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Central Florida is a favorite destination for visitors due to theme parks, NASCAR races, natural springs, golf courses, and the NASA facilities that put a man on the moon.

Regions

Map
Map of Central Florida

 East Central Florida (Brevard County, Lake County, Greater Orlando, Volusia County)
Ranges from the theme parks in the center of the state to the Atlantic coast.
 West Central Florida (Citrus County, Hernando County, Hillsborough County, Manatee County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, Polk County, Sumter County)
Stretches from the Gulf Coast inland. May also be referred to as the Suncoast or the Tampa Bay area.

The I-4 corridor overlaps the other two regions and links the major population centers of Central Florida, stretching from Daytona Beach on the Atlantic coast, southwest through DeLand, Seminole County, Orlando, Lakeland, and into Tampa.

Cities

  • 1 Cape Canaveral - Home of the Kennedy Space Center and Port Canaveral
  • 2 Clearwater - Offers miles of beautiful beaches
  • 3 Cocoa Beach - Beach community near Kennedy Space Center
  • 4 Daytona Beach - Home of Daytona International Speedway
  • 5 Kissimmee - Spring Training home of the Houston Astros
  • 6 Orlando - Home of Universal Studios and SeaWorld
  • 7 Ormond Beach - Offers miles of beautiful beaches and home to Tomoka State Park
  • 8 Saint Petersburg - Home to Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays
  • 9 Tampa - Home of Busch Gardens Theme Park

Other destinations

Central Florida is home to many natural springs. Many have been incorporated into state parks. The springs are great during the summer months because the water stays at a constant 72 °F (22 °C) and the water is perfect for cooling off. Many visitors also go to the springs to spot manatees and alligators and to go boating. Some of the more popular natural springs destinations are listed:

  • 6 Alexander Springs - Lake County
  • 7 Blue Spring State Park - Volusia County
  • 8 DeLeon Springs - Volusia County
  • 9 Rock Springs - Orange County
  • 10 Weeki Wachee Springs - Hernando County
  • 11 Wekiva Springs - Orange County

Understand

Climate

Central Florida
Climate chart (explanation)
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation+Snow totals in inches
See Tampa's 7 day forecast
Metric conversion
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation+Snow totals in mm

Winter temperatures decrease sharply going north as one leaves the semitropical central/southern Florida and enters the temperate regions of North Florida.

Talk

English is the official language of the state. However, the Spanish language is making inroads throughout the state. Native-born Floridians will usually speak in a southern accent. However, after the migration of millions of Americans from other states to Florida, the southern dialect is becoming diluted with other accents.

Get in

By plane

Full sized hotel, with all amenities and services, within Orlando International Airport itself.

Be aware that there are more airports throughout Central Florida which may get you closer to your destination; watch for these smaller airports while researching your destination.

By boat

Coastal cities have excellent year-round marina facilities, often serving large, luxury yachts. Port Canaveral on the Atlantic Coast and Tampa Bay on the Gulf Coast serve as cruise ports.

By train

  • AMTRAK Silver Star & Silver Meteor (Trains 91-92) and (Trains 97-98) respectively - serve Central Florida, both of which begin in New York and end in Miami. The two routes stop at the following stations in Central Florida: DeLand, Winter Park, Orlando, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Tampa, and Winter Haven.
  • Amtrak Auto Train offers service with its southern terminus in Sanford, about halfway between Daytona Beach and Orlando. The Amtrak Auto Train carries passengers and automobiles between Sanford and Lorton, Virginia, effectively serving as a car-rail link to Florida from the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. You can easily drive your car to your destination in Central Florida after departing from the Auto Train.

By bus

Central Florida is served by Greyhound Bus Lines, which has scheduled stops in Orlando and other cities. The Greyhound routes connect with other major cities in the United States of America.

By car

  • I-95 runs north-south along the Atlantic coast throughout the entire Central Florida region. It connects with Jacksonville to the north and Miami to the south.
  • I-75 runs north-south through the middle-west of Central Florida, and connects to Ocala to the north, and Fort Myers in Southwest Florida.

Get around

By car

By train

  • Commuter Rail - The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), in cooperation with local government officials in Orange, Seminole, Volusia and Osceola counties and the federal government, are working on a 61 mi (98 km) commuter rail project, using existing Amtrak and CSX freight rail lines. The commuter rail line will roughly parallel Interstate 4, and is projected to start service in 2010.

