Port Isaac, the village where Doc Martin was filmed

Although American TV series have taken over the world, luckily there is room for series from other latitudes. Y Doc Martin, English series, is a well-made, fun and enjoyable product.

Doc Martin surprised me on cable TV a few years ago. I was struck by the fact that its protagonist was so ugly and unfriendly, but two minutes later I was super hooked on the bad vibes of the surgeon turned village doctor. And what a town! It was filmed in Port Isaac, Cornwall, a beautiful destination if there is one.

Doc Martin

It's an English series, a comedy, which aired several seasons in England, between 2004 and 2015. The series is a "detachment" from a movie called Saving grace where was the character of the doctor.

In the tv series Martin ellingham he is a brilliant surgeon that for some reason develops a phobia of blood and must stop operating. So leave London and goes as a general practitioner to a small coastal village called Portwenn, the same where years ago he spent his childhood.

From there the seasons follow one another, in the interactions between the doctor and the townspeople with their lives, ailments and problems. His character is terrible and not friendly so the comedy tone is great. He even falls in love and gets his "girlfriend" pregnant, even when his social and emotional relationship problems are not resolved.

The series did very well and there were adaptations abroad: France, Germany, Austria, Greece, the Netherlands and also Spain with the name doctor matthew.

Port isaac

When a TV series or a movie is filmed in natural settings, they immediately gain fame and become the protagonists of the story. This is what happened to the port village of Doc Martin.

Although the fictitious name is Portwenn the village is called Port Isaac and is on the north shore of the beautiful county of Cornwall. In fact, it is so picturesque that Doc Martin was not the first thing filmed here but the most popular.

Its dock was built in the time of Henry VIII so its oldest buildings date from that time and from the XNUMXth century. It was always a Fisher's town and today it is a preserved area of ​​Cornwall and home to almost a hundred historic buildings.

Although until the 60s it was possible to get there by train, the station is still a few kilometers away, the unstoppable decline in ticket sales caused the railway branch to be closed. Today it is the buses that come to town.

If you arrive by bus or car you will be at the top of the hill where the large parking lot is located. You have to walk down to the village winding through narrow streets, but it is worth it because the view you are having is fantastic.

What to do and see in Port Isaac

Both Port Isaac and another nearby village called Port Gaverne have been declared Area of ​​Surprising Natural Beauty and Heritage Coastal Area, so there are many tours and tourist walks inland and along the coast.

In this way you can access other beaches that are nearby, since la village only has one beach and the others are even more attractive. To visit the town the best time of year is summer because the bus service is more frequent and connects several coastal towns.

In addition, naturally, walks in the open air and days at the beach are much more enjoyed. Six kilometers away is Beach Polzeath, ideal for surfing and one of the best for that in North Cornwall, and so is the beach next door, daymer Bay.

There are also the beautiful Long Gardens croos, Victorian style, in Trelights, the Pencarrows in Washaay, for example. And in season tourists can join boat trips around the harbor or fishing excursions.

With sun and good weather there bike rides through the Camel Trail, which links Padstow, Wadebridge and Bodmin (bikes are rented), and if you like golf, there are two classic golf courses in the area. A good steam train ride it is also very british And here are two little trains like this: one is the Bodmin Steam Railway (standard gauge), and the other is the Laucenston Steam Railway, narrow gauge.

To do these little train rides you must leave Port Isaac for the towns in the area. In the case of Bodmin it is on the coast of Bodmin Moor and has fierce rocky cliffs, valleys and hills. It is in one of these charming valleys that Port Isaac is located.

Finally, in addition to Port Isaac there is another village almost twinned to it which is Port (The Harbour District) Gaverne. Although it is a separate community, they are very close and you have to visit both. Port Gaverne developed in the XNUMXth century as a coal and limestone port as well as a small shipyard.

The large port buildings have been transformed into holiday accommodation and at low tide a charming beach appears, sheltered, with many small ponds, ideal for children.

obvious, people who come to Port Isaac do so largely to admire the recording sets of Doc Martin so his home, office, school, and town tavern are the busiest places.

Where to stay

If your idea is to stay for a couple of days then you will have no problem finding accommodation in Port Isaac or any of the other coastal towns. In Port Isaac in particular there are many hotels and also tourist rental houses whose prices start at 400 pounds.

How to get

Cornwall is a county that has a coastline on the Celtic Sea and the English Channel. From London you have more than four hours of travel. The ideal is to rent a car because the trip is full of beautiful landscapes but if you can not you should take the fast train from Paddington to Truto and from there take the bus.

There are also daily trains from Bath and Bristol and of course you can fly to Cornwall or arrive by ferry from Ireland, France, Spain, Holland and even Denmark.