There’s a lot more to Florida than theme parks, beaches, and the Everglades…
It’s true that the Sunshine State is largely known for these three things—it is the home of Walt Disney World, after all. Visitors who choose to venture beyond “the Disney bubble” have a lot of options, particularly if you’re planning on incorporating a road trip into your vacation.
If you attempt to research road trip destinations in Florida, the same options often appear over and over again—other theme parks like Universal Studios or Busch Gardens, experiences similar to theme parks like Medieval Times, wildlife parks, or Kennedy Space Center, and bustling beach towns like Daytona, Cocoa, Melbourne, New Smyrna, and Clearwater take up much of the list.
What if you want to explore beyond the usual suspects though?
It would be difficult, to say the least, to put together an exhaustive list of unique road trip destinations within two hours of Walt Disney World. For the sake of brevity, we have left many of the above options off, both obvious choices and those we’ve covered at length elsewhere like these Orlando-area attractions Disney fans will love. Instead, we wanted to highlight some of Florida’s more curious road trip destinations that will delight and inspire theme park fans while offering wholly unique experiences that don’t always show up at the top of blogs and popular lists.
Ready for a road trip? Here are 7 fully unique destinations within two hours of Walt Disney World you won’t want to miss…
1. Springs, springs, springs!
You cannot talk about epic Florida road trip destinations without mentioning springs—indeed, we could easily spend an entire article on this topic alone.
Florida is home to over 700 freshwater springs—that’s more than any other location on the planet. Stepping into any of these feels a bit like discovering the Garden of Eden or the Fountain of Youth. Florida’s springs are all rich with otherworldly beauty and opportunities to swim, kayak, and explore. Even within two hours of Walt Disney World, you could easily map out an entire trip visiting nothing but Florida springs.
Two good examples to highlight are Rainbow Springs in Dunnellon and Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River. Rainbow Springs is a well-known destination for its crystal clear waters, as well as for opportunities for tubing and kayaking down the nearby Rainbow River. Like all Florida springs, the water remains around 72 degrees all year round. The spring’s sandy bottom gives it the distinct feel of a natural swimming pool, and you’re likely to see turtles and other wildlife in the area.
Around 20 minutes towards the coast lies Crystal River on King’s Bay. Guests can find a number of diversions in this small town ranging from fishing to airboat tours to scalloping in the gulf, but we mention Crystal River for one specific reason…
It is the only place in the Sunshine State where you can legally swim with manatees.
Three Sisters and Hunter Springs in Crystal River are two of the top spots for seeing manatees in the colder months. When the oceans cool, manatees migrate up the bay to congregate in the warmer springs. Three Sisters, in particular, is famously beautiful and only accessible either through a trolley and boardwalk (for viewing only) or via small watercraft. There are rules for how to swim with the manatees (a reputable boat company will have all of these in place), mostly surrounding not touching them or doing anything that would alter their natural behaviors and staying out of specifically marked refuges. You can get specific information from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
As for other springs throughout Central Florida, the sky is the limit. Blue Spring State Park is the most well-known near Orlando, the largest spring on the St. Johns river with a long boardwalk for visitors to explore. De Leon Springs is another nearby option, offering opportunities for snorkelers to explore underwater artifacts in a historic site. Juniper Springs, Alexander Springs, Silver Springs, and Salt Springs all offer unique experiences of Ocala National Forest, each with a different character and activities (such as Silver Springs’ glass bottom boats or Alexander Springs kayaking trails). Explore them all and let us know which you like best!
2. Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse
Enjoy history and aren’t afraid of heights? Have we got a destination for you…
We stumbled upon Ponce Inlet Lighthouse largely by accident—we were trying to see how far we could travel down one of coastal stretches of highway A1A before having to turn inland. Ponce Inlet marks the end of one of these stretches, south of Daytona Beach if you keep going south as it turns into S Atlantic Ave. At the southernmost tip of this narrow peninsula, you’ll find Lighthouse Point Park, a 52 acre pedestrian-only beach park with a strong wildlife presence ($10 admission).
