Picturesque Port Isaac, or to give it its Cornish name Porthusek, is one of the true gems of the North Cornwall coast. With a long history as both a haven for the local fishing fleet and as a working port for cargoes as varied as coal, limestone, salt, stone, pottery and timber, this seaside village today still counts the fishing fleet and a fish-processing plant as valued local industries while tourism has naturally gained ground here – helped perhaps by the publicity Port Isaac has gained by being the setting for a number of TV dramas and films.
Port Isaac’s first TV role was as the setting for the Poldark series filmed here in the late 1970s, and a little later the village formed the backdrop for ‘Nightmare Man’ – standing in, on this occasion, as a village in the Hebrides. More filming came its way when Port Isaac was depicted at the imaginary Port Wenn in the ‘Doc Martin’ TV series featuring Martin Clunes and in the 1997 film ‘Swept from the Sea’ staring Amy Foster as well as in the 2005 TV adaptation of Rosamunde Pilcher’s ‘The Shell Seekers’.
There are lots of places for eating out in and around Port Isaac. There’s The Slipway Hotel, with a great view over the fishing harbour, The Mote Bar and Restaurant in Fore Street, in the centre of the village and the nearby Golden Lion Inn while The Edge Restaurant boasts fantastic coastal views all the way to Tintagel.
Fishing and scenic
trips by boat can be taken from Port Isaac during the summer months and there
are plenty of interesting coastal walks in the vicinity – which is classified
as a Heritage Coast Area – including a walk to nearby Port Quin, an
almost-deserted village now, since most of its fishermen were lost in a storm. Nearby attractions
include plenty of family-friendly spots such as the Crealy Adventure Park near
Wadebridge, opportunities for Go Karting at the St Eval Racing Circuit – the
largest and fastest in the Southwest, also near Wadebridge, the Trethorne
Leisure Park, just off the A30 at Kennards House, Launceston , New Mills Farm
Park at Launceston, the Bodmin and Wenford Railway for a nostalgic trip on a
steam train and Carruan Farm at Polzeath. Also close by are Tintagel with the
cliffside ruins of Tintagel Castle, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur,
and Boscastle - another picturesque North Cornwall fishing village with a
distinctive harbour and beautifully rugged natural surroundings.
If your thinking about visiting Port Isaac make sure you check out the range of accommodation that is available from hotels and bed and breakfast to Port Isaac cottages and campsites...there really is something for everyone!