Let me start by saying that there are so many amazing places to check-out in Orlando. This list is by no means exhaustive, and I honestly had such a hard time narrowing the list down to five places. I would love to hear from you and know which are your favorite places in Orlando. As well, I know I have not made it out to every place in Orlando so I cannot guarantee these are truly the top five yet. However, I feel pretty confident you will have an amazing time exploring any of these places!
Top 5 Areas to Check-Out in the Orlando Area
Please note also, that this list is only places that are probably about a 30 minutes’ drive at most from Orlando (depending on your starting destination). Don’t even get me started on all the amazing places that are a day trip away from Orlando!
- Winter Park
- Mills 50
- Winter Garden
- Lake Eola
- Celebration
Winter Park
I think Winter Park is such a cute area! We always have such a wonderful time exploring all the shops and dining at some amazing restaurants. There is a wonderful park right on the main street, S Park Avenue, that is always bustling with activity and provides a relaxing place to enjoy the outdoors. As well, every Saturday from 8am-1pm there is a Farmers Market in the park that provides lots of great options too! One of my absolute favorite places in Winter Park is The Wine Room. You can get small bites and sample lots of wines. You get a card and then can get a small pour of so many wines! It is a wonderful way to try a bunch of different wines.
Mills 50
Located on N Mills Ave and E Colonial Dr, right near Downtown Orlando, Mills 50 is such a fun place to walk around! There are murals almost everywhere you look and there are so many amazing local restaurants and stores lining the avenue. My boyfriend and I actually did a scavenger hunt by Let’s Roam (honestly, wouldn’t really recommend the app but we did have fun!) and explored lots of the murals in this area. We stopped by Chi-Kin for some lunch, got a snack at the Black Bean Deli and stopped by numerous stores on our journey down the streets. I can also highly recommend Lazy Moon Pizza and Royal Tea which are located right near Mills 50. You can have a wonderful afternoon walking by all the murals and stopping in whichever places peak your fancy for a snack or shopping!
Winter Garden
I am such a huge Winter Garden fan! There are always lots of activities going on and there are so many delicious restaurants and local stores that line the main streets of Winter Garden. The main road is Plant Street and there is a large parking garage (with free parking!) directly across from Rita’s Italian Ice on S Boyd St. Winter Garden hosts an amazing Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from 8am-1pm. However, even if it isn’t Saturday morning there is so much to explore in Winter Garden. One of my favorite places is Plant Street Market which houses a brewery and numerous stands that sell food, drinks, etc. I really enjoyed Mac’d Out and AntiquiTeas. Mac’d Out offered delicious and huge portions of Mac & Cheese. AntiquiTeas boasts so many tea options and you can get your tea brewed exactly to your liking!
However, Plant Street Market is not the only place to check out in Winter Garden and I am sure you can spend a lovely evening browsing all the options and meandering through the beautifully landscaped median of Plant Street.
Lake Eola – Downtown Orlando
Lake Eola is located in Downtown Orlando and I think this is truly a must-see if you are visiting Orlando. You get wonderful views of the city and a gorgeous lake to walk around. The lake boasts so much wildlife including lots of swans and turtles. There are feeding stations where you can purchase food for the swans and ducks. You can also rent a paddle boat or just enjoy the beauty of the area. There are usually various performers located around the lake and there is also likely to be a festival of some kind going on. The last time we were there someone was writing poetry and someone was also performing on the piano. The Orlando Farmer’s Market is also held here on Sundays from 10am-3pm.
Celebration
The community of Celebration is especially fantastic during the holidays, but I also love visiting it at any time of the year. Celebration Lakeside Park is a wonderful park to visit. There is an abundant number of trails, and you get a really great view of the city itself from the park. The surrounding neighborhoods are so much fun to walk through and during the holidays, many of the homes are decked out in decorations. Check out my article about Christmas Festivities in Orlando for more about Celebration during the holidays. In Celebration Town Center there are lots of restaurant and shopping options. We have really enjoyed Avocado Mexican Grill and I have heard wonderful things about Celebration Town Tavern.
There is so much to Orlando beyond the theme parks, and these are just of the few amazing places in the area. There is never a dull moment exploring in Orlando and I highly recommend taking an afternoon to step outside of the touristy areas of Orlando! As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, I would love to hear from you! Happy Travels! ~Colette