Built on a 34 acre disused china clay pit near St Austell, the Eden Project is Cornwall's newest tourist attraction.

Two giant Biomes and extensive display grounds are used to raise public awareness and understanding of the complex and critical relationship between people, plants and resources.

One Biome recreates a warm temperate climate with full sized living trees, the second Biome gives visitors the chance to experience a humid tropical climate and is large enough to accommodate growing teak and mahogany trees. Outside there are demonstrations of plants and their uses from the temperate zones of the world.

Art, sculpture and multi-media exhibits add to the experience and visitor involvement is encouraged in a wide range of interactive workshops.

St Ives has always been a popular holiday retreat with its small fishing boat community, numerous traditional pubs and restaurants and of course its many beaches offering safe bathing.

Also home to the Tate Gallery, St Ives has always been renouned for its artists who produce work which has greatly influenced the development of painting in Britain.

It is worth noting that because of its popularity during the summer months, parking and travelling to the town by car can be a problem, but a local train park and ride scheme is in operation which makes entering St Ives less troublesome with the nearest station only 200 yards or so away from the hotel.