The hidden gardens are popular with visitors year-round as there’s ‘so much to see’
Amber O’Connor Money and Lifestyle reporter U35s
15:17, 10 Oct 2025
The beautiful estate has lots of attractions for visitors(Image: Getty)
Nature enthusiasts have praised a “hidden gem” attraction, which could be ideal for anyone planning a staycation in Cornwall. Located in Pentewan, The Lost Gardens of Heligan regularly attracts visitors with its award-winning 200-acre garden, farmland and wildlife estate.
The popular attraction boasts a farm, pleasure grounds, a productive garden, an outdoor jungle, and 60 acres of woodland, which includes a woodland walk adorned with several sculptures. The gardens and estate were showcased in a recent TikTok post shared by @cornwallsdaughter, who enjoyed visiting Heligan during the autumn season.
She said: “It’s October and there’s still so much to see! Love Heligan so much, so lovely here and can really see all the hard work they put into the grounds!” According to the website, the gardens were nearly lost to history.
“Heligan is one of the most mysterious estates in England. Lost to the brambles of time since the outbreak of WW1, this Sleeping Beauty was re-awakened in 1990 to become Europe’s largest garden restoration project. Today Heligan’s 200 acres are a paradise for the explorer, wildlife, plant lover and garden romantic,” it explains.
The website continues: “Explore the beautiful Cornish countryside of our working Estate and lose yourself in a world of ancient pastures, hay meadows and woodlands.”
The Lost Gardens are open daily for visitors, with day admission and annual passes available. An adult garden admission typically costs £28. Day admission tickets can be upgraded to a weekly pass for free upon arrival.
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This “hidden gem” attraction is a hit with TripAdvisor reviewers, earning over 4,000 ‘excellent’ ratings, reports the Express. One impressed reviewer wrote: “Fantastic family day out! I highly recommend the list gardens for a fun family day out. We wandered through the jungle, the stunning gardens, played at the central park area and petted animals. It was fabulous.”
Another visitor praised: “Amazing gardens… bigger than expected! Spent a good few hours there and still didn’t see all of it! Lots of places to eat…. lovely gift shop. Highly recommend a visit. Appeals to all ages.”
More praise read: “Decided to visit this hidden gem. Totally amazing place with surprises at each turn. Great for a slow wander, family fun day or walking the dog. Lots to see and experience definitely worth a visit. Food was lovely and catered for all at a reasonable price.”
Someone else said: “We started with a full English breakfast from the restaurant before entering, which was absolutely delicious and huge. The garden was really nice, I preferred the more formal areas, but that’s just my thing. There was lots to see and I didn’t think the price was too steep but it should have included free parking.”
The beautiful estate is a popular tourist destination(Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, a commenter shared: “Great place, the gardens are lovely and you could spend hours walking around the extended paths. There are warnings that the woodland trails are steep but they were still steeper than we anticipated, and you have to come back up the hill that you went down in order to get back out.
“If you are fit and well they are worth the walk, but I’d urge anyone with health or mobility issues to try them with caution (if they’d be too steep to climb back up the same way, don’t continue down!) or stick to the garden.
“There are lots of benches to take a rest though, and the jungle path was exceptionally nice! Seems to be a large play area for the children which looked good and some animals to see too. Would return on a day when we were more well rested and tackle some different walking routes.”
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