Harbour, Port Isaac
Harbour, Port Isaac
4.5
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- LAD63Shepton Mallet, United Kingdom2,724 contributionsOur first visitMy husband and I thought we had visited most places in Cornwall but never managed to visit Port Isaac. Pretty little fishing village and quaint shops. Weather brightened up for us to enjoy a stroll.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 November 2023
- wondereyesBucharest, Romania2,592 contributionsPort Isaac on stormy weatherIt was a stop on our organized tour. Except the fact the parking place is a bit far and you have to walk for the village center, is was a beautiful walk. We took the way to the edge of the cliffs to see the angry sea and came back for the center of the village. Nice small houses, friendly people, small shops and restaurants. Don’t regret we stopped. Be careful with the weather how you dress and at your shoes. Loved to see from where Fisherman Friends started (nice music).Visited August 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 12 March 2024
- Al MakynenDuluth, Minnesota368 contributionsA Magical PlaceWe stayed three nights to gain a sense of place. The roads are narrow and steep. More than anything in the States. Be prepared to walk hills in both the village and do get out onto the Coastal Path (in both directions) where if you go any distance, there are even more and steeper hills. If you come by rail (to Bodmin Parkway) make sure to book a taxi in advance to meet you at the station (and book the return trip). For those who drive, the car parks are on the brow of the hill.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 24 April 2024
- debbiefuggle1South Molton, United Kingdom220 contributionsA lovely long weekend in beautiful CornwallAnother beautiful place to visit when in Cornwall. It’s another example of English coastal towns, villages and walks. There are also some beautiful little Tea rooms with teas, coffee and cake and delicious sandwiches. We had fresh local caught crab it was so goodVisited June 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 16 June 2024
- Relax24429954001Herndon, Virginia44 contributionsA delightful villageWhat a breathtaking scene, the streets of Port Isaac is like stepping back in time. Beautiful little village with hiking trails up and down the coast. Plenty of local seafood and friendly people all around.Visited August 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 2 September 2024
- BefuddledDurham, United Kingdom96 contributionsReminiscing Doc MartinWe spent half a day in Port Isaac in September mainly to see the place that Doc Martin was filmed. It was spectacular, great views of the harbour, saw the famous house that was used as his surgery, the pub and the pharmacy that r still used. Quite hilly to get to the surgery but well worth it. Not a place to be missedVisited September 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 22 September 2024
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4.5
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10
forestfruits1
Salisbury, UK31 contributions
Sept 2020 • Friends
.Admittedly, we visited on a particularly grey and rainy day. But aside from Doc Martin fame, this harbour has little to commend it. We love the tv show and still had a rubbish time. Granted, the cafes are struggling because of Covid (the majority are now takeaways only), but we visited The Cornish Cove, which was highly recommended to us, and the takeaway pasty we had was still tepid and greasy. It was very busy (as expected!) with no real room for any form of social distancing, even with the best intentions.
The steep hill down from the car park really IS steep (believe the hype!) and a total killer on the way back up. You walk through a fairly run of the mill, slightly grubby residential area before you reach the picturesque harbour. And it IS picturesque. The one nice thing is nature's own view out into the bay (there's a lovely lookout point opposite The Cornish Cove), but it's still nothing different to other equally beautiful (and far more accessible!) vistas around Cornwall.
I get the feeling that the residents of Port Isaac are keen to maintain that they are a working town and not some kind of Cornish Disneyland. That's fine. No one is expecting Disneyland but on the back of Doc Martin, tourists will keep flocking. An art gallery or two wouldn't go amiss or a gift shop selling interesting gifts that aren't tat. People come for the views and the tv show fame and it feels like the council or whoever is in charge of the town are very happy to take tourist money (20p for all public toilets!) and ride on Doc Martin's coat-tails when it suits them (guided walking tours aplenty) but hypocritically hate being constantly flooded with tourists actually coming to visit.
The steep hill down from the car park really IS steep (believe the hype!) and a total killer on the way back up. You walk through a fairly run of the mill, slightly grubby residential area before you reach the picturesque harbour. And it IS picturesque. The one nice thing is nature's own view out into the bay (there's a lovely lookout point opposite The Cornish Cove), but it's still nothing different to other equally beautiful (and far more accessible!) vistas around Cornwall.
