YHA Boggle Hole

Tucked away in a converted mill in a wooded cove, just a mile outside Robin Hood's Bay, YHA Boggle Hole has always been a desirable, family-friendly place to stay, but it's looking even better after a fabulous £1.2-million renovation. With a welcoming cafe-bar at its heart (open to walkers and non-guests) – and a roaring log-burner and plenty of outdoor courtyard seating – there's a hideaway seaside feel that lends itself perfectly to lazy days in one of North Yorkshire's hidden gems.

The original mill has 42 beds spread across variously sized rooms, while the timber-framed Crow’s Nest has another 40-odd beds in mostly private en-suite rooms and family rooms. Some have amazing sea views, while throughout there's a quirky use of reclaimed timbers, upcycled furniture, flotsam and jetsam from the beach, and nooks and crannies hiding all sorts of quirky discoveries – like an emergency vampire-hunting kit! There's all the usual hostel stuff too, including a self-catering kitchen, while breakfast, full meals, great cakes, proper coffee and a full bar are available to anyone who makes the journey here.

The rocky beach is a few steps away – a perfect place to enjoy a spot rock-pooling, fossil-hunting, beach-combing or even swimming (if you're hardy enough). Starfish, anemones, crabs and molluscs inhabit the rock pools, oystercatchers patrol the seashore, and herons are regular visitors too – while nearby, up the coast at Ravenscar, common and grey seals come ashore at certain times of the year to breed and rear their young.

There are children's activities available at the hostel (treasure trails, dressing-up clothes), while the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and others put on seasonal walks, star-gazing events, wildlife safaris and more. For walkers, the hostel is right on the 109-mile-long Cleveland Way (with Whitby and Scarborough easily reached on foot), while nearby Robin Hood's Bay is also at the end of Wainwright's Coast-to-Coast walk, which runs all the way to St Bees in Cumbria.

Drivers should note that it's a fairly narrow, winding country lane down to the parking area, and you have to walk the last bit (and carry all your stuff in and out) down a steep hill and over a bridge. On foot, it's just a mile along the beach or over the cliffs from the village of Robin Hood's Bay, which is where the nearest other facilities are located.