Welcome to Polk County

just picked up your hire car to drive to your Disney villa. Some 30 minutes later you’ve arrived and are settling into the comfy confines of your pool vacation home and discover you’re actually in Polk County.

No, it’s not a trick, but it is a peculiar quirk of the central Florida geography that takes many newcomers by surprise. Most visitors are aware they are arriving in Orange County (basically, the entire metro Orlando area), but there is also Osceola County (the Kissimmee area) just to the south. Just to the north is Seminole County, where most UK charter flights used to fly to. This whole tri-county section is generally what we know as “Orlando.”

But there is another, less well known but equally active component of the central Florida scene and it is, predictably, Central Florida. OK, that may sound double Dutch, but it is just another quirk of the geography. You see, while we refer to the vast area occupied by Orlando and Kissimmee as central Florida (with a lower-case ‘c’), and it is geographically correct as it occupies the middle of the state, Polk County has officially acquired the title of Central Florida (with a capital ‘C’) thanks to their canny tourism bureau, which saw an opportunity to snatch the initiative by actually licensing the designation.

So, Polk County…

The prime reason for this act of clever marketing is due to the northern part of the county being right next door to Kissimmee and Disney. And, when the villa boom hit this part of Florida in the 1990s, Polk County made sure it offered plenty of opportunity for the holiday home business, hence the relatively quiet backwaters of Davenport, Haines City and a whole new development at Championsgate suddenly became prime villa territory. In fact, the north-eastern corner of Polk is closer to Walt Disney World than some parts of Osceola County (our villas at Davenport Lakes are barely 10 miles from the House of Mouse).

It also brought into being the location of the Four Corners – where each of Orange, Osceola, Lake and Polk counties meet at the western end of Highway 192 – as another area to develop, which added extra vigour to the villa builders. Polk County picked up this particular ball and ran with it, creating a coherent message out of various strands of the holiday experience.

As well as Davenport and Haines City, it has also made real attractions of Winter Haven and, especially, Lakeland, and provides an unexpected and more laid-back edge to the typical Orlando holiday. Among other small-scale, offbeat gems are Lake Wales and Bok Tower Gardens, as well as the larger-scale delights of LEGOLAND Florida and the Peppa Pig Theme Park. So, if you thought your Four Corners/Davenport/Championsgate/Haines City villa was purely the gateway to Disney and Co, prepare to be just a little surprised at what’s actually on your doorstep.

Central Florida Attractions

The population of the Four Corners area was barely 26,000 in 2010, but now it is close to 80,000. The area’s arts and culture, gardens and parks, nature and man-made attractions have all positively mushroomed in that same timespan, and you should find plenty to do and see before you even think about Mickey and Co.

LEGOLAND is obviously the big dog in this panorama of pleasures, a major family-friendly theme park in its own right, with a brand new ride – the Galacticoaster – all set for a February 27 lift-off. It is supported by the stand-alone Peppa Pig park (ideal for pre-schoolers) and also boasts the historic Cypress Gardens, which date back to 1936. These are all part of the Winter Haven landscape, a cute town on a chain of lakes that offers scenic pontoon boat cruises, kayaking and an annual Citrus Festival.

Nearby, you’ll find the rolling hills of Lake Wales, another citrus-based town with lots of authentic charm, notably at its neat downtown area, which is recognised as a National Historic District, History Museum and murals, as well as the mystery of Spook Hill, where cars will seemingly roll UP-hill. The scenic wonders of Bok Tower Gardens are a true tranquil haven within this area, boasting the magnificent Singing Tower, a 205ft carillon tower in neo-Gothic style dating back to 1929, as well as more than 200 acres of landscaped gardens and bird sanctuary. Travel 30 miles to the south-east and you’ll find Westgate River Ranch Resort and its weekly Rodeo for a truly authentic Floridian experience.

Lakeland is arguably the crown jewel, though. The county’s largest city is packed with intrigue and interest, notably the home of the largest one-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world at Florida Southern College, the Circle B Bar Reserve, where you can usually see alligators in the wild, Detroit Tigers baseball Spring Training (from February 21 to April 1) and the Safari Wilderness ranch, with more than 260 acres of genuine safari style, featuring zebras, camels, water buffalo, ostriches, cheetahs, leopards and more. Bonnet Springs Park is another local treasure (voted best urban park in the country by USA Today in 2025), and then there is the massive Lakeland Antique Mall for an adventure in bric-a-brac shopping.

The food’s good, too!

Perhaps the most under-rated part of Polk County, though, is its fine array of restaurants and dining experiences. Away from the mass-market version that is a large part of Orlando’s restaurant scene, this is a genuine taste of Floridian fare, with the addition of some of Florida’s classic Latin influences.

Many villa regulars will already be aware of the hugely popular Manny’s Chophouse on Highway 27 in Haines City, which consistently serves up some of the best-value steaks in Florida, but they may not know that there is another Manny’s in Winter Haven, which is also home to Sauvage, a pub/bistro with a Pacific Islands twist, Ovation Bistro & Bar, dealing in great barbecue, and Nutwood, a foodie outpost created by Chef Steven Rojas. Grove Roots Brewing Co is another Winter Haven hotspot, while Front Page Brewing in Bartow is also a great option for a beer or two, as is Swan Brewing in downtown Lakeland.

Lakeland is also the foodie centre of Polk County, featuring the likes of the Bay Street Bistro (combining classic European and American cuisines), Chop Shop Bar & Grill (excellent wings and some of the best burgers you’ll taste), Fresco’s Southern Kitchen & Bar (delicious down-home cooking with fresh, local ingredients), Mojo Federal Swine & Spirits (succulent smoked meats, hand-made sides and sauces, 300-plus whiskeys and handcrafted cocktails) and Nineteen61 Latin Cuisine (integrating modern Latin American style with traditional Southern flavours). It all amounts to a memorable excursion into Florida’s multi-cultural culinary specialities, and there are new dining adventures opening all the time!

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