How to Spend a Day in Scarborough

It’s been over a year since I last time saw the seaside. So I decided to take a day trip and spend a day in Scarborough. It doesn’t measure up to Swedish beaches and perhaps not even to southern seasides in the UK but it’s the easiest and quickest one to get to from Leeds. Besides, it’s kind of cool that on of the oldest, if not the oldest, seaside resort towns is so near by. People have been going to Scarbourgh on holiday for junks of years.

I have been to Scarborough a couple of times before but this time I ventured to different areas of the town I’ve not been to and seen before. Here are a couple of things to do in Scarborough.

Things to do in Scarborough

Walk along South Beach and the Harbour

This is most likely the most famous and visited area of Scarbourgh. The South Beach and the harbour stretch leading down to the light house. I was not the only one visiting the other day. I don’t think I’ve seen so many people in one place, at once, since lockdown. Luckily the beach is huge and the harbour promenade is wide enough to walk on.

From the train station I made my way don’t to the South Bay Beach area and walked along the Esplanade, past the Spa and Cliff Lift before returning back along the beach. In the fort half of the day, the water is low so you can easily walk on the sand and if daring, take a dip. I love swimming but it was way to cold so I only diped my feet. It was amazing feeling the sand between my toes though. I sat on the side of the beach for a long time drying my feet off in the gorgeous sunshine and enjoyed watching the waves.

Visit Scarborough Castle

From the bottom of the Harbour, there is a steep path leading up to Scarborough Castle. Along the way you can stop and admire the view of the South Beach Bay and Scarbourgh’s seafront. There’s a slightly easier path leading up to the castle but I decided to take the slightly trickier option. I love the gate facing the Marine Drive and sea.

To access the full area of the Castle you have to pay a small fee. I didn’t but instead climbed up on the side of it to get a glimpse of it. You also see this part well from the North Bay Beach.

Spend time at North Bay Beach

North Bay Beach is the place for surfers, Scarborough Sea Life and colourful beach chalets which you can rent to stay in. I mainly walked down here to admire them close up. Sometimes, a bit of colour is all you need to have your day brightened up. I was already in a terrific mood being by the seaside watching the waves and breathing in fresh sea air. I again say here for a very long time just taking it all in.

There is no need to spend 8 hours in Scarborough like I did. You can easily do all this in a couple of hours but I wanted to have as much time on the beach as possible and also needed to eat which takes up a bit of time. I found a couple of really nice places to eat in Scarborough.

Where to Eat in Scarborough

There are loads of places to eat in Scarborough. Mainly fish & chips places and other seafood takeaways along the seafront. If you like me aren’t a massive fan of fish & chips, here are a couple of alternatives to where to eat in Scarborough. Before I dive in, let me explain why I don’t like fish & chips. I love fish but I don’t see the need for it to be deep fried. Especially when the batter falls off and you eat the fish dry anyways. Second, why have chunky soggy chips when you can eat skinny fries.

Bloom Coffee Shop & Bakery

Bloom Coffee Shop & Bakery is a small cafe located on Falsgrave Road, in the opposite direction from town centre when arriving by train. I’ve never been in this area of Scarborough before but if you enjoy charity and vintage shopping, it’s worth a visit.

Bloom is next door to all the shops so a perfect shopping stop offering coffees and other hot drinks, homebaked goodies and even savoury snacks. As it was brekafast/brunch time for me, I enjoyed a vegetarian bagel (falafel and hummus) and a chai latte. It’s not the best I’ve ever had (Souli in London tops that) but really nice. I rate a cafe well if it has chai latte on the menu and even more if done right.

Paccitos

Along the seafront in Scarborough, every other door is an ice cream parlor. The most recommended is Paccitos. Here they serve the famous ‘Lemon Top’, a soft vanilla ice cream topped with a swirl of lemon sorbet. Paccitos make their own ice cream so it’s better than from an ice cream van (promise).

I love lemon and I really enjoyed this combination. The flavours and texture compliment each other well. The colour of the lemon sorbet is a bit off putting, it doesn’t have to be so florescent, but I guess it’s one of the reasons it’s so much fun to enjoy it. It’s less than £2 as well and has been a firm favourite since the 1960s.

The Hideout Cafe Kitchen & Bar 

The Hideout is a pub type of food place, fairly new to the Scarborough scene. Located near the North Bay beach it’s a short walk from there and perhaps double the time to reach Scarborough Beach. I went for dinner but they serve lunch and breakfast as well, or feel free to pop in just for a coffee or a tipple. The indoors has a very chilled vibe to it, decked out with lots of decorations to look at, from top to bottom.

I decided on one of their long list of burgers on offer: Spanish Armada. A pork and chorizo burger with apple and Montery Jack cheese. It’s topped with onion rings and pickle and served with skinny fries and coleslaw. You can upgrade to sweet potato fries and I swapped my oinion rings for a second pickle. Have you picked up on me not being a big fan of deep fried food?

Have you been to Scarborogh before. If so, where’s your favourite spot? I think that next year, it’s time for me to venture further south and explore the seasides in southern England.

Jennie xx