The 13 Best Things to Do in Saltburn-by-the-Sea

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Riding the Saltburn Cliff Tramway is one of the best things to do in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [That view tho]

Ah, Saltburn-by-the-Sea (or Saltburn for short if you’re ~in the know~.) This is such a lovely little beach town, and a hidden gem (I only say that because many British people I spoke with had never heard of it!)

But don’t fear, although it seems relatively undiscovered, there are still plenty of fun things do in Saltburn-by-the-Sea!

Saltburn-by-the-Sea view of cliffs and beach — [The view of Saltburn-by-the-Sea as you come down the hill]

I was in Saltburn for the month of July, and what a lovely (and cold, and rainy) month it was! If you’re looking for sun, sun, and more sun – well, sorry to say that Saltburn MIGHT not be the place for you. Like, it’s rainy and/or cloudy pretty often. But if you’re looking for beautiful beach views then Saltburn is your jam!

Ok ok, I’ll shut up about the weather and get to the point.

THE BEST THINGS TO DO IN SALTBURN-BY-THE-SEA

RENT A BEACH HUT FOR THE DAY

Colorful Marshall's Beach Huts in Saltburn-by-the-Sea can be rented out — [Aren’t they cute??]

Ahhh you can totally rent a beach hut and have your own semi-private beach partay! According to my research, you can get them as cheap as £15 per day if you rent in the off season on a weekday. They can go up to £50 or more on weekends and during the summer season. Book early for better prices!

RIDE THE SALTBURN CLIFF TRAMWAY

The Saltburn Cliff Tramway in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [I went a little nuts trying to photograph the tram haha, but it’s just so photogenic!]

This is super old and super cool and super cheap – so you should super do it. It’s literally only £1.10 each way.

According to Welcome to Yorkshire, it’s “the oldest water balanced funicular still in operation in Great Britain.” Like, it was first finished being built in 1884 old. And if that doesn’t make you want to ride it, then I’m not sure what will.

The interior of the Saltburn Cliff Tramway, "the oldest water balanced funicular still in operation in Great Britain" — [Love the decorated windows]

Plus then you don’t have to walk up (or down) all those stairs to get to the beach 😉

WALK ALONG THE SALTBURN PIER

Saltburn Pier in Saltburn-by-the-Sea in England is a great place to spend a weekend — [People enjoying the beach on the weekend]

The Saltburn Pier is England’s northernmost pier! And like the Saltburn Cliff Tramway, also super old (the original pier was finished being built in 1869!).

View of the Saltburn Amusement Arcade, Pier, and Saltburn Cilff Tramway — [Such a pretty view amirite??]

It’s apparently the “last remaining cast-iron Victorian Pleasure Pier on the North-East Coast” according to Visit Saltburn-by-the-Sea, and I’m not sure what exactly a “Pleasure Pier” is but I certainly felt happy when I was there, so if that’s what it’s all about then I’m here for it.

PLAY SOME GAMES IN THE AMUSEMENT ARCADE

The Amusement Arcade in Saltburn-by-the-Sea in England — [There were even swallows nesting under the eaves!! Lol clearly there are two different types of people – those excited about games and those excited about nesting birds]

Right before you step onto the pier, you can step into an arcade instead if you’re feeling like playing some games. I didn’t go in myself, but it looked fun from the outside!

DO ALL THE OCEAN THINGS

Saltburn-at-the-Sea Beach in England — [That beach tho]

The ocean is so pretty! Even though I never swam in it since it was mostly cold and rainy as mentioned in the previous paragraph LOL. But I liked looking at it, and on warmer days, even sticking my feet in it. So brave.

HUNT FOR FOSSILS

Ammonite fossil found on the beach in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [My lucky fossil find]

I was STOKED when I accidentally happened upon a fossil on the beach. Apparently it’s super common in this area, and I was HERE FOR IT.

I believe that what I found is an Ammonite, but if you’re a fossil person, please correct me if I’m wrong!

