Otley's pleasures are mostly outdoor and unhurried. The main draw is The Chevin — the forested ridge that walls the town to the south, offering wide views over Wharfedale and good walking through mixed woodland. Below it, Wharfemeadows Park runs along the River Wharfe and is as pleasant a stretch of town park as you'll find in Yorkshire.
In the town centre, All Saints' Church is worth a visit — a substantial medieval church with some good carving and a peaceful churchyard. The Otley Museum is small but informative about the town's history, particularly its role as a printing and market centre.
The market runs on Fridays and Saturdays in the town square, and Otley has an above-average number of independent shops for a town its size. The Buttercross in the market square is a stone market cross that has marked the heart of the town for centuries.
Otley has a bafflingly high density of pubs for its population — around 20 at last count. This is a genuine tradition rather than a tourist gimmick.