The place we really wanted to highlight, however, comes just before that park: Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse & Museum.
I’ll be honest that we didn’t expect much from the lighthouse except for it to be cool to look at. It certainly is a site, towering 175 feet above the ground in splendor. What we didn’t realize were two important facts: first, this historic lighthouse is still fully operational (and has been for over 130 years!), and visitors can climb it!
Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse is one of the last remaining historical lighthouses still in operation, marking the entrance to the only inlet between St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral. You don’t have to climb the lighthouse to enjoy a visit here—the grounds contain a series of museum buildings chronicling the history of the lighthouse, as well as the technology used by historical lighthouses (the lantern and lens building was particularly interesting).
If you’re looking for a truly unique experience, however, climbing the lighthouse is the way to go. It is not an experience for the faint of heart or fitness–you’ll climb 213 steps on a narrow spiral staircase to reach the top with a few opportunities to stop and catch your breath.
The view is well-worth the effort—a spectacular 360 degree view of Florida’s Atlantic coast, particularly of the narrow islands and preserves north and south of New Smyrna Beach. We were absolutely blown away (fortunately, not literally) by being able to see Florida’s beauty from such a unique vantage. It is an experience I would recommend to anyone with a love for history and a taste for adventure.
3. Bok Tower Gardens
Speaking of stunning towering structures, we’d be remiss if we didn’t revisit a favorite Florida destination we’ve mentioned before: Bok Tower Gardens.
Located about an hour south of Walt Disney World, Bok Tower Gardens is an expansive botanical garden surrounding a 205 foot “Singing Tower”, named such for the massive carillon bell chamber housed inside. Throughout the day, visitors to the gardens will hear the bells ring out over the gardens with mesmerizing concerts of music.
The garden started out as the dream project of Pulitzer Prize winning author, Edward W. Bok, who wanted to design a bird sanctuary atop one of Florida’s highest hills. The resulting garden is considered one of the nation’s wonders–250 acres lush with natural and cultivated plant life like flowering camellias, sabal palms, jasmine, and countless others. Charming themes tied to Aesop’s Fables can be spotted throughout the park, and you’ll find plenty to do on your visit, from exploring nature trails to letting kids play in a fairytale children’s garden. Guests can also visit the nearby Pinewood Estate for a tour at an additional fee.
One important difference between Bok Tower Gardens and Ponce Lighthouse—you probably will not be able to get into the tower at Bok Tower Gardens. Admission inside is reserved for caretakers, the carillon bell players, and the park’s most generous donors. Still, you’ll find plenty to do, and we would go back to Bok Tower Gardens in a heartbeat.
4. Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
We almost included Weeki Wachee State Park on our list of Florida’s natural springs, but we felt it was worthy of a spot all its own as one of Florida’s most curious tourist destinations.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is different for several reasons. For one thing, swimming is not a primary activity here. While you can enjoy some fun in the water at the park’s Buccaneer Bay swim zone (which houses two large waterslides), the park is better known for two other experiences—mermaids and kayaking.
Weeki Wachee’s mermaids remain the park’s biggest draw, as well as the primary reason the area is famous as a Florida tourist spot. During normal seasons (the mermaid shows are currently on hiatus due to COVID-19 changes), guests visiting can watch the park’s resident underwater performers in a 400 seat underwater auditorium. The mermaids perform an intricate ballet underwater by breathing through underwater tubes, and hilarity can sometimes ensue when local wildlife like turtles decide to get involved. The attraction definitely falls on the cheesy / tourist trap side of the spectrum, but it is an enjoyable experience to try at least once, particularly if you have kids.
Beyond the mermaids, Weeki Wachee is also well known for its excellent kayaking. Access to the park’s narrow streams is limited, so check ahead of time for details on how to have the best chance to secure a spot. Manatees do frequent the river during cold months!
5. Tarpon Springs
If you’re one of the people who have been campaigning for Disney to add a Greece pavilion to Epcot, you need to plan a visit to Tarpon Springs.