EXPLORE THE SALTBURN WOODS

The Saltburn Woods are so pretty and green - walking or running through them was one of my favorite things to do in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [One of my favorite places for runs that turned into walks because I stopped so much to take photos]

The river running through the Saltburn Woods eventually leads to the sea — [The Saltburn Woods has a pretty river running through it]

Gardens in the Saltburn Woods — [I stumbled upon this pretty garden, too]

The Saltburn Woods are a fun place to take a little jaunt and happen to be along the famous Cleveland Way. I spent many a days here as I had to walk through the woods to get from Skelton-in-Cleveland to Saltburn.

There’s a place to get tea at the Valley Gardens Tea Rooms (of course), a miniature railway, giant playground, woodland center, garden, and lots of pretty trees for your eyeballs to enjoy.

If you follow me on Instagram you also may remember me going home at night and accidentally almost falling to my death when I had to climb up this steep, unstable hill – turns out there is a path you can follow and it’s easy to follow. I’m just dumb lol. But you can Google Map it and just keep following the signs for the Cleveland Way through the woods, and that will keep you on a paved path!

GET COFFEE (AND DESSERT)

Coffee and a brownie from The Sitting Room in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [I LOVE a good cappuccino, a new thing I’ve developed – I used to be convinced that I couldn’t drink coffee]

There are so many places to grab a cuppa – but be aware that they often close early, like between 4 and 5PM. I really enjoyed The Sitting Room, but Virgos, Signals, and Rapps Cafe also looked really nice.

EAT AT A RESTAURANT WITH A VIEW

Macaroni and Cheese from the Spa Hotel in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [The Spa Hotel’s Mac & Cheese was TO DIE FOR and I swear I almost did]

Sticky Toffee Pudding at the Spa Hotel in Saltburn-by-the-Sea in England — [The sticky toffee pudding was SO GOOD]

The Spa Hotel in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [The Spa Hotel was such a pretty establishment]

I actually ate at the Spa Hotel, and the food was DELISH. Plus there’s the VIEW. Unfortunately it was a little chilly the night I was there, so I ended up eating inside, but on a sunny warm evening the patio would be perfect! Oh, and you HAVE to get the Sticky Toffee Pudding.

The outdoor seating at The Spa Hotel in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England has a beautiful view — [It was so nice sitting out there for the 20 minutes that I did until it got too cold and I had to retreat inside LOL]

The Spa Hotel in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England is located on a hill — [Another photo of The Spa Hotels location]

And for all ya digital nomads out there, the Spa Hotel DOES have wifi but it wasn’t working while I was there. However, they don’t have outlets by the tables so make sure your computer is fully charged if you want to eat and work there!

I didn’t eat at the Seaview but it had a nice view of the walkway near the pier.

GET YOUR SHOP ON

The Saltburn Station Gallery is a cute shop in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [This store was right at the Saltburn Station, hence the name lol, and had lots of cute postcards! It was the only place I was able to find vintage style Saltburn postcards]

There’s no shortage of cute little shops in Saltburn. I saw everything from thrift shops, to art shops, to cool kitschy ones.

And I loved these vintage postcards from Saltburn Station Gallery! It’s located right at the Saltburn Train Station and the only place I could find with vintage Saltburn postcards. They have them from other neighboring towns, like Whitby and Staithes, too, but I specifically wanted Saltburn cards.

Vintage Saltburn-by-the-Sea postcards from Saltburn Sation Gallery — [I was so stoked to find these! And everyone I sent them to loved them, at least I hope they did]

And yes, I ACTUALLY sent those postcards this time! I’ve bought postcards with the intention to send them on so many other trips, but this was the first time I actually did it haha.

And I suck and can’t remember how much it was exactly to send them home to California, but I remember it was pretty cheap – the postcards themselves were £1 each and I think it was about £1.50 to send each one.

