North Central Florida vacations

Tallahassee - Lake City - Gainesville - Cedar Key

North Central Florida

Vacationers in this region enjoy lush, rolling plantation hills, the scent of fragrant magnolias trees and the spectacular canopy roads in the countryside around Tallahassee. 

Several sites have a history relating to the Civil War and are popular stops on the tourist trails. Walking tours through the historical districts are available in many centers.

Tallahassee, seat of state government since 1824, has many preserved historic 19th-century buildings and homes, including the majestic Old State Capitol Building.

The region is renowned for its network of freshwater springs where crystal clear waters emerge through underground sulphur deposits.

The springs and underwater caves are mostly located on the upper reaches of the lovely Suwannee River and are a magnet for divers who are attracted to the vast underground caves that dot the area. 

The resulting rivers and lakes create a natural beauty that is a mecca for outdoor activities and there are many miles of cycling tracks, hiking and horse riding trails, bush walks and lots of very appealing camp sites on the river banks and lake frontages. Lake City is surrounded by many of the lakes in the northern areas of the state. This is a transport hub city where road a rail routes converge before fanning out across Florida.

North Central Florida's coastline along the Gulf Of Mexico is mostly shallow saltwater estuaries, a major factor in why the fishing is so good. The coastline has several small towns much favored by those wanting a quiet peaceful vacation and some great seafood.

The small, beautiful Steinhatchee River empties into the Gulf of Mexico and provides a popular location for canoeing, boating, fishing and scalloping in season.  The tiny village of Suwannee provides access to the famous river of the same name as well as the Gulf, making this a favored spot with anglers.

The small, quiet and rustic Cedar Key is the best-known coastal destination, nestled among many tiny keys on the Gulf Of Mexico and admired for its natural beauty and abundant supply of seafood. 

This tranquil village contains some almost forgotten history of old Florida. One of Florida's first railroads connected the town to the east coast and it became a major supplier of seafood and timber products to the northeast.

Inland from the coast, the area is dotted with state parks, historic areas and pristine waterways still carrying the names given them by the Native Americans who lived in this area.

Gainesville was originally a railroad town on the Florida Railroad Company's line that ran from Cedar Key to Fernandina Beach at the states northern border. The city is now a university town, home of the University of Florida, the largest university in the state and the second-largest university in the USA.

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