Best Beaches in East Yorkshire
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best beaches in East Yorkshire are Mappleton Beach, South Landing Beach, Selwicks Bay, Tunstall Beach, Thornwick Bay, Danes Dyke Beach and Barmston Beach.
East Yorkshire keeps a coast of two moods. To the north, the chalk headland of Flamborough is cut into white coves, arches and sea stacks, while to the south the soft clay of the Holderness shore is worn back by the North Sea faster than almost anywhere in Britain.
Between them sit some of the quietest and most characterful beaches in the region. At South Landing, a sheltered cove of shingle rests below grassy chalk cliffs within a nature reserve, while Selwicks Bay and Thornwick Bay open beneath the lighthouse into rock pools and caves.
Danes Dyke lies hidden at the foot of a wooded ravine, and further south the wide sands of Barmston, Mappleton and Tunstall run below crumbling clay cliffs where the land is steadily giving way to the sea. Each has its own draw, whether seabirds, fossils, rock groynes or long empty walks.
Here are seven of the best beaches to seek out in East Yorkshire.
Mappleton Beach
Photo: Dr Patty McAlpin via Geograph.org.uk
Mappleton Beach sits at the foot of soft clay cliffs on the Holderness coast, along one of the fastest-eroding shorelines in Britain. In 1991 two large rock groynes and a rock apron were built at the base of the cliff to protect the village and the coast road above, and they have trapped sand to build a wider beach in front of the houses.
Just south of the defences the unprotected clay cliffs slump and wear back quickly, which has made this a well-known example for studying the coast. Come to see the great rock groynes and, beyond them, the bare eroding cliffs.
South Landing Beach
Photo: JThomas via Geograph.org.uk
South Landing Beach is a sheltered cove of shingle and pebble on the south side of Flamborough Head, backed by grassy chalk cliffs within a local nature reserve. A lifeboat station stands at the head of the beach, home to an inshore lifeboat, and a chalk reef with rock pools is uncovered at low tide.
Cliff-top paths run along the coast, and a wildlife centre with a cafe sits nearby. It is a quiet, wildlife-rich spot, with a car park, toilets and seabirds along the cliffs.
Seek it out for a calm afternoon of rock-pooling away from the crowds.
Selwicks Bay
Photo: Graham Hogg via Geograph.org.uk
Selwicks Bay is a small cove of white chalk cliffs directly below the lighthouse at Flamborough Head. The sea has cut the soft chalk into sea stacks, arches, caves and blowholes, making it one of the best spots on this coast for photographs and rock-pooling.
A steep path and steps lead down from the clifftop car park to a rocky, boulder-strewn beach that covers over at high tide. Above stands the working lighthouse of 1806, with the older stone beacon tower of 1669 further inland.
Time your visit for low water and seek out the caves and stacks.
Tunstall Beach
Photo: Helen Wilkinson via Geograph.org.uk
Tunstall Beach is an undeveloped stretch of sand and clay on the Holderness coast, below low cliffs a few miles north of Withernsea. The cliffs are unprotected boulder clay and among the fastest-eroding in Europe, constantly reshaping the shore.
The main way down runs through the private Sand le Mere holiday village on a rough, muddy path. At low tide the remains of an ancient submerged forest, with old peat and tree stumps, show on the sand.
The Greenwich Meridian crosses the coast right here. Seek it out at low water to find the drowned forest underfoot.
Thornwick Bay
Photo: JThomas via Geograph.org.uk
Thornwick Bay is a chalk cove on the north side of Flamborough Head, ringed by white cliffs worn by the sea into caves, arches and stacks. It splits into a larger bay and a smaller one, Little Thornwick, with rock pools and caves to explore at low tide and clear water for kayaking.
These are the only chalk sea cliffs in the north of England, and the wider headland holds huge colonies of nesting seabirds, with the great gannet cliffs of Bempton close by. A holiday park and cafe sit above, with steps down to the shore.
Seek it out at low tide for the caves.
Danes Dyke Beach
Photo: JThomas via Geograph.org.uk
Danes Dyke Beach is a secluded shore of chalk pebbles and sand near Flamborough, backed by white chalk cliffs. It is reached down a steep, wooded ravine from a clifftop car park, the ravine following the line of Danes Dyke, an ancient earthwork that cuts across the headland.
Rock pools open up at low tide among the chalk. The wooded walk down gives the beach a hidden feel.
Seek it out for the quiet descent through the trees to the shore.
Barmston Beach
Photo: habiloid via Geograph.org.uk
Barmston Beach is a long, quiet stretch of sand on the Holderness coast, a few miles south of Bridlington. The sand is wide and open, backed by low cliffs of soft brown clay that the sea is steadily eating away, for this is one of the fastest-eroding coasts in Europe.
Sand martins nest in holes in the crumbling cliff face through the summer. There is little built along the shore beyond a caravan park set back from the edge, and the beach runs on for a long way with room to walk undisturbed.
Seek it out for a plain, windswept walk by the North Sea.
FAQs
Which East Yorkshire beach is best for rock pools?
Selwicks Bay and Thornwick Bay, both below Flamborough Head, uncover caves, stacks and rock pools at low tide. South Landing also has a chalk reef with pools when the tide draws back.
Are there facilities at these East Yorkshire beaches?
It varies. South Landing has a car park, toilets and a nearby wildlife centre with a cafe, while beaches like Barmston, Mappleton and Tunstall are largely undeveloped, so come prepared.
Why are the Holderness beaches eroding so quickly?
The cliffs at Barmston, Mappleton and Tunstall are soft boulder clay, among the fastest-eroding in Europe. The sea steadily eats the clay away, reshaping the shore and even revealing ancient submerged forests.
Conclusion
From the white chalk coves of Flamborough Head to the crumbling clay shores of Holderness, East Yorkshire offers a coast full of contrast and quiet character. You can spend a morning rock-pooling beneath the lighthouse at Selwicks Bay, watching seabirds from the cliffs above South Landing, or exploring the caves and arches of Thornwick Bay.
Further south the wide, empty sands of Barmston, Mappleton and Tunstall reward anyone happy to trade facilities for space and solitude, with submerged forests and eroding cliffs telling the story of a coast on the move. Whether you come for the geology, the wildlife or simply a long walk into the wind, these are the best beaches to seek out in East Yorkshire.