STROLL ALONG THE SALTBURN CLIFFS

The cliffs of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England along the Cleveland Way — [LOVE THOSE VIEWS THO]

The Cleveland Way on the cliffs above the beach in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [Love this cool sign]

Because everything is better viewed from above. Just be aware that it miiiiight (most likely will) be windy, so bring warmer clothes just in case. Layers are key here (and actually, in all of Saltburn…).

Peregrine Falcon on the cliffs in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [Here’s my shitty photo of the Peregrine Falcon that I think I saw]

But I’m preeetttty sure I saw a juvenile Peregrine Falcon when I was there, so watch out for that, too! Definitely bring your binoculars if you have some.

The path along The Cleveland Way in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England that leads to the Charm Bracelet sculpture on Google Maps — [Here’s the path from the Ship Inn to the Charm Bracelet Sculpture via Google Maps]

The Ship Inn in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [The Ship Inn looked cool but I never actually ate there]

I took the path behind the Ship Inn, but there are tons of paths all over the place! If you take the path behind the Ship Inn, you can walk to The Charm Bracelet, a cool sculpture by Richard Farrington. Each charm represents an aspect of local life.

The path along The Cleveland Way in Saltburn-by-the-Sea that goes along the cliffs — [The path behind The Ship Inn, take the stairs on the left to walk along the cliffs on The Cleveland Way and see the Charm Bracelet sculpture]

I didn’t actually make it all the way to the bracelet (it’s not far – only about a 40 min walk from the Ship Inn, according to Google Maps) but photos look really cool. If you want to go via Google Maps, just enter “Circle Sculpture aka Charm Bracelet” in and that should take you to the right place! It’s in Huntcliff, not Saltburn-by-the-Sea as an FYI.

Walking at least PART of the Cleveland Way is one of the best things to do in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, in my opinion!

CHECK OUT LOCAL EVENTS

The Saltburn Farmers Market happens once a month in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [The Farmers Market was cool, but just a heads up it’s mostly baked goods, desserts, and food in general – I only saw a few stands selling vegetables/fruits]

Check out the events going on in Saltburn, especially on the weekends. When I was there, I went to a farmer’s market (happens once a month). There was also a huge food festival, but I didn’t end up going.

VISIT NEIGHBORING CITIES, TOWNS, & VILLAGES

The train at Saltburn Station in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [The train at Saltburn Station]

Saltburn Station in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [Saltburn Station is the cutest]

You’re a stone’s throw away from other beautiful Yorkshire coastal towns like Staithes, Whitby, Robin Hood’s Bay, and Scarborough! And they’re super easy to get to from Saltburn, either by car or bus (or train – although you can only see Whitby and Scarborough this way).

You can also go to other nearby cities – York (one of my personal favorites) is only 1.5 hours away by train or car, Newcastle is 1.5-2 hours, and Leeds is 2-2.5 hours.

Skelton-in-Cleveland near Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [Skelton-in-Cleveland is really cute, too]

Even Skelton-in-Cleveland, the neighboring town where I stayed, is worth a visit! The High Street has lots of shops, a pretty church, and there are tons of trails up in the hills that give you beautiful views of the town and Saltburn (the photo above was taken from me taking a 5 minute walk up into the hills!).

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK THE WEATHER!

Summer July weather in Saltburn-by-the-Sea — [This was in JULY – that didn’t mean it rained alllll day, but (especially towards the end of July) it rained at least a little bit almost every day. I could never count on the weather to be accurate, either – it changed constantly!]

Saltburn-in-the-Sea weather in July — [The ‘heat wave’ that was quickly followed with rain lol]

Again, the weather can change quickly. We had a ‘heat wave’ of 85 F (29 C) one day and then it was back to raining and 65 F (18 C) a couple days later! It reminded me a lot of Ireland – I always had a rain jacket with me, just in case!

And idk, maybe this is normal to some people, but coming from California, this is UNHEARD OF.

