Destination: Port Issac

As you walk through the winding streets of Port Isaac you can see the history of this former trading port set in the cottages’ stonework. The houses stand strong, looking out to sea like the Cornishmen who built them. From the Middle Ages until the 19th Century, Port Isaac was a busy port handling coal, timber, pottery and Delabole slate from the nearby Delabole slate quarry. The traditional granite and slate-fronted Cornish houses now hold significant architectural and historical importance, reflecting Port Isaac’s intriguing history. After the introduction of the railway (which took over the transportation of these goods), Port Isaac increasingly became a fishing port and is still used by local fishermen today.

The magnificence of Cornwall’s north coast is captured in Port Isaac with deep blue waters that dance in the summer sun set against the backdrop of rolling green hills. A stream runs through the village and makes its way to the sea over the harbour wall, from which the horizon stretches out to the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Its picturesque location has lead to Port Isaac starring in numerous films and television series, most notably as the home for popular TV series Doc Martin, as the fictionalised Portwenn.

The attractive fishing village of Port Quin lies six miles west of Port Isaac along the South West Coast Path and on the other side of the headland to Port Quin, you’ll find Polzeath beach. The wonderful Surfside Café at Polzeath provides local seafood and Tarquin’s Gin crafted in a small distillery nearby. It’s the perfect spot to sit and watch the surf as you sip on a deliciously cold glass of artisan gin, and tuck into their freshly caught crab and lobster dishes. Rock is just around the corner and boasts beautiful sandy beaches such as Daymer Bay that look out onto the Camel estuary. The quirky St Enodoc Church, whose distinctive crooked steeple was built in the 13th Century, is best known through its association with the former poet laureate John Betjeman. Betjeman is buried at St Enodoc Church alongside some of the sailors and fishermen who’ve lost their lives at the hands of the infamous Doom Bar, located at the entrance of the estuary.

From Rock it’s possible to get a ferry over to Padstow, a charming working fishing port and foodie destination with popular eateries such as Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant. Padstow is also the start and end point for the Camel Cycle Trail, following the disused railway line once used by the London and South West Railway, it winds its way through the beautiful woods of the Camel Valley and on to Bodmin.