Holiday rentals in Davenport

The small central Florida town of Davenport provides an excellent base for visiting some of the United States’ most-visited theme parks, in Orlando and Tampa, without sacrificing opportunities to detach from the world and relax. Golfers flock to Davenport for its numerous and varied courses — nearly a dozen surround the town centre alone. Year-round warm weather and local access to the 72-hectare Lake Davenport also attract bass fishers to the calm lake waters. Davenport’s five small parks provide ample space for more low-key outdoor activities, offering plenty of gazebos and outdoor picnic tables for lakefront grilling. You can also find walking paths like the 1.5-kilometre loop at the Northeast Regional Park, which circles six sports fields for free-range outdoor exercise and three additional courts for basketball, racquetball, and tennis.

The grassy flatlands and protected wildlife grounds surrounding Davenport offer walking and bike-friendly trails that lead to lush cypress swamps. Bird-watching opportunities in the swamplands range from colourful varieties of herons and egrets to ospreys. You can also take guided kayak tours around the cypress-ringed waters of nearby Lake Louisa. As you paddle through the green lily pads, you may spot some of the water’s inhabitants, including frogs, tortoises, and alligators.

Davenport is usually warm and humid year round. Summers are hot and rainy, and Davenport hosts the largest Fourth of July fireworks show in Polk County this time of year. During the autumn, the weather stays warm during the day but descends into more comfortable temperature ranges as the sun goes down. Throughout October and November, many of the Orlando amusement parks host horror- or holiday-themed events to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving this time of year.

Central Florida is a popular wintertime retreat because of its cool, pleasant winters. Davenport’s holiday events, like the annual Winterfest and Christmas Parade, roar into full swing in December, illuminating the town with holiday lights at night. Sunny, warm springtime presents ideal weather for outdoor exploring. If you’re visiting the area in March, you may want to gorge on berries at the annual strawberry festival in nearby Plant City, whose agricultural exhibits, food stands, and carnival rides run for more than a week.

Ridge Scenic Highway

From Davenport, you can head south on State Road 17 to embark on the 63-kilometre Ridge Scenic Highway through central Florida, passing small towns, citrus groves, and freshwater lakes along the way. (In February and March, roll your windows down to bask in the scent of orange and lemon blossoms.) Stop at Lake Wales to visit the town’s history museum, housed in a historic railroad station from the early 1900s. Its exhibits cover Polk County’s citrus and railroad industries from the 19th century to the new millennium.

Hilochee Wildlife Management Area

You can search for wildlife on foot following the Hidden Lake Loop trail at the 6000-hectare Hilochee Wildlife Management Area. Towering pine trees surround a path that leads you past small lakes and protected swamplands. You may spot or hear the park’s many avian inhabitants, including green and little blue herons, wild turkey, and majestic bald eagles.

Lake Marion Creek Wildlife Management Area

Lake Marion Creek’s hardwood swamps cover 3,200 hectares of land east of Davenport. Follow the park signs for Huckleberry Island to bike or walk along a 7-kilometre path that circles overgrown cypress swamps. If you embark in the late afternoon, your trek will end with a view of a colourful Florida sunset lowering behind the tall, skinny cypress trees.