Redcar and Cleveland

Redcar and Cleveland is known for its stretch of the Yorkshire coast, where sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs and old fishing villages sit close together along the North Sea. This is a working coastline as much as a holiday one, with a history built on fishing and ironstone mining that still shapes the towns and villages you find here today.

Most visitors base themselves along the coast itself, with cottages such as Paradise Apartment and Penthouse North offering the kind of sea views that make the area's seafronts so popular. Inland, places like Quaker's Cottage and Pine Hill Lodge give a quieter base among villages and countryside, while others such as Picknett Cottage and RoseLynne suit those wanting a more traditional cottage stay. With 71 self-catering properties across the borough, there's a good spread between coast and countryside depending on what kind of stay you're after.

Fishing villages like Staithes, with their tight lanes and harbours, are part of what makes this coastline distinctive, and cottages such as Rockpool Cottage take their name from the rock pools and shoreline that define much of the area. Wildlife and birdlife along the cliffs add another layer of interest for those who enjoy a slower pace of exploring.

Eating out tends to follow the coast, with fish making regular appearances on menus in the harbour towns, alongside more traditional pub fare inland. Self-catering suits the area well, with cottages like Salty Towers giving guests the option to cook up their own catch or simply relax after a day on the cliffs, using the kitchen as much or as little as they like.