Central Florida beyond the theme parks

Located between Orlando and Tampa, Central Florida’s Polk County offers much more than just a place for R&R between theme park destinations.

Visitors are invited to mix up their Florida adventure with a visit to a unique nature reserve, a citrus grove or even a stay at the one-of-a-kind Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo. And yes, we also have a theme park!

Welcome to Central Florida’s Polk County, known as Florida’s Sweetest Spot where travellers can enjoy wide open spaces and the best of the Sunshine State.

Outdoor adventures are abundant with the county offering 550 freshwater lakes and 25,000 acres of unspoiled recreational parks. There are ample ways to enjoy the outdoors including water skiing, air boating, kayaking and fishing.

Central Florida is home to two historic area attractions, Bok Tower Gardens built in 1929 and Frank Lloyd Wright’s "Child of the Sun" collection of architecture on the Florida Southern College Campus. "Child of the Sun" is the largest single-site collection of Wright’s work in the world, with 13 completed structures by the famed architect.

In Lake Wales, Bok Tower Gardens, the world-famous 205-foot art deco and neo-gothic ‘singing’ carillon tower surrounded by gardens that are kept with utmost care. 

Located on one of peninsular Florida’s highest points, guests can stroll in the shadow of the tower while listening to music from the carillon.  A recent addition to the grounds is Hammock Hollow, 2.7 acres of childhood delight featuring water areas, bridges, tunnels and an indigo snake sculptured sand box.

Not far away are areas for kids to climb logs, an outdoor stage area, art and music zones, and even a working hand-pumped well.

If the state’s most popular reptile is on your must-see list, Circle B Bar Reserve, once a working cattle farm, is the place. Comprised of nearly 1,300 acres, Circle B may be the top spot in the nation to observe alligators in the wild. While there are numerous trails, the most popular trail in the park is, without a doubt, Alligator Alley Trail.

Circle B is tucked away down a winding road seemingly in the middle of nowhere, scrub pine and palmettos transform into wide open spaces, a fairly flat topography and miles of lush fields broken up by the occasional bush or tree. This isn’t the sand-and-surf that most think of as Florida. This is "cracker country," where cattle and cowboys once roamed.

A dude ranch in Central Florida? Yes! Cattle farming in Florida is still big and visitors can get to experience all things cowboy at Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo. It is the largest dude ranch east of the Mississippi River. Located along the Kissimmee River, just south of Lake Kissimmee, this 1,700-acre resort features Luxe Teepees, Glamping, Saddle Club Rail Cars (think tiny-house), cabins, standard suites and RV camping.

The resort has recently expanded their accommodation offering with the addition of 10 Luxe Conestoga Wagons and 10 Luxury Glamping Tents. These, premium accommodations are the latest addition to the unique lodging experiences at this luxury glamping resort.

Every Saturday guests can totally immerse themselves in the ultimate dude ranch experience, including hayrides complete with a singing cowboy, a family-style cookout followed by the championship Rodeo and a night street party at the River Ranch Saloon. Who knew that Florida has the longest history of ranching of any state in the Unites States!

For theme park enthusiasts Central Florida is home to LEGOLAND® Florida Resort which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year.  Families can choose from three onsite hotels including the latest, Pirate Island Hotel, which opened in June 2020 but will be new for overseas visitors returning to the US.

Families will literally squeal with delight in 2022 as they jump into the playful world of Peppa Pig for an unforgettable day of adventure at the World’s First Peppa Pig™ Theme Park, only at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort.

 Designed to be the ultimate day for little ones, this all-new standalone theme park will feature multiple rides, interactive attractions, themed playscapes and water play areas—complete with "muddy puddles" of course—and fun live shows daily,. Families can meet Peppa and her friends.

A visit to Polk County, Florida’s Sweetest Spot, wouldn’t be complete without a visit to a citrus grove. Florida is one of the world’s leading citrus fruit providers and at Ridge Island Groves, a family run farm in Haines City, visitors can take a tour and find out all about the groves.  Here you can pick an orange, peach or blueberry and see where the citrus produced gets washed, waxed and sorted before it circles the globe. Now that is sweet!