Located just under two hours west of Walt Disney World, Tarpon Springs has some of the most unique character of any Florida town—particularly if you love all things Greek. Greek friends have described it as a favorite tourist destination for Greek families, ascribing an affection to the area similar to describing a pilgrimage site. From the food to the diversions, the town is wonderfully, stunningly Greek through and through.
Tarpon Springs is best known for their sponge docks, where boats and divers sustainably harvest sea sponges. You will never view sponges the same—they’ve got big sponges, small sponges, soft sponges, course sponges, tiny sponges, sponges as long as baseball bats… The locals will happily explain how the natural sponges are harvested in a way that improves the health of the plant and helps new sponges to grow. While sponge shopping, you’ll also have opportunity to load up on homemade goats milk soaps and lotions of every conceivable variety.
It goes without saying that the food in Tarpon Springs is spectacular—you can pretty much point a random direction and find incredible Mediterranean food. Our favorite place to visit is Hellas Restaurant and Bakery on the sponge docks, offering a wide variety of authentic Greek delights and more mouth-watering pastries than you could try in a lifetime. We have always enjoyed the saganaki (flaming cheese), Horiatiki Salad, and the whole fish of the day (usually red snapper when we’ve visited). Mama’s Greek Cuisine is also an excellent choice.
Tarpon Springs is also an excellent destination for a boat tour—particularly if you enjoy seeing dolphins and collecting giant seashells. Tarpon Springs boat companies each have their specific spots they like to bring guests for top notch shell collecting, and they will happily regale you with history of the area as you travel.
6. Flagler Beach & Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail
We mentioned Florida’s famous beach towns earlier—most of them follow a familiar pattern where you can expect to see big buildings on one side of the sand with water on the other. The state also has a famously large number of scenic byways, like the famous highway A1A, skirting the coast from Amelia Island near Jacksonville all the way down to Key West. Anyone who has travelled A1A will be familiar with the fact that the road doesn’t directly follow the Atlantic coast—buildings on the ocean side block much of the view, and the highway periodically veers away from the coast to skirt around dead ends like Ponce Inlet.
One particular stretch of A1A stands out as truly serene: Flagler Beach.
Located south of St. Augustine and north of Ormond Beach and Daytona, Flagler Beach offers one of the most charming stretches of seaside driving on the Atlantic coast. The thing that makes it unique is that A1A hugs the coast so closely in this area that there are almost no buildings blocking the sea. The result is a glimpse of Florida before high-rise condos and tourist traps—a peaceful shore perfect for a quiet drive or beachside bike tour. Flagler is also a good destination for watching Atlantic Right Whales from January to March.
A second scenic drive not far south from Flagler Beach is Ormond Scenic Loop & Trail. It doesn’t take long to drive the loop itself, but you’ll want to take your time exploring this beautiful, tree-arched stretch of historic Florida. Stops along the way include exploring the Dummet Plantation Ruins, Gamble Rogers State Park, The Casements (John D. Rockefeller’s winter home), and Bulow Plantation Ruins State Park.
7. The Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine
We’ve largely avoided Florida’s most famous beach towns on this list, but we want to make an exception for one that may hold a special appeal to theme park fans: St. Augustine.
Located right around two hours from Walt Disney World, St. Augustine is basically the oldest continuously inhabited European-settlement in the United States, founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers. It maintains a unique character among Florida destinations thanks to this rich history, and nowhere is that history more apparent than at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument.
The Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is the oldest masonry fort in the country. It feels like something straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean right down to the cannons and stone barracks. Touring is self-guided, and you can explore the fort at whatever pace you like, including venturing into the some impressively cramped passages. Both the indoor and outdoor exhibits are fascinating, and sometimes, the fort will even do demonstrations of historic weapons.
While in town, you’ll find plenty of other historic sites to visit like St. Augustine lighthouse, the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, and more.
Enjoy this article? Keep reading to learn…
- How to Survive a Walt Disney World Vacation When Your Family Can’t Agree on Anything
- Disney Just Fixed a Major Mistake In One of its Oldest Lands—and the Results are Delicious…
- 10 Things You NEED to Know Before Visiting Walt Disney World (Series)
