Italian Gardens

The Italian Gardens sit just outside Scarborough, a proper slice of Mediterranean calm that feels oddly out of place on the Yorkshire coast. What you're actually looking at is a nature reserve built around formal Italian-style landscaping - think clipped hedges, stone pathways, and ornamental planting that someone thought would work brilliantly here, and somehow it does.

It's the sort of place that works best if you're after a gentle stroll rather than a day-long adventure. The gardens themselves are manageable in an hour or so, longer if you're the type to sit on a bench and actually look at things. Families with young kids might find it a bit sedate unless they're the sort who get excited about topiaries. Older walkers and gardening enthusiasts will get proper value out of it.

The nature reserve angle means there's actual wildlife to spot if you're patient - birds especially - so it's not all about the ornamental bits. Free to wander around during daylight hours, though it's worth checking opening times before you head out from Cayton Bay or one of the other nearby caravan parks.

It slots in nicely with a coastal holiday around Scarborough. Close enough to Parkdean Resorts Cayton Bay that you could easily pop over for an afternoon, but different enough from a standard seaside day to break things up. Not essential, mind you, but well worth the detour if you're already in the area and fancy something a bit different from fish and chips.