By bus

  • LYNX - Public transportation by Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. With the main hub centered on Orlando, bus service provided in Osceola, Orange, and Seminole Counties. Some buses link to neighboring counties. Service to Disney World is available.
  • SCAT - Public Transportation by Space Coast Area Transit, offers bus service around Brevard County.
  • VOTRAN - Volusia County Transportation service. Offers buses, shuttles, special services for the disabled and elderly. Connection offered with LYNX to reach Orlando.
  • I-Ride Trolley - Public transportation by .. If you're looking to ride up and down International drive this is one of the best offers! The busses offer many stops up and down International drive, especially if you plan on visiting Sea World! For about $2.00 for adults, $1.00 for kids and only $0.25 for seniors its extremely affordable, especially if you don't plan on renting a car. However, keep in mind, that the trollies only run until 10:30PM, so if you're a late bird be sure to plan!

See

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse in Ponce Inlet

Do

  • Visit Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista
  • Get splashed by Shamu at SeaWorld in Orlando
  • Ride the tallest roller coasters in Florida at Busch Gardens in Tampa
  • Ride your favorite movies at Universal Studios in Orlando
  • Explore Legoland Florida in Winter Haven.
  • Go to the beach! Soak up rays or try surfing in Daytona Beach, Cocoa Beach, Clearwater, or Melbourne Beach
  • Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure in Orlando. If you are in the area this is a must see. This attraction is like no other! Keep in mind that it is a narrow part of the part, so they limit crowding during peak months and strollers, wheelchairs or walkers may be difficult to navigate. None of the rides in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter allows bags or carry-ons however; each ride provides free lockers outside of the attractions for the duration of your ride. If you don't mind not sitting with your party or going on a ride alone, use the single rider line, the wait is always shorter. Don't forget to try a Butterbeer, it's the only section of the both parks that offers the refreshing frozen or non-frozen treat.

Eat

With two coastlines, seafood is extremely popular in Central Florida. Some favorite dishes in the area include:

  • Conch (pronounced "conk") - These chewy clams are served tenderized with lime juice, raw, and chopped in salad. Also chopped, breaded, and fried as conch fritters and in conch chowder (usually red and spicy).
  • Mahi Mahi - A firm, white fleshed fish; delicious when served grilled, blackened or Cajun-style.
  • Grouper - One of the mildest fishes available; served fried, blackened, broiled, or grilled as an entree. Fried grouper sandwiches are also popular.
  • Yellowfin Tuna - A firm, flavorful semi-dark meat fish often served grilled, broiled, or blackened.
  • Florida Lobster - Known as a spiny lobster, the Florida lobster has no claws like Maine lobster. Florida lobster tails are broiled and served with melted butter.

Drink

All the counties throughout Central Florida are "wet" counties. Alcoholic beverages are sold in both taverns and liquor stores. The Florida State Alcoholic Beverage Control (Police) frequently conduct raids for underage drinking in tourist areas, particularly during Spring Break. There are places in the area for clubbing mainly in Orlando and the beach tourist areas. There are also many biker bars around the area because of periodic motorcycle rallies.

Tropical drinks

Some tropical drinks that are popular in Central Florida, include:

  • Planters Punch - 1 oz. lemon juice, 1/2 oz. lime juice, 1 oz. passion fruit juice, 1 oz. pineapple juice, 1 1/2 oz. rum. Combine ingredients over shaved ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
  • Rum Runner - 1 1/2 oz. rum, 3/4 oz. blackberry brandy, 3/4 oz. creme de banana, splash of grenadine, splash of lime juice.
  • Bahama Mama - 1 oz. orange juice, 1 oz. pineapple juice, 1/2 oz. grenadine, 1/2 oz. rum, 1/2 oz. coconut flavored rum, 1 cup crushed ice. Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a cherry.
  • Piña Colada - 1 shot rum, 2 oz. coconut milk, 3 oz. pineapple juice, 1 cup ice. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Cuba Libre - 2 oz. rum, Coca Cola, lime wedge.

Stay safe

Go next

This region travel guide to Central Florida is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.


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