North Yorkshire: Our Favourite Places to Visit in Scarborough
Monday 16th May, 2022 by hs-admin
When visiting North Yorkshire, you simply cannot miss out on a trip to Scarborough.
Officially named ‘the oldest seaside resort in England’, and home to the famous ‘Scarborough Fair’, there’s plenty to keep you busy!
We’ve listed some of our favourite places below.
South Bay beach
Scarborough’s South Bay beach is situated perfectly, alongside the town’s main attractions. Surrounded by amusements, cafe’s, ice cream parlors and gift shops, there’s plenty to keep the family entertained.
It’s the perfect place to set up for a day with the family, as it’s known for its soft fine sand and calm waters, with traditional donkey rides available all summer. If you forget your bucket and spade, there’s plenty of beach vendors too!
At the end of the bay, you’ll find Scarborough Harbour, which has been a popular spot for crabbing for generations! If you want to try it for yourself, crabbing buckets and lines are available at most local shops. During the summer months, you can also catch a tourist boat from the harbour, showing you the sights of Scarborough from the water.
Scarborough Castle
Situated on a rock overlooking both North and South bays, Scarborough Castle holds over 3000 years of history.
In its thousands of years, the castle has gone from being a Roman signal station to enduring sieges from mediaeval kings and Civil War armies, as well as defending king and country during World War Two.
Explore the perimeter of its 16-acre site, and keep an eye out from the ruins of the Roman signal station, with panoramic views of the Yorkshire coast!
You don’t need to book in advance to visit the castle, but prices are always guaranteed to be cheapest when doing so.
Peasholm Park
Located on Scarborough’s North Bay, Peasholm Park is an excellent family-friendly day out!
Voted the 6th best park in the UK in the TripAdvisor Travellers Choice Awards and recognised with a prestigious Green Flag Award, Peasholm Park is crammed full of activities and beautiful, oriental themed scenery to make your trip to Scarborough even better.
Taking a walk around the park, you’ll find waterfalls, selfie-worthy streams, mystical mini bridges and some of the most beautiful gardens you’ve ever seen.
The park is home to the world famous Naval Warfare Battle, which has been shown on TV globally! For the past 80 years, three times a week, war breaks out on Peasholm Park lake for 30 mins, where 20-foot replica boats recreate “The Battle of Peasholm”.
To experience some of the wildlife in the park, we’d recommend visiting during the summer months, where you can head to the boat deck, choose from any brightly coloured rowing boats, canoes and dragon-themed pedalos and head out on the lake to spot swans, geese and ducks.
The Scarborough Fair Collection
Attracting thousands of tourists every year, The Scarborough Fair Collection is one of a kind!
Feast your eyes on an incredible collection of vintage cars, steam engines and mechanical organs and take a ride on the vintage and still working fairground rides that run on the hour, every hour!
You’ll find Tidman Golden Galloping Horses, originally built in 1983, a ghost train, dodgems and a rare caterpillar ride among other nostalgic, classic fairground rides!
There’s even a ballroom, where events and concerts are plentiful! If you fancy a dance, make sure to visit on a Wednesday or Thursday, where resident organist, Michael Carr plays the Wurlitzer from 1pm!
Sea Life Scarborough
If you’re an animal lover, Sea Life Scarborough is one that shouldn’t be missed!
With more than 2500 creatures, ranging from penguins and sharks to creepy crawlies and rainforest critters you’re in for an exciting journey.
Starting off inside, see if you’re brave enough to make it through the rainforest, with poison dart frogs, green tree pythons. Moving through the tropical ocean tunnel, you’ll see a variety of sharks, rays and coral reef inhabitants, until you venture outside to Otter River, spotting resident Asian short-clawed otters, Harris and Willow.
From there, waddle along to Penguin Island to meet hand-reared Humboldt penguins, Rico, Skipper, Custard, Beaker and Barnacles. If you’re lucky, you might even see some babies!
Sea Life Scarborough is home to Yorkshire’s only seal hospital, making it truly special and unique in the region. You can follow the journey of each injured seal, from their rescue, through rehabilitation and finally release back into the wild!
If you just can’t wait to visit and dip your feet in the crisp North Sea, head on over to our website to find a fantastic selection of holiday homes along the North Yorkshire coast!
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