Arriving at the Forever Florida environmental preservation area is like stepping into one of those movies that takes place in the interior of the United States. The yellowish vegetation, the crocodile swamps and the people walking up and down in cowboy hats and boots transport you far from Orlando’s conventional attractions. Forever Florida operates as a ranch that offers adventure activities and contact with nature for people of all ages close to Disney and Universal parks.
We arrived at the ranch in the morning, right after the balloon flight. After a short ride down a dirt road in one of those open safari buses, we arrived at the Forever Florida activity camp. We were there to test the ziplines. This is the largest zip line circuit in Florida, with seven variations of the activity, from the most common to one called Roller Coaster and, based on the name, you can already expect a lot of butterflies when you go down it. The activity costs US$79 per person for two hours and is considered the safest in the region.
Within this circuit, there is a different type of zipline. It’s a bicycle tied to a steel cable that takes you through the treetops. The goal here is not adrenaline, but observation of local nature. The trail is long and tiring, but it is interesting to see the ranch from a different perspective. On Saturdays, the circuit is open at night to observe the stars and nocturnal animals.
The place also has several types of group rides. You can spend an afternoon as a shepherd and learn how to handle the animals, take a historic trail around the property or take part in an overnight adventure in a remote camp: sleep in tents and end the tour with a three-hour ride to a local restaurant .
And anyone with children can sign them up for the ranch’s summer camps. The place provides afternoon movie holidays for children and teenagers for a week, including the activities mentioned and more, such as football, target shooting, tug of war and other adventures to tire the kids out.
Service: Forever Florida is open every day from 9am to 5pm. It is recommended to book activities on the official website. Some activities take place on specific dates and you need to check availability for your trip.
Attention: It is not a good idea to travel to the United States without international health insurance, as hospital costs there are very high. Read here how to find cost-effective insurance.
The trip to Florida was an invitation from Visit Kissemmee
