The Lake Mary center point is around the area of The Lake Mary Events Center and 3 miles southwest of Sanford Amtrak Station.
As in most of Central Florida, Lake Mary experiences hot, wet summers, and dry, warm winters, without a huge temperature variation in between the seasons. More tourists visit Lake Mary in the wintertime, as visitors from around the U.S. flock to the sunny town to escape cold winters elsewhere. This translates to somewhat higher hotel prices in the winter months, especially from November to March.
There are fewer tourists, and generally lower hotel prices in the summer, but also a fair amount of heat and humidity in the Lake Mary area. However, if the temperatures don't bother you, you want to save money on your stay, and you'd rather be surrounded by more locals than tourists, a summer visit (May to September) to Lake Mary may be the better fit for you.
The other option is going during one of the shoulder seasons, either from mid-March to mid-May, or mid-September to mid-November. In these time frames, temperatures will be below their summer highs, but tourism will still be relatively slow, so hotels will be more budget-friendly.
If you have access to either AAA, AARP, or government and military discounts and are visiting Lake Mary, you may want to check out the Comfort Inn & Suites Sanford. This mid-range hotel offers comfortable, roomy accommodations with great discounts for senior citizens, AAA members, and military. Just 1.5-miles from the Central Florida Zoo and four miles from the Monroe Harbor Marina, visitors at Comfort Inn & Suites will find themselves near most of the things to do and see in Lake Mary. Guests get perks within the hotel as well, including a free continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi, an outdoor swimming pool, and laundry and ironing facilities for those planning longer stays.
The La Quinta Inn & Suites Lake Mary by Wyndham also offers plenty of discounts to seniors, government workers, members of the military, and AAA members. The spacious, airy, comfortable rooms offer free high-speed internet, flat-screen TVs with cable, and a soft pillowtop mattress for the best rest you can get. Guests also get to use the hotel's outdoor pool, concierge service, Jacuzzi, as well as the health and fitness center. Start your day with the hotel's complimentary hot breakfast, or get up early to spend the day at Disney World, downtown Orlando, or Daytona Beach, all within easy driving distance from the La Quinta Inn & Suites Lake Mary by Wyndham.
If you're on a budget but still want to enjoy some upscale perks and amenities, Lake Mary has plenty of hotel options that offer a great value for your money. One of the best is Candlewood Suites, less than 3 miles away from the Lake Mary Events Center. For an affordable price you get a suite with a full kitchen, a work station, a living room with a recliner, and a wonderfully comfortable bed. Since the hotel has a food store on-site, preparing your own meals in the suite's kitchen is relatively easy. In addition, the hotel offers free high-speed internet, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, and gas grills. Though Candlewood Suites offers a quiet, relaxing location away from the hubbub of downtown Orlando, guests are only a few minutes away from shopping and dining options in the nearby town center.
Homewood Suites Lake Mary is another great value all-suite hotel option for visitors to the central Florida town. The pet-friendly hotel offers guests a free shuttle service within a 5-mile radius so you can get around Lake Mary with ease. You will also enjoy a free breakfast, outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, and laundry facilities. Within the room itself, guests get access to premium channels like HBO and Showtime, free Wi-Fi, and a kitchenette to cook and prepare their own meals if they want. Those traveling in groups also have access to discounted group rates to get an even better value for their money at Homewood Suites Lake Mary.
Whether you love nature, outdoor activities, shopping, or amusement parks, Lake Mary has something for almost everyone. Visitors to Lake Mary, Florida, usually make it a point to visit the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens. In addition to species native to Florida, you will get to tour a snake house, see exotic animals like rhinos and giraffes, and even get a close up view of a bear. For a glimpse of Florida nature in the wild, take a Blue Heron river tour, which will show you the plant and bird life of central Florida while making your way down this serene waterway.
Active visitors will want to rent a kayak or paddleboard and make their way around scenic Wekiva Island on one of the many sunny Florida days. Bring a picnic with you to enjoy on the island, or make your way to the local bar. If you're in the mood for a more relaxing day, rent one of the available cabanas and spend a day lounging with friends in the sun.
Other local options include spending time by the local marina, or taking a river cruise to see beautiful views while enjoying delicious meals on a small cruise ship.
For visitors who are in the mood for a longer day trip, make your way to the world-famous Disney World Amusement Park, or check out Daytona Beach and the Daytona Speedway, where the notorious Daytona 500 is held every year. Both these incredible destinations are a 30- to 45-minute drive away from Lake Mary.
Below are reviews of the city of Lake Mary, FL from an actual visitor's perspective.
This whole area of Central Florida is great!
Restaurant was okay!
Clean hotel and polite staff.
It's a small and beautiful town and was clean.
Nice area!
Everything is close by hotel.
Everything is close by hotel.
Staff Friendly, room clean, room comfortable. Good wedding venue
I lived in the area for 43 years, I know the area well. Lots of great restaurants and shopping, not a real long drive to the theme parks. It's overall a low crime, high income area directly around the hotel.
Good
The number of restaurants near by was nice.
A lot of places to go and see especially on the boulevard. Still quaint in the back neighborhoods . Lots of shortcuts to get around. Close to the highway I-4.
City was nice and welcoming.
Different stores and places to eat. Safe area.
Nice and quaint.
Lake Mary is wonderful! We had many delicious restaurants right near the hotel that we took advantage of. There was also a Publix and CVS right near us that we visited.
Love it. It was close to everywhere we need to get to.
Lovely hotel.
Well kept and clean. Grocery stores, shopping, restaurants, fast food and events are all close.
Picturesque!
Nice restaurants and shops.
The whole area was very attractive and easy to get around and very good restaurants.
Lake Mary is beautiful! It is close to Deltona, Oviedo, Orlando, has many shopping malls available and architecture is amazing.
Very nice area.
Good location with restaurants and mall close. Right off of 1-4 with easy access.
Good location with restaurants and mall close. Right off of 1-4 with easy access.
Clean and quiet!
The city of Lake Mary seems to be a high end people, I like the way everyone represents themselves by fashion themselves with attractive clothing.
I love everything about lake mary
Beautiful city
A lot of places to shop and eat. It was a nice family atmosphere.
Nice area. Clean and well laid out. Lots of places to eat.
A clean city and easy to travel around.