The A to Z of Whitby, North Yorkshire

Take any letter of the alphabet and we've got something go with it.

From angling - Whitby has a reputation for the very best sea angling in the country - to the zany antics you can join in during our legendary week-long Folk Festival every August.

Angling - sea, river and lake
Beaches - more than two miles of unbroken beach from Whitby to Sandsend, many others including Robin Hood's Bay, Runswick Bay and Saltwick
Cycling - bring your own or hire. Spectacular cycleway along the old coastal rail line
Dracula - get your teeth into the story of one of the most famous shipwreck victims in Whitby's colourful maritime history.
East Cliff - Whitby is split in two by the River Esk. East Cliff has cobbled streets, ancient alleyways, artist shops, cafes, inns and the 199 steps leading to the Abbey and St. Mary's Church
Farms - a number welcome visitors, a shire horse centre and we couldn't overlook the 'f' for Flamingo Land, the huge theme park and zoo within an hour's drive inland.
Goathland - where Heartbeat is based, we also have a clifftop golf course and there are many gardens - our own Panett Park, the riverside at Sleights and numerous country houses are not far - Castle Howard, Duncombe Park, Nunnington Hall and Sheriff Hutton.
Horse and pony trekking from a number of centres
Ice cream - made locally and mouthwatering. Watch out for Trillos and Beacon Farm.
Jet - Whitby Jet is prized for jewellery. A museum shows craftsmen at work and many shops sell fine examples.
Kirkham Priory, Byland Abbey, Rievaulx Abbey, Mount Grace Priory, Whitby Abbey are all now ruined but in magnificent settings and easy reach. And not forgetting K for kippers - Whitby produces the finest in the country.
Lighthouses, lifeboats and lobsters - many restaurants feature the fine seafood caught off our coast.
Museums and visitor centres celebrate the region and its heroes, particularly Captain James Cook and the lifeboat men.
North Yorkshire Moors National Park covers more than 500 square miles, is the largest area of heathland in England and a breathtaking sea of purple when in flower during the summer.
Open top bus services tour Whitby during the season taking in the main sights including the Abbey.
Pavillion shows are all part of the year-round fun in Whitby. Events calendar
Quarrying for alum centuries ago helped shape the dramatically rugged coastline where nature has adapted and largely reclaimed her own.
Regatta weekend is one of the busiest times in the town, with rowers racing the wide bay and a huge array of other events.
Smuggling was a common pastime and is thick with legend. At Robin Hood's Bay, the houses are so close together that contraband could pass between without ever appearing above the ground.
Trains link Whitby north through to Middlesbrough along the picturesque Esk Valley, meanwhile the steam railway continues to haul passengers across the moors on one of the most spectacular routes in the country.
Uplands include the Moors, Hambleton Hills and Cleveland Hills where Roseberry Topping rears above the 1,000 feet and is known as Yorkshire's Matterhorn.
Viewpoints are at almost every turn, but hopefully not vampires!
West Cliff, the main area for hotels and guest houses - mainly elegant early Victorian - also a paddling pool, boating lake, crazy golf, and all above a wide expanse of golden beach.
X is a problem, but no-one here would be surprised if you stumbled across a xylophone maker tucked away in some remote cottage. Let us know.
Yachts fill the new marina in the Upper Harbour, where their only pathway to the sea is through the old swing road bridge which connects the two sides of Whitby.
Zany fun and serious music take over Whitby for the now legendary Folk Week in August with concerts, street performances, morris dancing and musicians making merry in nearly all our pubs.