The small vibrant picturesque fishing village of Port Isaac lies on a stunning stretch of coastline, midway between Polzeath and the village of Tintagel.
Much of the coastline and surrounding countryside of Port Isaac is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coastline, and offers endless scenes of beautiful countryside and beaches.
From the Middle Ages until the mid 19th century, Port Isaac was primarily a busy port handling various imports and exports, including coal, timber, pottery and Delabole slate. After the arrival of the railways, it became principally a fishing port and today there are still fishermen working from here. Centuries old fisherman’s cottages are huddled around the busy working fishing harbour joined by narrow alleys and tiny lanes winding down the steep hillsides.
Nearby Port Gaverne, easily walkable from the cottage is a lovely sheltered cove for swimming or enjoying drinks or food from the Inn. A 20 minute drive away lies the town of Wadebridge, where all the usual town amenities can be found including an indoor swimming pool and a cinema. We also have a number of Michelin star chefs own restaurants and pubs in the local area such as Nathan Outlaw in Port Isaac itself, The Mariners in nearby Rock, and Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow.
More recently Port Isaac has gained celebrity status as the pretty Cornish village featuring as Portwenn in the the popular ITV series Doc Martin. The pretty cottage used for Doc Martins home/surgery is just across the village and up towards the top of Roscarrock hill. It is also home to The Fishermen’s Friends, a local group of shanty-singers, who rose to fame in 2010. The Fishermen’s Friends combine traditional songs of the sea with more contemporary folk music and a large dash of humour, and have performed in many parts, including the Royal Albert Hall.
If you are looking for something more than just to unwind and relax in the peaceful setting of one of Cornwall’s most picturesque fishing villages, below are just some of the things to do in and around Port Isaac:
- Take a Guided tour around Port Isaac
- See The Fishermens Friends perform
- Visit the Cliffside Gallery
- Visit the serenity of The Collegiate Church of St Endellion
- Visit Port Isaac Pottery
- For those wanting something more adventurous why not book an activity with Wavehunters
- Camel Trail Cycle Hire to cycle along the picturesque Camel estuary from Wadebridge to Padstow
- Wine tasting and guided tour of Camel Valley Vineyard
