Get cosy on the coast

Here's 20 great ways to feel cosy on the North York Moors Coast this winter

• Meet friends, make friends, snug in a coastal pub, watching the waves and waiting for a storm to break

• Wrap up warm in a huge blanket from Bertie’s of Bay, or a cosy throw from the LillianDaph Store in Saltburn

• Our coast is a brilliant place to go fossil hunting, especially after a storm. Insiders like Will from Hidden Horizons and Sean from Real Staithes can show you where to go

• Wrap up warm and go outside in the dark to marvel at our starry skies, before retreating indoors to a hot meal and log fire

• We’re Britain’s Capital of Cake so where better to savour homemade cakes, locally roasted Baytown Coffee or a hot chocolate, especially after a spot of beach-combing?

• Paddle in the sea’s shallow waters and relish that lovely cold tingling feeling in your feet before you reward yourself with warming fresh-from-the-sea fish and chips

• Delight in the bracing weather with a physical challenge (followed by a locally-brewed beer?) such as walking the Cleveland Way National Trail or cycling along the Cinder Track

• Hygge isn’t just for humans. Don’t leave your dog at home – they’ll love our days out with our paw-fect pooch packages or running on the beach plus we have plenty of dog-friendly accommodation too

• Relax. No need to rush off. Take pleasure in just sitting, reading and enjoying the warmth of an open fire in a homely holiday cottage with friends

• Retreat from the world with a romantic break. There are fewer people around so it’s easy to escape. You could even watch the sun set from a hot tub in a cosy cottage or treat yourself to a spa

• Enjoy the warm glow of achievement and satisfaction of time well-spent by learning a new skill or trying something different. Choose from crafts, adventures, cookery or photography

• Hunker down and enjoy the simple pleasure of time with friends listening to live music in a North York Moors pub such as Ye Dolphin in Robin Hood's Bay (live evening music and song sessions every Friday from 15 February 2019) or Tea, Toast + Post or the Spa Hotel at Saltburn

• Look out for ghouls on a ghost walk in Robin Hood's Bay, or light candles and take turns to make up stories of smugglers and seafarers

• Indulge in a celebratory meal in an excellent restaurant, where chefs are proud to use fantastic North York Moors produce

• Appreciate the changing seasons and the tiny daily changes. Use our nature calendar to see what to spot

• Take a trip on a boat out to the seal colony at Ravenscar. From June, you can see common seal pups while from November onwards you may spot grey seal pups

• Invite all the family to come and enjoy an afternoon tea in the intimate surroundings of Dunsley Hall Hotel or Brockley Hall

• Gather friends together to learn to cook in style with Sarah at Arches Cookery School or create chocolate sensations with Kala King

• Stock up on books for cosy reading: ask the booklovers who run the book shops in Whitby and Saltburn and for recommendations

• Enjoy some nostalgic leaf kicking in the ancient native woodlands such as Mulgrave Woods, before heading to Bridge Cottage Bistro at the entrance of the woods