I get the feeling that the residents of Port Isaac are keen to maintain that they are a working town and not some kind of Cornish Disneyland. That's fine. No one is expecting Disneyland but on the back of Doc Martin, tourists will keep flocking. An art gallery or two wouldn't go amiss or a gift shop selling interesting gifts that aren't tat. People come for the views and the tv show fame and it feels like the council or whoever is in charge of the town are very happy to take tourist money (20p for all public toilets!) and ride on Doc Martin's coat-tails when it suits them (guided walking tours aplenty) but hypocritically hate being constantly flooded with tourists actually coming to visit.
Written 28 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lloyd M
Cardiff, UK152 contributions
May 2021
Whilst this village is pretty, the village is now full of holiday lets with keys safes nailed to the doorways. Obviously, locals have sold up and moved away, which is sad.
The car parks are tiny, and people are just hanging around for a space to magically appear.
A bit of a dissapointment to be honest, and non local are having a grweat time charging stupid prices. This place is not worth it.
The car parks are tiny, and people are just hanging around for a space to magically appear.
A bit of a dissapointment to be honest, and non local are having a grweat time charging stupid prices. This place is not worth it.
Written 23 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hopehousecottage
Worcester, UK539 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
In an earlier review of Tintagel Castle that I wrote on this platform I was tempted to describe it as the ultimate Cornish tourist trap. That was because, at the time, I’d almost forgotten about Port Isaac. Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Doc Martin as much as the next man and Fisherman’s Friends is one of the best feel-good movies I’ve ever seen. But dodging hoards of people all trying, and failing, to keep 2m apart in these narrow streets while taking pictures of a small cottage overlooking the harbour because it’s been on the telly is a bit irritating. There is so much more to Port Isaac than that.
This was an important port in Tudor times (the original pier was built in the reign of Henry VIII) and (Doc Martin reference coming up) the Large Restaurant was once a boatyard building small coastal sailing vessels. After the railways removed much of the commercial cargo traffic, Port Isaac relied, as did much of the rest of Cornwall, on pilchard fishing until pilchard stocks began to decline. Since the First World War tourism has played an increasing role in the life of this village.
One of the strange things you notice about coming here is how few of the visitors who make the steep downhill trek from the car park at the edge of the village venture beyond Fore Street, the harbour and Doc Martin’s house (actually called Fern Cottage). There are so many fascinating little nooks and crannies to explore in this village with quirky, historic and, quite probably, listed buildings to look at (there are some 90 grade II listed buildings dotted around the village). Who knows, if you turn off the main street you may even stumble across one or two more familiar looking houses off the telly.
It struck me was that in the old part of the village practically every building that isn’t a business of some sort appears to be a holiday cottage and, at the time of our visit, about 50% of them must have been undergoing some sort of renovation. There were almost as many builders in the village as tourists.
So, Port Isaac. It’s beautiful, quaint, steep and interesting but hardly unspoiled by tourism. The biggest problem is that the streets are too small for the numbers of people who visit. But then, if it didn’t look like this, it would never have got the tourists in the first place or been on the telly. And no, the irony of a tourist writing a review on Trip Advisor bemoaning the number of tourists is not lost on me.
This was an important port in Tudor times (the original pier was built in the reign of Henry VIII) and (Doc Martin reference coming up) the Large Restaurant was once a boatyard building small coastal sailing vessels. After the railways removed much of the commercial cargo traffic, Port Isaac relied, as did much of the rest of Cornwall, on pilchard fishing until pilchard stocks began to decline. Since the First World War tourism has played an increasing role in the life of this village.
One of the strange things you notice about coming here is how few of the visitors who make the steep downhill trek from the car park at the edge of the village venture beyond Fore Street, the harbour and Doc Martin’s house (actually called Fern Cottage). There are so many fascinating little nooks and crannies to explore in this village with quirky, historic and, quite probably, listed buildings to look at (there are some 90 grade II listed buildings dotted around the village). Who knows, if you turn off the main street you may even stumble across one or two more familiar looking houses off the telly.
It struck me was that in the old part of the village practically every building that isn’t a business of some sort appears to be a holiday cottage and, at the time of our visit, about 50% of them must have been undergoing some sort of renovation. There were almost as many builders in the village as tourists.
So, Port Isaac. It’s beautiful, quaint, steep and interesting but hardly unspoiled by tourism. The biggest problem is that the streets are too small for the numbers of people who visit. But then, if it didn’t look like this, it would never have got the tourists in the first place or been on the telly. And no, the irony of a tourist writing a review on Trip Advisor bemoaning the number of tourists is not lost on me.
Written 28 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carol F
Ledbury, UK136 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
Stayed here for weekend recently, unfortunately weather was bad so that didn’t help.
