Port Isaac, Cornwall - full of charm and Doc Martin fanatics

Port Isaac has a lot to offer - fantastic scenery, great food, wonderful music and the set of the Doc Martin tv series before your very own eyes. Even after 4 trips out there I never get tired of the place.

In the following photos I will show you what there is to like about Port Isaac.

The harbor. One of the first sights you will encounter.

The break waters.

Standing on the closest break water and looking back at the harbor and the side of the hill. Yes, at low tide you can walk out to the break water and climb up the ladder to the top. What a fantastic view back towards the village.

And the view from the break water looking towards the sea.

Oh the view of the harbor from Roscarrock Hill.

And then there is the food and drink at our favorite pub The Golden Lion (called "The Crab and Lobster" in the Doc Martin tv series). Here are a few examples.

Above - Crabbies Alcoholic Ginger Beer, a favorite of my husband.

Above - clotted cream panna cotta (vanilla) with strawberries and shortbread, a favorite of mine.

The pub from the street.

The balcony (the best place to sit if you can find a spot - often hard).

The view from the balcony.

The best ice cream in the whole world, Roskillys, is found here on Fore Street, across from the School House. If they have salty caramel, try it. Flavors rotate. I find the fruit flavors to be muted and not real powerfully fruity.

We have such wonderful dairy (clotted cream and ice cream) because of our friends here.

Great music in Port Isaac. A few examples. Look out for music performed at the harbor (often on Friday evenings in the summer). You might find a brass band playing or the Fisherman's Friends singing (a local group of guys singing shanties). Not to be missed!  Look those guys up on Facebook to find out where and when they will be singing. We met one of the guys a few years ago when we stayed at his B&B in Port Isaac. For more great music in the Port Isaac area during the summer and Easter time, look up the St. Endellion Festival concerts at St. Endellion church, 2 miles outside the village of Port Isaac. I have played in the summer festival the past 4 summers. Not much better quality of classical music can you find anywhere and at such a beautiful church. www.endellionfestivals.org.uk

Stay tuned to this blog for more on the summer festival from 2015. Below - St. Endellion Church.

Now on to Doc Martin the tv series without which I would not have discovered Cornwall.

Port Isaac has become more of a tourist destination thanks to this tv show that was filmed partially in the village. Anyone who has seen the show will recognize the harbor, Doc's surgery, the school house and Bert's restaurant and van. Here is a more obscure photo taken of one of the sites of the police station. 

For the best resource of finding where scenes from Doc Martin were filmed, go to www.portwennonline.com. Someone has done very thorough research to discover all the filming locations for 6 series of Doc Martin.

Port Isaac is a true Cornish treasure. May you all get to go there some day!