Foggy day in Skelton-in-Cleveland near Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [Some days it was like this lol – and remember, this is in July!]

So in conclusion, bring your layers. Like all of them. Even in summer. Thank me later.

This way you won’t be interrupted when you’re completing this list of all the cool things to do in Saltburn-by-the-Sea!

THEY HAVE FREE BATHROOMS!

Free bathrooms at the beach in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [Aren’t these bathrooms the definition of perfect?? These are the ones down at the beach]

There are free bathrooms at the Saltburn Station and down at the beach. This is quite handy for people who don’t have the largest bladder like myself. Plus the ones at the beach (I never used the ones at the station) are so #Instagram haha.

HOW TO GET AROUND (IT’S EASY)

Arriva buses in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England are the best mode of public transportation — [Arriva buses are the only reason I ever made it anywhere, although I missed quite a lot of them lol #alwayslate]

You’ll be using Arriva buses, or the 708 bus if late at night, to get around Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Keep in mind that Arriva buses stop running just before 7PM, and the 708 only comes once an hour until 10:45PM.

The buses are easy to use, and the drivers carry change. You just tell them where you want to go, and they’ll tell you the price. At least for me, the 708 bus was about £1 cheaper (I was often taking a 15 min bus ride to Skelton-in-Cleveland, and on Arriva it cost £2.40 but on the 708 it was £1.70.)

Make sure you get there a minute or two early – sometimes the buses will arrive and leave a little early. Which is super fun, let me tell you.

Pretty buildings in Saltburn by the Sea — [Random pretty buildings above the beach]

However, it’s also a pretty small place so walking is totally doable. But if you want to visit any neighboring towns, the buses will be your best friend! Although you CAN also walk if you’re feeling like doing an all-day jaunt.

I hope you enjoy this gem of a place! It’s so pretty, and there’s still so much more to explore. There’s no shortage of fun things to do in Saltburn-by-the-Sea!

Knitted dolls along the Saltburn Pier — [It was the 100th anniversary of the Saltburn Pier when I was there, so people knitted these doll-things and attached them to the pier in celebration]

Sunset in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, England — [Beach evening runs were my favorite]

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Comments

Dani says

August 28, 2019 at 9:29 am

Haha you’re totally right, I’m from Manchester and I’d never heard of it! It looks so nice though, the view from the Spa Hotel is amazing and I can’t believe how cheap you can get the beach huts for!

Lovely post 🙂

- Kelsey says
  
  August 29, 2019 at 10:39 am
  
  Yeah the view from the Spa Hotel was so pretty! I wish it had been warmer so I could’ve enjoyed it longer LOL. And yeah, the beach huts are surprisingly cheap (maybe just because it’s not as much of a known destination as compared to other places?)
  
  Thanks for reading!
  
Travelling Tam says

August 28, 2019 at 9:29 am

Wow, I’m so pleased you have posted about Saltburn, I am from a place just 20 minutes away and have spent many happy years visiting the beach here. Thank you for promoting this typical under the radar British seaside town!

- Kelsey says
  
  August 29, 2019 at 10:40 am
  
  It’s crazy to me that it’s still so relatively unknown – it’s so pretty! And there’s so much to do. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it, too!
  
  Thank you for reading!
  
Disha Smith says

August 28, 2019 at 9:45 am

I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this place. It looks beautiful! Totally adding this to my bucketlist. The beach huts look so fun and I love that they have free bathrooms. The photo of the cliffs is so pretty!!

- Kelsey says
  
  August 29, 2019 at 10:42 am
  
  Yes, I think everyone (including myself!) loves the beach huts haha. Totally wish I’d taken advantage of that when I was there. And yes, I’m used to having free bathrooms everyone coming from the US, but it’s not always the case in Europe haha. So I was excited to see that they had them here! LOL it’s the little things.
  
  And I loved the cliffs! Wished I’d gotten to walk for longer, but started a little late in the day and was getting hungry lol. Thank you for reading!
  