Most of the businesses were closed or closed early, struggled to get a breakfast and most of the shops were closed.
Bit of a ghost town to be honest, yes it’s a quant little fishing village with cute cottages but I think it’s been hyped up due to the Doc Martin tv series and most of the cottages were holiday lets.
Shame the place had limited shops/cafes open, little to do unfortunately especially in bad weather. No would not return to Port Issac it’s only worth a few hours day trip. Not much there to keep you.
Most of the businesses were closed or closed early, struggled to get a breakfast and most of the shops were closed.
Bit of a ghost town to be honest, yes it’s a quant little fishing village with cute cottages but I think it’s been hyped up due to the Doc Martin tv series and most of the cottages were holiday lets.
Shame the place had limited shops/cafes open, little to do unfortunately especially in bad weather. No would not return to Port Issac it’s only worth a few hours day trip. Not much there to keep you.
Written 11 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark J
Tamworth, UK35 contributions
Sept 2020 • Friends
What a lovely, typically Cornish, little fishing village ruined by the poorly managed control of tourists following its popularity from the Doc Martin TV serious.
I left feeling so sorry for the residents of this village who have quite literally been over run by tourists.
After sitting in a queue of traffic for 10 minutes to get anywhere near this village and finding that there was no real official car park was my first surprise. We parked in a field that had a tight gated entrance.
Walking down to the harbour it became evident that this was very much a free for all, in the present climate (Covid 19) there were, in my opinion far too many people walking both up and down the tight streets to get to the harbour.
With the poor parking, there were a number of cars that had driven between the tourists to get down to the harbour causing a bottle neck in the tight streets between cars and pedestrians.
Perhaps with the villages new found fame the local council should assist with resident only entry to the narrow streets for vehicles and a one way system for tourists to walk up and down the hill.
I can only hope that some controls are put into place here to assist the locals with making the most of their new found fame and still have some kind of privacy.
I left feeling so sorry for the residents of this village who have quite literally been over run by tourists.
After sitting in a queue of traffic for 10 minutes to get anywhere near this village and finding that there was no real official car park was my first surprise. We parked in a field that had a tight gated entrance.
Walking down to the harbour it became evident that this was very much a free for all, in the present climate (Covid 19) there were, in my opinion far too many people walking both up and down the tight streets to get to the harbour.
With the poor parking, there were a number of cars that had driven between the tourists to get down to the harbour causing a bottle neck in the tight streets between cars and pedestrians.
Perhaps with the villages new found fame the local council should assist with resident only entry to the narrow streets for vehicles and a one way system for tourists to walk up and down the hill.
I can only hope that some controls are put into place here to assist the locals with making the most of their new found fame and still have some kind of privacy.
Written 7 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
streakey
Hastings, UK1,156 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
This is a quaint village and it makes a nice afternoon trip. It’s a steep wAlk down to the villAge from the parking areas. Parking is very very limited so advise you to arrive very early. The main car park is a fair and steep walk away from the harbour. You can find limited parking in the residential side roads despite their signs saying resident parking only. The harbour as toilets which you pay for. There are a few places to eat and drink but they get very full. Best option is to buy a sand which from the deli and go up the hill after the docs house and put mic with a view. There are guided Doc Martin tours at 11am and 1pm and you book them from the may contain nuts shop in the way down to the harbour.
Written 20 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LoveGinLoveLife
Ormskirk, UK66 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Lovely little village with narrow streets. Lots of individual quirky shops and olde pubs. The harbour is clean and the water very clear! Best to park at one of the car parks at the top and walk down as driving through the town looks incredibly difficult as the streets are v narrow. Port Grevene on the other side of port Issac offers kayak excursions- which look good but we only noticed this as we drove out of port Issac. We went on a drizzly day and it was v busy so can imagine it is heaving on a warm sunny day. Recommend to walk up the hill to get a birds eye view of the Port as it is rather stunning.
Written 17 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle
Manchester, UK109 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
Visited Port Isaac on a very hot sunny day. We parked in the main car park which was extremely busy and luckily got a parking spot after 5 minutes or so. Don't even try to get a parking spot in the harbour itself as it's impossible during peak season plus it clogs up the narrow roads for the traders to get through delivering goods. The walk down to the harbour is lovely but the walk up was hard especially in the extreme heat. The harbour itself is pretty but it was very busy with lots of people as you'd expect. The little sea shanty cottages were beautiful but it was disappointing that half of them are holiday lets now. We decided not to eat out here as we knew how expensive it can be so got a few bits at the co-op before we walked down to the harbour. It's a good place to visit for a couple of hours but a shame it's gotten to be a busy tourist hotspot because of the TV show.
