The Village of Staithes consists of the modern village, standing alongside the A174, which is the coast road from Middlesbrough to Whitby, and then there is old Staithes, which is concealed below the Cliffs. Access is by foot only, since the steep hill into the old part means visitors vehicles are restricted. This tiny olde worlde fishing village is completely unspoiled, with its old cottages huddled together and crowding around the tiny harbour. Narrow alleys and steep steps divide the buildings which are constantly under threat from the sea. Thirteen houses have been lost to the sea and in 1953 the Cod and Lobster Inn, which stands adjacent to the waves was severely damaged. The lifeboat station which caters for visitors, bears testimony of how treacherous the sea can be. There are no amusement arcades, bingo halls, or any commercialization whatsoever. The village has managed to retain its own character and is still reliant to a lesser extent on fishing.

Captain James Cook, the most famous of navigators, was apprenticed here to a grocer and draper on the seafront at the age of 17. The shop where he worked has long been lost to the sea.