Whitby's amazing dinosaur beach where you can hunt fossils and spot shipwrecks

Saltwick Bay ticks every box – budget-friendly, a bit different and offering educational talking points.

Located just south of Whitby, it’s a spectacular hidden beach surrounded by dramatic cliffs and scattered with fossils, perfect for would-be dinosaur hunters.

Expect to find ammonites and belemnites – and if you’re lucky, even real-life dinosaur footprints embedded in the rocks.

On TripAdviser Alan Eley said: “AMAZING fossil-hunting beach 10 minutes from Whitby.

"Beautiful, and my boys found plenty of fossils in their two-hour search.

“Highly recommended.”

TB from York added: “Within minutes, our children had found a fossil just lying on the pebbled beach by the rocks.”

It is advisable to check the tide times before visiting and be aware that you’ll need to take a steep path down.

As if dinosaurs weren’t exciting enough for eagle-eyed explorers, the wreck of the Admiral Von Tromp is still visible at low tide.

Unlike the far busier Whitby beach, which attracts crowds and queues for car parking, Saltwick Bay remains much quieter.

If you go early, you might have the entire bay to yourself.

Matthew Fox CEO of Laterooms.com said: “Saltwick Bay really is one of Yorkshire’s hidden gems.

"For families with adventurous kids, it’s a dream day trip from Whitby.

"And if you pack a picnic, it’s the perfect budget-friendly option.”

“The beach is packed with fossil finds, real dinosaur prints, and a swashbuckling shipwreck.

"Whether your child is more Jurassic Park or Jack Sparrow, this is the perfect beach for adventure-minded children.”