Written 27 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
places2seeplaces2go
England, UK6,504 contributions
Oct 2020
Catching up with some reviews from our week holiday to North Cornwall in October2020.
It was a sunny day on our visit. Parked at the large car park before you reach the village. An easy walk down, but be prepared for the walk back.
Once we reached Port Isaac village we decided to walk the short coastal path to Port Gaberne. A lovely walk & not too busy when we walked. Port Gaverne was beautiful & should also not be missed.
Back in Port Isaac & even though it is October it is busier than busy. Can't imagine what its like in July & August.
You will find an abundance of places to eat & drink along with small shops that mostly sell locally made items.
We found it amusing watching people looking for Doc Martin Filming locations, probably as we have never seen an episode.
The tide was out when we were there & after finding a nice pasty for lunch sat on the harbour wall & enjoyed the view.
The harbour itself is a working harbour.
Beach was dog friendly when we visited.
It was a sunny day on our visit. Parked at the large car park before you reach the village. An easy walk down, but be prepared for the walk back.
Once we reached Port Isaac village we decided to walk the short coastal path to Port Gaberne. A lovely walk & not too busy when we walked. Port Gaverne was beautiful & should also not be missed.
Back in Port Isaac & even though it is October it is busier than busy. Can't imagine what its like in July & August.
You will find an abundance of places to eat & drink along with small shops that mostly sell locally made items.
We found it amusing watching people looking for Doc Martin Filming locations, probably as we have never seen an episode.
The tide was out when we were there & after finding a nice pasty for lunch sat on the harbour wall & enjoyed the view.
The harbour itself is a working harbour.
Beach was dog friendly when we visited.
Written 12 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Denartes
Kingswinford, UK2,066 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
Went today and it's as beautiful as ever. Parking not cheap but where is in Cornwall.
Don't park in first car park you come to unless your super fit. As you come down the road turn right to Port Gaverne and there are 2 car parks on the left with easy access to the coastal path. This is less steep than walking down the road. The road is narrow and cars come up and down it. There are toilets down in village on the narrow road up to Doc Martins house 20p.
The Mote pub/ restaurant is great for food, not cheap but great food (a tip is automatically added to the bill). We had a lovely few hours here today.
Don't park in first car park you come to unless your super fit. As you come down the road turn right to Port Gaverne and there are 2 car parks on the left with easy access to the coastal path. This is less steep than walking down the road. The road is narrow and cars come up and down it. There are toilets down in village on the narrow road up to Doc Martins house 20p.
The Mote pub/ restaurant is great for food, not cheap but great food (a tip is automatically added to the bill). We had a lovely few hours here today.
Written 11 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can I go fishing by the ahore or by the rock? Or does it have a designated fishing areas? Or is it not allowed at all? Please help
Written 16 May 2024
Is port Issac very busy ? Are there safety measures for covid in place ?
Thankyou
Written 12 August 2020
I would imagine there will be safety measures in place as it is the law! Yes it will be busy I guess as it is very small
Written 12 August 2020
Hi do you know what the restrictions are for dogs on the beach, we are looking at staying for a few days in November?
Written 22 August 2019
There are no restrictions here anyway.
Written 14 August 2020
We are going to be in Port Isaac just after Christmas on either 27 or 28 December and we would really love to do a Doc Martin Tour. Do they run at this time of year and can anyone recommend a reputable company that offers these tours.
Written 10 June 2019
Hi,
I’m Sorry,
We didn’t find any tours,we just booked a room at the Old School hotel with looks directly on to Doc martins house.
The harbour is very small so you can’t miss anything although there are some parts of Doc Martin that are used in other places,
Like the wedding was in Camelot Castle Hotel in Tintagel.
The Old School Hotel in Port Issac is Absolutely wonderful and the Staff are very welcoming and extremely friendly and helpful if you need some where to stay, or even if you pop in to the restaurant there where they serve Great good or pop in the bar for a Cream Tea.
Best wishes
Danny
Written 1 July 2019
Ametakinetoshedraious
Charleston, South Carolina
Hi I would like to know more about visiting the Doc Martin series tour and port Issac how can I experience this and full English breakfast and where to stay
Written 31 December 2018
I can't answer the Doc Martin tour but The Old School House Hotel and Restaurant is situated within minutes walk of Doc Martins surgery,
Written 31 December 2018
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