Filey Promenade

The stretch of coast at Filey is one of those places that catches you off guard. You arrive expecting a standard seaside promenade and instead find yourself on a proper nature reserve - the kind where you're spotting birds and rare plants instead of dodging ice cream vans.

It's the rocky foreshore and cliff-backed beach that make it special. Walk the prom and you'll see waders picking through the shallows, gulls wheeling overhead, and if you time it right, migrating species that make birders travel hours to stand exactly where you're standing. The cliff-top path gives genuinely good views across the bay, and on a clear day you can see right along the coast. The rocks themselves are worth exploring if you've got the inclination - little pools, interesting geology, the sort of thing that keeps kids occupied for longer than you'd expect.

This is really for walkers and nature enthusiasts rather than families after an afternoon's entertainment. An hour or two is enough to get the measure of it, though serious twitchers will camp here all day. Go in spring or autumn when migration is happening and you'll see proper wildlife activity; summer it's pleasant but quieter on the interesting species front.

It's free and accessible, which is brilliant. Centenary Way Camping is practically on your doorstep at less than a mile away - ideal if you're basing yourself locally. Haven Primrose Valley is another option just down the coast if you want more facilities. The promenade itself connects nicely to walks heading inland toward Filey town, so you can string together a decent day without repeating ground.