What's the best beach in North Yorkshire?

[FoootPrints]

I'm going to do my first solo little trip with my kids. I'll get an Airbnb in north Yorkshire. What is the best beach to be close to? I don't want busy ones like Blackpool I want picturesque ones! Big open spaces, big sandumes that sort of thing. Where the kids can play in the sand and I can read a book. I'll bring packed lunches with us so again no need for much facilities.

Thank you!!

Robin Hoods Bay and Boggle Hole are our favourites up there.

I do love Robin hood’s bay. No sand dunes but you don’t have to walk far towards boggle hole to escape the crowds.

Robin Hood's Bay is lovely but doesn't meet your criteria and it's not one where you can read a book while the kids play. Also as a sole parent getting two young children with all the associated stuff back up the hill at the end of the day - no I wouldn't recommend.

Filey has a fabulous bay. Soft sand and shallow, gently shelving, waters.
Humanby Gap is popular. North Bay of Scarborough is never packed as there's little behind it.

Best beach of the lot for the feeling you want though is a bit further south at Fraisthorpe.

Bridlington, Filey and Scarborough.

Fraisthorpe - Google it, it’s magical

Robin Hood’s Bay lovely but kids need close watching.

Filey, yes.

A bit further north but Saltburn is great, and where I take DS as a single parent, when I want an easy few days at the beach. Mostly big wide beaches, some rockpools closer to the cliffs but be careful not to go near the cliffs at that end (there have been fatalities). Has an old pier with a single amusement arcade, beach huts and a couple of fish and chip shops and ice cream huts.

Accommodation mostly air bnb- I think there’s one big hotel? But it works well for us, as the “town center” (one or two streets with a few restaurants/ cafes/ bars and a handful of independent shops) is super compact with a mid size sainsburys at the heart if you want to self cater.

Also has a nice park close to the beach.

runswick bay, Staithes, sandsend…..all very close to each other

Sandsend or Scarborough. Sandsend is more picturesque, Scarborough is more traditional seaside fun.

Fraisthorpe is really lovely, some rocks for them to (safely) climb aswell. And if you want a change of scenery, Bridlington South Beach is a belter aswell xx

But neither in North Yorkshire?

Filey has a beach so big you can walk for miles. Very traditional small resort.Scarborough North bay is a great beach. When DC were little we always had a few days in Scarborough when they would just spend all day digging holes, building castles and rock pooling.
Much as I love Filey there is so much more to do in Scarborough.

True but most people would say only 5 miles away might be worth considering if it truly meets the OP's criteria, which Fraisthorpe does.

I'd second Saltburn

Also not in North Yorkshire!

Saltburn is in north Yorkshire, it had a brief period of being in Cleveland, but then Cleveland was abolished.

Saltburn is in N Yorkshire - Cleveland County was abolished in 1996. So another vote for Saltburn which is a lovely place to visit and very easy to walk everywhere

It is not.
It is in Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority,

Saltburn is not in North Yorkshire
It is in Redcar and Cleveland unitary authority

Dont believe wikepedia

Whitby.

Definitely Fraisthorpe, fantastic, we camp there in our van.
There's a tea room called The Cow Shed, toilets and parking.
Massive beach and you can walk all the way along the beach to Bridlington.

Hunmanby Gap is nice and just in North Yorkshire, but the beach you describe is definitely Fraisthorpe even though it's just put of North Yorks.

I live in Scarborough and would have to say Cayton Bay is a lovely quiet beach, it's between Scarborough and filey

Whitby is great. Nice big beach, picturesque harbour, great fish and chips

Whitby, Sandsend, Skinningrove, Saltburn & Marske (Saltburn beach leads to Marske which leads to Redcar).

You can drive from Whitby to Saltburn/Redcar in 40 - 60 mins. The moors are also within reach with some lovely picturesque and interesting places if you were interested.

Saltburn is mainly Air BnB or local lettings companies but as @FloatyBoaty said there's a couple of good (on the smaller side 20-30 rooms) hotels there as well, the outlying villages (maybe not so much Redcar which is a bit run down in all honesty) have some Air bnbs and holiday lets that will be cheaper than Saltburn, but will be within 20-30 mins drive, there is a bus service but it's not amazing.

Whitby & Sandsend are in North Yorkshire (Staithes is too and worth a visit but not much beach) and Skinningrove, Saltburn, Redcar and Marske are in Redcar & Cleveland. The boundaries & names can be a bit confusing, I live in Redcar & Cleveland - but within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.

Redcar and Cleveland is a borough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire.

It's a bit pedantic to try and separate them out in this context when we know what the OP is looking for.