Coni says

August 28, 2019 at 4:04 pm

I lived in the UK for over a year and never heard of this! I love to learn about new destinations! It looks so cute! In spite of the rain, I’d actually like to visit. Noted for the next trip! 🙂

- Kelsey says
  
  August 29, 2019 at 10:44 am
  
  Yes, I’m surprised by how under-the-radar it still is! I honestly probably wouldn’t have ever gone (or heard of it myself) if I hadn’t happened to find a house sit there. And yes, it’s totally still worth it even though it can be rainy. Maybe you’ll get lucky! 🙂
  
  Thanks for reading!
  
Pauline says

August 28, 2019 at 4:52 pm

I’ve been living in the UK for 3 years and have never heard of this place haha. It looks really beautiful and relaxing! I’d love to take the little tramway and rent a beach hut, that’s so cool!

- Kelsey says
  
  August 29, 2019 at 10:45 am
  
  It’s lovely, and the tram is really cool! Even though it’s pretty short haha. But still fun! And yes, I really regret not renting a beach hut. I hope you get to visit!
  
  Thanks for reading!
  
Nick Mcvitty says

September 14, 2020 at 5:07 pm

Sshhh don’t tell everyone! It’s usually nice and quiet, the crowds head for Whitby down the coast. Saltburn is an unspoilt Victorian gem! We stayed in Coastguard Cottage this year on the cliff top. Saltburn seems to have it’s own micro climate. When it’s misty we just head inland because the fret is just on the edge of the land. It comes in from the sea yet 10 minutes inland you can be in hot sun!

- Kelsey says
  
  September 15, 2020 at 12:49 am
  
  Yes I went to Whitby, too, while I was there and you’re right – it was much more crowded! I can’t remember Saltburn every feeling crowded even on a weekend day in July. Staying on the clifftop sounds lovely – what a view you must have had. Yes, it really does, I was staying in Skelton-in-Cleveland (a 5-10 min drive inland) and the climates could be totally different! Glad you enjoyed Saltburn, it’s really won a place in my heart!
  
Michael Hymer says

May 20, 2021 at 1:54 pm

The pictures are outstanding, I was born [1954] in Thornaby on Tees with many trips on the train along the north east coast [ Redcar – Marske – Saltburn – Whitby – Scarborough ]. At one time there was access from Whitby to Scarborough by train through a tunnel, now disused a long time ago for safety reasons.
My 4th great-grandmother came from Arkengarthdale and her son William [occupation – Wool comber] moved to Darlington and married his wife in 1823. Since the beginning of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825, many of my family were employed over the years as train drivers, boiler makers and guards.
After moving to Newton Aycliffe and starting researching my family history in 2016, I was astonished at my findings.

- Kelsey says
  
  November 11, 2021 at 1:40 am
  
  Thank you! Those must have been such fun trips when you were a kid, and what fascinating family history. So cool that your family has such historic ties to the area!
  
Don Gates says

October 25, 2021 at 7:57 am

We stayed at Staithes a while ago and decided to visit Saltburn for breakfast before heading home. The Seaview did the most amazing breakfast, we loved it so much we’ve decided to go back and stay in Saltburn this November. We were lucky enough on our brief visit to be treated to a pod of dolphins playing in the sea just off the pier… oh and it was lovely and sunny!

- Kelsey says
  
  November 11, 2021 at 1:43 am
  
  Happy to hear that The Seaview had such great breakfast! And wow, what an amazing experience seeing the dolphins in the sea. And ha, you are quite lucky that it was so sunny!
  
Dee says

December 4, 2022 at 7:15 pm

I love Saltburn, can’t believe you’d never heard of Punch & Judy, doll things? LOL

- Kelsey says
  
  December 4, 2022 at 10:16 pm
  
  Hey Dee, I never had before! You learn something new every day, ha. Thanks for sharing!