POLK COUNTY, FL — With over 500 freshwater lakes and a lengthy list of attractions, travellers craving more to explore in the Sunshine State should focus on Central Florida.

Last year was a record-breaker for Canadians heading south. With 3.2 million visiting Florida, Canada is the number one foreign market for the state. With Polk County’s nearby attractions all within an hour’s drive of Orlando, there’s many more reasons for clients to expand their itineraries to consider the lures of Central Florida’s Auburndale, Winter Haven and Lakeland, an area historically-known for citrus groves, waterskiing and cowboy culture.

This fall’s hurricane season put Central Florida in the daily news, and as Travelweek toured Central Florida in recent weeks, recovery is well underway, with tourist sites and attractions quickly repairing and putting the effects of Hurricane Helene and Milton in the past.

AUBURNDALE: FROM LUXE CAMPING TO LEGO

Camp Margaritaville RV Resort and Cabana Cabins has myriad options for couples, families and multi-generational groups. This “it’s always five o’clock somewhere” camp features six dining options and a tiki bar, camp store, fire pits, dog parks, swimming pools and bike rental, perfect to explore the site or nearby TECO/Van Fleet trail.

Featuring 326 spacious pull-through RV sites, there are also 75 Cabana Cabins, each one bedroom which can sleep up to six, and all with central AC, living room, full kitchen and outdoor dining area with grill. This resort was voted the number two luxury RV resort in USA Today’s ‘10Best Readers’ Choice Awards’.

LEGOLAND Florida Resort is endless family fun, with over 50 rides and shows at the theme park, 14 water slides at the water park and three themed hotels, plus 20 rides and experiences at Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida, just steps away. Billed as a child’s first theme park, programming at the Peppa Pig park is focused on the preschool set (of interest, Peppa Pig Theme Park Dallas / Fort Worth is scheduled to open March 1, 2025).

Accommodation options at LEGOLAND Florida Resort include LEGOLAND Hotel featuring six room theme options: LEGO NINJAGO, THE LEGO MOVIE, LEGO Friends, adventure, pirate and kingdom, with in-room amenities like a separate kids’ area, treasure hunt and LEGO sculptures plus free daily breakfast, outdoor resort pool and nightly entertainment.

The newest park attraction is LEGO Ferrari Build & Race, where kids can build, test and race their own Ferrari creations.

On a different note, in 2025 Central Florida will welcome Sea Life Florida, an aquarium attraction featuring Florida-only marine flora and fauna, working in partnership with the Sea Life Trust, a charity dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans.

RIVER RANCH: FLORIDA’S RANCHING COUNTRY 

At the heart of Central Florida is the award-winning Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo, with 1,700 acres of ranchlands, wetlands, activities, tasty cuisine, distinctive accommodation and conference facilities.

Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo

Host of the longest running Saturday night rodeo in America, Westgate Ranch provides airboat rides on the Kissimmee River, family fun at the Cowboy Adventure Park and over a dozen activities such as fishing, pony rides, archery, swamp buggy rides and an escape room.

Airboat tour in Central Florida

Friendly service and locally-raised meat is the centerpiece of the menu for the ranch at laid-back Smokehouse on the River and ranch chic Cattle Company Chophouse & Bar (there’s also a saloon for the adults). There are diverse accommodation options: lodge, cottage, cabin, camping, RV sites, glamping, Conestoga Wagon and teepees. Different packages can include golf cart, breakfast, fire pit and VIP rodeo seats. A water park will debut in 2025, adjacent to the ranch lodge.

LAKELAND: HISTORIC GARDENS & NOTABLE ARCHITECTURE  

Central Florida’s rich history is revealed in the serene surroundings of Bok Tower Gardens. Created by Edward Bok, an award-winning writer and editor, this gift to the community opened in 1929, with a convenient location less than an hour from Lakeland.

Bok Tower Gardens

Children’s and kitchen gardens with interactive options (and plenty of shade) have been added in recent years, and visitors can get in their daily steps by strolling through gardens planted by Edward Olmsted Jr., a well-known landscape designer of the early 20th century. The Singing Tower, an Art Deco edifice containing a carillon, an instrument of bells, is the garden’s highlight.

Another worthy walk is exploring Florida Southern College, with The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art (formerly Polk Museum of Art), a contemporary art gallery. The venue will add 14,000 square feet resulting in six new galleries and educational art spaces in 2025.

Daily tours are offered from the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center to visit some of the 13 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed campus buildings at FSC. Named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service, this is the single largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world, like the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, Danforth Chapel and Usonian Faculty House.

For more information about planning a Central Florida vacation for clients see VisitCentralFlorida.org.