South Landing Beach

The cliffs at South Landing drop sheer into the North Sea, and on a clear day you can see why people walk out here just to stand at the edge. It's a working fishing village that hasn't been prettified for tourists - the beach itself is shingle and chalk, proper no-nonsense Yorkshire coastline.

You come here to walk. The cliff-top path is excellent, linking up with the broader Flamborough Head trails that push further along the headland. Most people allow an hour to two hours depending on how far they venture. The landing itself is where the boats come in, and there's usually activity to watch if you time it right - fishermen hauling in catch, tourists clambering about on the rocks. The geology is the real draw: white chalk cliffs carved by time and weather, with fossils embedded in the face if you know what to look for.

Families with young children might find it a bit limited - there's no beach facilities or attractions, no arcade, no ice cream van parked up. Walkers and geology enthusiasts will spend hours here. It's free, obviously, and best visited on a calm day when the light's good and the sea's not throwing itself at the cliffs.

Staying nearby, Haven Thornwick Bay is less than two miles away and makes a proper base for exploring this stretch of coast. From there you can easily reach South Landing, then push on to other parts of Flamborough Head. The walk alone justifies the detour if you're spending time in or around Bridlington.