Bok Tower Gardens sits atop Iron Mountain, which at 295 feet above sea level sounds underwhelming until you realise that this is one of the highest points on the entire Florida peninsula. The 205-foot Gothic and Art Deco carillon tower rises from a bed of azaleas and palms designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., and its 60 bells play a recital every day at 1pm. The effect — bells ringing out across a landscape of ferns and live oaks, while sandhill cranes pick their way across the lawns — is genuinely unexpected in central Florida.
The gardens cover 250 acres and are a proper botanical garden: well-maintained paths wind through plantings that show off native Florida species alongside exotics. The Pinewood Estate, a 1930s Mediterranean Revival house on the grounds, can be visited on certain days. Come on a weekday morning to avoid the weekend crowds, and give yourself at least two hours.