Staithes — Attraction in Great Britain

The walk is certainly steep to the harbour and beach, but it's certainly atmospheric. The harbour area is nice enough. We went for fossil hunting. When the tide is out the ground immediately south of the harbour is a fascinating mix of new life and remains of ancient life speckled throughout. In some places larger fossilised stems or shellfish are easily visible.

The flat, rocky shore is definitely best with walking boots. There is a small sandy area in the harbour which is nice.

The sedimentary rock looks beautiful as you look at the cliffs with different layers being very obvious. Some layers clearly contain many more fossils than others, which is also interesting.

Rather than just collecting fossils I found interesting fossils in the bedrock that i just wanted to take photos of too.

Especially interesting were some giant tracks which are clearly visible and lead from the cliffs to the sea in many places. I suppose they're created by geological rather than animal processes, but they're very interesting and do look like ancient footprints and tracks from large, long gone creatures.

This is a great place to go and leave only footprints, instead taking photos and memories, as is said. Although your every footprint will crush the shells of numerous shellfish... errrrr. I mean, I would have been happy doing an easier trip walking along the shore taking photos. Or, go fossil hunting to see what you can get. Both good options.

Some mud stone (don't know rock names will, shale?) is soft making is easy to break down the layers and look for fossils. There is plenty of rock which is not connected to the bedrock, which is good since people aren't supposed to intentionally damage the bedrock. This is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

Other harder stones (dark beige and orange coloured, sandstone or iron stone?) are packed with small shellfish and the occasional ammonite. To make the most of this it is probably best to find an ammonite sticking out of a rock and then take the rock away to have a go over more carefully.

Paying for the parking and having access to toilets and a cafe-shop is better than just having a simple car park in my opinion. It's a good compromise and makes the place easier to visit...

Alright, I get it. Staithes is magical. A Cornish dream nestled in Yorkshire, the kind of place where you can practically smell the fish and chips and hear the seagulls squawking gossip. You and your wife had a picture-perfect Sunday, stealing cozy moments amidst the quaint charm. But here's the thing: shhh! This is our little secret, right? We wouldn't want it overrun by hordes of tourists, turning Staithes into the next Whitby (although, between you and me, Whitby was totally our fault – sorry, not sorry).

So, with a heavy heart (and a mischievous grin), I propose a bold strategy:

Five stars? Absolutely! Shower Staithes with praise, lure people in with visions of tranquility.

But then, subtly plant the seed of doubt. Casually mention "busy enough" and "nice and quiet" in the same breath. Let them wonder if it's too quiet, a hidden gem best left undiscovered.

Finally, the pièce de résistance: Casually drop the Whitby bomb. Mention how you (trendsetters extraordinaire) ruined that peaceful haven. They'll get the hint, right? Staithes is clearly cursed by trendsetting couples like us.

By then, they'll be convinced Staithes is lovely, but maybe a tad* too trendy for their taste. Mission accomplished! Our secret hideaway stays safe, and we get to revel in the smug satisfaction of having outsmarted the crowds. Plus, who knows, maybe our little review-based social experiment will become a viral trend – "The Staithes Shuffle": praising a place to oblivion to keep it hidden. We could be internet heroes! (Or at least internet tricksters.)

So, what do you say? Up for some lighthearted manipulation for the greater good (i.e., our...

What a wonderful location. We were here for the week and totally enjoyed our stay here. Only one small issue is that there is very limited parking for visitors. We choose to stay at the Glen Vale carpark for £75 for the week. There is a council carpark and another carpark which charges. This other carpark has had very bad reviews? Anyway Staithes was wonderful. It had such a great atmosphere. With being off the beaten track, small and intimate, it doesn't have that crowded feel that bigger places have. It was so easy to get to other places using the bus service at the top of the road. Being right on the Cleveland Way, we had wonderful walks along the dramatic coastline. In Staithes there are a variety of places to eat from Cobbles, where we bought a delicious pizza and a Tiramisu, Dolly's tearoom for cake and coffee and of course the Cod and Lobster pub which should not be missed for a meal. We shall certainly be back. Oh! I should mention the village is at the bottom of a very steep hill. It will keep...