Robin Hood's Bay has operated as a village under various aliases. Nothing exists in fact to determine where its name really came from. Once known as Bay Town, Robin Hood's Town and Robbyn Huddes Bay-whatever it is called-it is still a charming spot, with every twist and turn of a street bringing into view another picture postcard scene.

Red pantiles decorate the roofs of stone cottages. A stream runs through a ravine in the middle of the village to the sea below. Shops, cafes, pubs and small cottages cling precariously to the sides of the cliff. The Laurel Inn has a bar carved from solid rock.

Viking raiders settled here. Fifty fishermen lived here in 1536, and the catching and drying of fish was a thriving industry-130 fishermen worked here until the end of the 19th century. The tourist trade soon took the place of the fishing trade as the development of railroads brought people to this area.

Robin Hood's Bay is also known for the smuggling activities which took place in the Bay. Nobody knows how many smugglers plied their illicit trade at Robin Hood's Bay. This former smugglers' den owes its reputation to its strategic position sitting below a steep cliff lapped by the sea. It was ideal for such nefarious activities. And its rabbit warren of narrow tumbled streets and alleyways made it ideal for escaping the law.

Robin Hood's Bay with its labyrinth of streets and cottages piled on top of one another, paints a vivid picture that stays long in one's memory.