Watchet Harbour is the main reason to visit the town. The original tidal harbour, ringed by colourful houses and pubs along the quay, has been in continuous use since Saxon times, and it was for centuries the main shipping point for the iron ore mined inland on the Brendon Hills. A modern marina was added in 2001, fenced off from the older basin by a lock — it lets pleasure boats float at all tides, while the historic harbour still dries out at low water.
The esplanade is the place to walk. Look for the bronze statue of the Ancient Mariner, erected in 2003 to commemorate Coleridge's stay in the area; the views across the Bristol Channel to the South Wales coast are dramatic on a clear day.