Robin Hoods Bay is one of the most photographic villages in North Yorkshire. Nestled on the coast just south of Whitby this quaint little place is an ideal location to visit for the day, stay and explore wider areas of the North Yorkshire coastline on foot. One of the most popular walks here is the 7-mile loop from Robin Hoods Bay to Ravenscar. This is described by many as ‘moderate’ difficulty which I think is pretty accurate.

Within this post, I will fill you in on all the details of this route, including information on Robin Hoods Bay itself, parking, toilets etc. So if you’re wanting to explore this beautiful area for yourself, just keep scrolling!

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Let’s get into it!

Where to park in Robin Hoods Bay

There is no parking in the village itself for visitors. This is because the village is very small with narrow streets and would be simply overflowing with cars if visitors were trying to get down. The main parking is at the top of the hill. It is a steep walk down the hill and back up so if you have any difficulty walking, or have a pushchair or wheelchair with you then this may be an issue for you and you may need to reconsider visiting.

There are two car parks at the top on the north side of the bay:

Station Car Park
Cash or RingGo App parking
1 hour: £2.20
2 hours: £3.30
4 hours: £4.40 which was more than enough.
Postcode: YO22 4RE

Bank Top Car Park
Not sure about payment options, however, prices are the same as the station top car park so I imagine it’s the same options.
Postcode: YO22 4QN

There aren’t a lot of parking spaces across both of these car parks so if you are wanting to go I would highly recommend going early in the day to guarantee a space otherwise you possibly won’t get a spot. We visited over the bank holiday weekend and we got one of the last spots in the car park!

There were so many people parking on the verges on the road into the bay area so please don’t do this when visiting as it was chaotic for people trying to get up and down that road.

Robin Hoods Bay, North Yorkshire

Robins Hood Bay is located just 6 miles down the coast from Whitby and 15 miles north of Scarborough, making it an ideal hub to explore the wider region, or somewhere to visit while you’re in the area.

The village itself is a simply stunning old fishing village which from every angle is picture perfect. There is a lot to do here in the village and it is an ideal place for an escape to the seaside if that’s what you’re after.

Within the village, there are several cafes, pubs and small shops to visit. There is a small place down on the beachfront which was selling doughnuts. We didn’t try any but they smelt damn good! Alternatively, there is a picnic area signposted at the top of the bank near the car park where you can enjoy your own food.

Down on the beach, there are plenty of rock pools to explore and a sandy stretch to play and sunbathe on. Although, if you are going to visit the beach, you better check the tide times!

Robin Hoods Bay to Ravenscar Walk

The route follows the Cleveland way which is protected by the National Trust. In total it is around a 7-mile loop and according to google is ‘moderately difficult’. This difficulty comes from the fact that the path follows the clifftops that rise and falls where rivers and ravines are flowing into the sea. Many of these slopes are made up of uneven stairs so if you have dodgy knees, this walk may not be for you.

I would also highly recommend proper walking shoes as much of the terrain is uneven across the entire route. This walk is also in no way wheelchair or pushchair friendly due to the nature of the terrain.

The route along the Cleveland Way starts at the beach of Robin Hoods Bay. There is a signposted staircase which you follow. The entire walk is very well signposted from the top of Robin Hoods Bay so you cannot really get lost. From this staircase, you will be rewarded with some very pretty views of Robin Hoods Bay and the coastline so make sure you take it in!

Once you get up onto the cliff tops, you simply follow the path along. The first thing you will come to is the ‘boggle hole’ which is about a mile down the path. This area got its name from a ‘hobgoblin’ who supposedly lives in the caves down below…

All I know is that it was a pretty little area with an archway of trees which was fun to walk through!

The path from here will go downhill and you’ll find the Boggle Hole YHA. There is a cafe here and some toilets which may be a good spot for you on your way back if you need it as the only other toilets are all the way down in Ravenscar or back in the bay.

The path then climbs back up the hill which is one of the hardest parts of the walk. A little further down the coast, you’ll find an old WW2 lookout. You can walk through it and look out! Imagine being here on a cold wet night just looking to see if there were any enemy ships out. It must have been awful!

The walk along the rest of the coastline to Ravenscar is absolutely stunning in which you will get incredible views of the coast and back along to Robin Hoods Bay too.

The walk to Ravenscar is a steep one. There are a couple of paths you can take as the main path forks but they both lead to the village so take your pick. We went right at the fork which was very steep but took us right to the public toilets and the National Trust centre where you can get drinks and snacks etc.

We didn’t explore the village very much as what we were most interested in was the edge of the cliffs. At the end of the hill is the Raven Hall Hotel. This looks like a beautiful place to stay, or even get married! There was even a golf course here if that takes your fancy.

The gardens of the hotel are stunning and can be seen from right up the coastline which is why we were so keen to explore them. We took some time here enjoying the view and if you wanted to do so, you could also enjoy a drink from the hotel bar. A nice pint of cider here wouldn’t go amiss after climbing up to it!

The walk back simply follows the same route you have just come down and will allow you to get some very pretty views of the bay as it gets closer.

All in all, it was a very great walk although a long and tiring one. If you are up for the challenge then it is so rewarding for the views you will get on this walk!

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Stay Safe and Happy Adventuring!

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