Cayton Bay Beach

Cayton Bay is a stunningly beautiful beach just a short drive south of Scarborough in North Yorkshire. The walk down to the beach is steep. It’s not too bad going down but back up it’s pretty tough going. I wouldn’t recommend taking a wheelchair or a buggy down especially as there are metal steps on the final descent.

Cayton Bay Beach review

The beach stretches for quite some distance with golden sand perfect for building sandcastles. Like a lot of Yorkshire’s coastline, there were many pillboxes erected here during WWII. Some of them are still standing today and there are a few to explore at Cayton Bay. The beach is also famous for fossils although we have never found any here.

Cayton Bay is also home to one of the longest-established surf schools in the UK. Scarborough Surf School offers lessons for young and old and they also have their own separate pay and display car park with toilets. There are also some public toilets about halfway down the beach close to a kiosk selling beach goods.

We prefer to walk to the far end of the beach as not only is it quieter but it’s even prettier with a backdrop of trees that stop as the sand starts. There are rumours that people bathe nude here (illegally) but I’m yet to spot anyone. The sea is lovely and shallow, although if you go further out be warned that there are often strong currents. There are also a fair few rocks on the beach which are perfect for rock pooling. In fact, the beach has one of the biggest rock pooling areas in the county. If you want to extend your visit you can also go for a walk in the woods.