Best Western Hotels GB | Eden Project Hotels

Check into a hotel near the Eden Project to sweat it out in the Rainforest Biome, stumble across a plant that grows a metre a day and the sniff the sweet smell of 30 footie pitches’ worth of global flowerbeds. Nearby are Cornwall’s slow-food capital Lostwithiel and the sandy beaches of Falmouth.

Things to do at the Eden Project

Zigzag down the path from the visitors’ centre to find the plant that smells like decomposing flesh in the febrile Rainforest Biome, or see how olive oil is made in the temperate Mediterranean Biome. When you meander through the Med basin across tropical landscapes you eventually reach the brightly coloured proteas of South Africa. Outside, you’ll find tea, lavender, hemp and hops in the award-winning gardens which were an empty clay pit just 15 years ago.

Eden Project visitor tips

If it’s raining, try to save Eden for another day – you won’t see the project at its finest and you’ll get wet as only a fifth of the space is covered. Cyclists get £3 off the entry price for being green, but drivers have plenty of parking plus park and ride transport to the visitors’ centre. From there, if you can’t manage the long zigzagging path to the biomes, there’s a land train. You’ll save money by booking online and don’t forget to wear layers – it is very hot in that Rainforest Biome.

Things to do around the Eden Project

The Eden Project is set in the heart of Cornwall, a horticulturalist hot spot with the National Magnolia Collection setting the tone at Caerhays Castle in St Austell. The blissful Lost Gardens of Heligan, once a rundown country estate, have been transformed into well-kept floral spaces including a jungle and a wildlife project.

Eat, drink and shop near the Eden Project

The White River Place at St Austell offers up-to-the-minute fashions, while Truro’s Georgian streets are at the heart of Cornwall’s shopping centre. If you don’t want to eat at your hotel near the Eden Project or at the on-site Apple Café, Zzub Zzub or Med Kitchen, there are old alehouses, fancy brasseries, international restaurants and tearooms in the city. Hunt for treasure in the antique shops that dot the narrow streets of Lostwithiel before stopping for lunch in one of the many restaurants and pubs offering locally sourced produce.