I haven’t actually been myself, but this is getting rave reviews and Reuben is *dying* to go. I was going to book for this Saturday but the weather is supposed to be a bit meh, but rest assured we will be heading to this place asap. On the back roads towards Scarborough, this is a place filled with water activities, from open water swimming to an adventure inflatable and even fishing. The have paddle boats, mini battleships you can sit in and everything in between, it looks amazing. If you’re in the area and you would like something a little bit different then I think it’s the one for you. Check out the website here.
Sandsend, near Whitby
Quite the trek (30mins out of Scarborough) but well worth it. Sandsend is one of the prettiest places I have ever been and I could happily spend a full day there even though there is next to nothing to see just a very pretty beach with very pretty streets to wander. There is a fish restaurant that I haven’t eaten in, but I’m told is nice. It’s another place you can spot fishermen and seals stalking said fishermen whilst you enjoy yourself. If you want a more local but quite beach, then I highly recommend Cayton Bay and Hunmanby Gap. No gaudy, horrible arcades, not too many tourists… it’s lush. There is a surf shop by Cayton!
Alpamare
Another one that my kids love – and I know you probably didn’t come to a beach location to spend a fortune on a water park with pools, slides and an outdoor heated pool, but I couldn’t not include it when the kids have so much fun there every time!
Sealife Centre & Rockpooling
The Sealife Centre is a fab place to visit, it’s fun and has loads for kids to enjoy, but the real bonus for me is outside of the Sealife centre where there is a brilliant rockpooling area, perfect for kids to get down to and enjoy looking at even more wildlife – the only thing to note is the tides!
