Whitby is the natural base for a stretch of England's most appealing coastline. Robin Hood's Bay, a former smugglers' village of red-tiled houses tumbling down a hill to a rocky beach, is just south and connected by a clifftop walk along the Cleveland Way (about 6 miles each way). Staithes, a similarly tight-knit fishing village, is the same distance to the north.
The North York Moors National Park starts immediately west of the town. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway, a heritage steam line, runs from Whitby through Goathland (the "Aidensfield" of Heartbeat and the "Hogsmeade" station from Harry Potter) on to Pickering. Easy day trips out by car or bus reach Castle Howard, Helmsley, and the city of York.