The Ultimate South Central Florida Road Trip Itinerary

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Florida, the Sunshine State, is home to world-class theme parks, beautiful nature parks, crystal clear natural springs, tacky (in the best way) roadside attractions, white sand beaches, and alligators.

You don’t have to explore the entire state to see the highlights, in fact, many of the top attractions lie in the South Central region of Florida, and what better way to get around them all than by road trip?

Whether you’re looking for top-notch museums, thrilling theme parks, laid-back towns, or the clear waters of the ocean, this South Central Florida road trip itinerary will tick off all the best attractions in Florida.

Where is South Central Florida?

The boundaries of South Central Florida are not officially defined, but we consider it to consist of the following regions:

1. Martin County on the Treasure Coast region on the Atlantic Coast. It’s halfway between Miami and Orlando and about 45-minutes north of West Palm Beach.
2. The Space Coast, which features 72 miles of Atlantic ocean paradise and is only an hour from Orlando. It consists of Cocoa Beach, Melbourne Beach, Palm Bay, Port Canaveral, Titusville, and Viera.
3. Sebring County in Central Florida and includes the surrounding lake communities (of which there are many lakes!). It’s between Martin County and Englewood.
4. Manasota Key in the Punta Gorda region of the Florida Gulf Coast. It’s located just south of Sarasota and north of Fort Meyers.

It could include Orlando, which officially sits in Central Florida, but since it’s such a convenient city to fly into, we will begin our road trip itinerary from here.

You could also start from Tampa, another well-connected city.

Map of South Central Florida

The following map outlines the region of South Central Florida and the attractions listed in this itinerary.

The Ultimate South Central Florida Road Trip

On this road trip, you’ll discover enchanting ancient hammocks where Florida panthers still roam, thrilling air boat rides through spectacular scenery (and alongside alligators), barrier islands you feel are yours alone to enjoy, the serenity of tucked away rivers, and plenty of fresh and delicious farm to table dining (land and water).

If that’s not a…