I Almost Skipped This UK Town — But It Turned Out to Be the Best Part of My Trip

When I first planned my trip to the UK, I had a checklist like every other first-timer:

London, Stonehenge, Edinburgh, maybe Bath. I had never even heard of Whitby, a small coastal town in North Yorkshire, until a last-minute train change rerouted my entire itinerary. I nearly canceled my extra day there. That would've been one of the biggest travel mistakes of my life.


The Town I Almost Ignored


Whitby wasn't on my radar. It's not usually splashed across glossy brochures or Instagram influencer feeds. Locals mentioned it casually in passing: "Oh, Whitby's nice." That's like saying the Grand Canyon is 'neat.'


I arrived just before sunset. The harbor glowed gold, gothic ruins loomed on the cliffs above, and seagulls sang their odd little soundtrack. I'd planned to sleep, maybe walk around a bit, then catch a morning train to York. But the town pulled me in instantly. And I never walk away from a good pull.


The Dracula Connection I Didn't Expect


Fun fact: Bram Stoker wrote
Dracula
while staying in Whitby. You can see exactly where he got the inspiration - the ruined Whitby Abbey overlooking the North Sea is haunting in the most romantic way. You walk the 199 steps to the top (yes, I counted), and suddenly it feels like you've stepped into a Victorian ghost story.


The town leans into it, but not in a cheap way. There are Dracula-themed tours and a twice-yearly Goth Weekend that turns the streets into a fashion runway for black lace, top hats, and cobwebbed corsets. But what hit me hardest was how real it all felt. Not spooky. Not touristy. Just... alive with stories.


The Fish and Chips That Broke Me


I know, I know. "Fish and chips" in the UK is like saying "pizza" in New York - you expect it to be good. But Whitby has a way of showing you what
great
looks like. I walked into Magpie Café because it had a line out the door at 3 p.m. Never a bad sign.


The cod was light and buttery. The chips were thick and golden. The mushy peas? Strangely perfect. It was all served on a plate with a view of bobbing fishing boats. I almost cried. That might have been jet lag, or maybe it was just a perfect moment I didn't know I needed.


Unexpected Conversations and Coastal Hikes


In Whitby, people talk to you. Like... genuinely. I met an older couple who'd returned every year since their honeymoon 40 years ago. I chatted with a teenage barista who told me which clifftop walks had the best views and the fewest tourists. Her exact quote: "Go left at the abbey, not right. Everyone goes right."


So I went left. The trail followed the coastline, wild and windy, overlooking secret coves and crumbling stone fences. No phone signal. No crowd. Just the kind of peace you can't schedule into a vacation.


Why It Was the Best Part of My Trip


Later, when I sat in a London pub and listed out my favorite UK moments, it wasn't Big Ben or the Tower of London. It was the wind on Whitby's cliffs. The stranger who offered me a beer. The dog wearing a Dracula cape outside a fish shop.


Whitby didn't just give me something cool to post. It gave me something to remember. And now, I can't imagine ever seeing the UK again without stopping there.


What I'd Tell You




If you're visiting the UK, plan for surprises.


Don't just check off cities. Leave space for the odd little towns.


Whitby is small, walkable, and ridiculously photogenic.


Yes, it gets crowded on weekends. But even then, it feels like a secret.




So yeah, I almost skipped Whitby. But it turned out to be the best part of my trip. And I hope, if you go, you let it surprise you too.