Top Five Things To Do In Cornwall Whilst Staying in Port Isaac

Port Isaac often appears in “Top Five” Cornwall lists, and if you’re staying in the village then there is a good argument for putting your car keys in a drawer and enjoying Port Isaac for the duration of your stay. But what about those other attractions? Particularly for visitors from overseas, if you’ve travelled all of this way then a few day trips to see the rest of the best that Cornwall has to offer can make for a truly memorable holiday.

So, here are our recommendations for the “other” best places to visit in Cornwall, and travel time from and back to Port Isaac to help you plan your itinerary.

Walking across the cobbled causeway to St Michael’s Mount

St Michael’s Mount

53 miles: 1h 20m one-way, 2h 40m round-trip

One of Cornwall’s most iconic sights, the striking castle and chapel atop the tidal island linked to the mainland by a causeway are on many visitors' must-visit lists. Owned, run and still occupied by the historic St Aubyn family, visitors can walk across the cobbled granite causeway at low tide (15 mins) or take one of the regular boats at high tide, visiting the island’s small harbour village, spectacular subtropical terraced gardens, and the house itself. The Mount is steeped in myth and folklore, and has a history of human occupation dating back to prehistoric times. It was also used as a location in the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. National Trust members can visit for free but must book in advance. Parking and high-tide ferries are paid-for.

Porthcurno and The Minack Theatre

64 miles: 1h 46m one-way, 3h 32m round-trip

(+ 13 miles / 34 mins on from St Michael’s Mount if combining)

Sitting above one of the most photographed and spectacular beaches in the UK, the Minack Theatre at Porthcurno is an incredible open-air theatre built into the cliff itself. The theatre was created in the early 1930s by Rowena Cade, who had moved to Porthcurno and built a home on the land above the cliffs. She was involved in a local amateur dramatics group and offered them the use of her clifftop garden to stage their open-air performance of The Tempest, and along with her gardener set about creating a performance area and cut a terrace for seating, carrying all of the materials into the site and working entirely by hand. Over the years she added to and improved upon the theatre, and was working on it into her eighties. There is a full and varied programme of performances throughout the year, and advance booking is advised particularly during school holidays. Watching an open-air production or musical show overlooking the sea and the coast at Porthcurno, with the chance of spotting a passing pod of dolphins, is a truly unique and memorable experience. Pack a picnic, a cushion to sit on, and a rain coat if the forecast isn’t very good!

St Ives Harbour

St Ives

53 miles: 1h 34m one-way 3h 8m round-trip

Another day trip west of Port Isaac is the town of St Ives, a pretty harbour town notable for its history as an artists colony and for its galleries and potteries. St Ives became a destination for international artists in the late 1800s and its attraction persists to this day. In 1920 the Leach Pottery was founded, and in 1938 the St Ives School of Painting was founded at Porthmeor Studios by Borlase Smart and Leonard Fuller. After World War Two a group of artists from the abstract avant-garde movement established themselves in St Ives, among them Sculptor Barbara Hepworth and artists Peter Lanyon, Terry Frost and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, and it is their work that is primarily associated with St Ives School. Built on the site of a former gas works overlooking Porthmeor Beach, the Tate St Ives gallery is the home of the Tate collection of St Ives School art as well as visiting exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. The Tate also run the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Gardens in St Ives, where you can visit the famed sculptor’s workshop and sculpture garden.

Whilst there is a public car park above Tate St Ives, and the distances above are based on this, traffic can be very heavy in St Ives in peak season and parking challenging. A better bet for those who don’t mind a walk is to park at St Erth railway station park-and-ride at the end of the A30 (49 miles, 1h 8m from Port Isaac) and take the stunning 15 minute train journey along the edge of St Ives Bay along the branch line into St Ives station, from where it is a short walk into town and the harbourside.

The Eden Project

22 miles: 48m one-way, 1h 36m round-trip

The Eden Project’s instantly recognisable biomes, located in a reclaimed former china clay pit, are another of Cornwall’s international attractions that opened in 2001. The six adjoining domes create two enormous internal spaces that house thousands of plant species - the rainforest biome is one of the largest indoor rainforests in the world, complete with a waterfall, banana plants and rubber trees, and the Mediterranean biome recreates the climate and growing conditions favoured by warm temperate and arid plants such as olives and grape vines. Outside, the gardens that lead down into the former quarry and the biomes from the visitor centre represent the temperate biome. Also at Eden is The Core education and exhibition space. In the summer months The Eden Project hosts festival-style outdoor concerts featuring international acts, and in the winter months a large ice-skating rink.

Tintagel Castle

9 miles: 28m one-way, 56m round-trip

Visible from Port Isaac at the far northern edge of Port Isaac Bay, is Tintagel Head, the site of Tintagel Castle. Tintagel Castle is the remains of a medieval fortification built in the 13th century, during the High Middle Ages. It is strongly associated with the legends of King Arthur and Merlin. The site is managed by English Heritage and is one of their top five attractions. In 2019 an award-winning cantilevered steel footbridge designed to represent King Arthur’s sword Excalibur, opened to provide a better and more accessible link between the mainland and the island. If you are a fan of medieval history, archaeology and folklore and legend, then a visit to the ruins of Tintagel Castle during your stay in Port Isaac is a must.

If you’d like to make this itinerary a reality and want to start planning your holiday to Cornwall, then click the button below to check out our range of holiday properties in Port Isaac.