Relishing the Tribute Portfolio hospitality here at The Celeste Hotel, all the many attractions of the Orlando metro area are really at your fingertips. Along with some of the big-name destinations such as Walt Disney World, Winter Park, and (of course) the University of Central Florida where we’re situated, those attractions include some of the lovely, lesser-known Greater Orlando neighborhoods well worth checking out.
A case in point? Winter Springs, just a hop, skip, and jump to the northwest of The Celeste.
Winter Springs: A Jewel Beside Lake Jesup
Incorporated back in 1959 as “North Orlando,” Winter Springs ranks as the largest city by area in Seminole County. Quiet and beautifully landscaped, this certified Tree City USA is regularly ranked among the most livable communities in the country.
Its charms include the shops and eateries of the Winter Springs Town Center, which evokes a bit of the Old Florida look and feel, and Central Winds Park on the southwestern shores of Lake Jesup, which includes playing fields, a basketball court, walking paths, and fishing piers.
Speaking of the sprawling Lake Jesup, it tempts nature lovers and outdoor recreationists with several less-developed protected greenspaces along its margin. In the Spring Hammock Preserve, for example, you can stroll a boardwalk through a lakeside cypress swamp, while the multi-unit Lake Jesup Conservation Area includes other fine examples of natural communities—not to mention outstanding birdwatching, including at the migratory shorebird spring stopover hotspot of the Marl Bed Flats. Keep your eyes peeled as well for American alligators.
Winter Springs also hosts a number of well-known annual soirees, including the Winter Springs Festival of the Arts, the Central Florida Scottish Highland Games, the Winter Springs Hometown Festival, and the Winter Wonderland Celebration.
Visit Winter Springs on a Celeste Getaway
You can easily take in the pleasures of Winter Springs on a daytrip—heck, just a leisurely afternoon—out of The Celeste, your source for boutique luxury accommodations on the UCF campus in East Orlando.
