You step out from the stale interior of your rented car to stroll into the cool beneath the tall palms and cypress trees tinseled with Spanish moss that encircle the spring.

Advancing, you see you are on the lip of a huge bowl, an amphitheater, with grass slopes leading down to the irregularly shaped spring, the stage. This body of water is about 50 meters by 50 meters and is fed by the spring here in the Wekiwa (pronounced We-kia-va) State Park.

Almost 25 minutes north of Orlando (in light traffic) and off the interstate that runs through the city and away from its bustling tourist traps, travelers can discover for themselves this tranquil spring. The actual spring can be seen when you reach the bottom of the bowl to the concrete deck that partially surrounds the water. Beneath the clear water is a split in the bottom lengthwise about 10 feet out. The crack is about four feet wide and maybe 15 feet from end to end, darkish pea green against the mottled brown rock that forms the bottom. The water’s surface above bulges unevenly, welling.

It’s a great place to swim. The water is a bit chilly, even in the summer, but due to Florida’s climate you can still find swimmers splashing about and snorkeling above the spring’s crevice as late as December.

The park also has a nature trail, a raised wooden platform winding through the woods, where you can observe the many exotic flora, such as ferns, palmettos, sabel palms and bamboo as well as some of the animals indigenous to central Florida, from raccoons to the occasional bear. Periodically, informative signs are posted (in Braille as well as English), each containing interesting facts about the environment.

The trail ends at a bridge that spans the water where the spring ends and the Wekiwa River begins. Across this bridge, you can affordably rent a canoe and paddle downriver to the Wekiwa Marina or even further. Eventually, this river flows into the larger St. John’s River that empties into the Atlantic up in Jacksonville.

Canoeing along the Wekiwa River, you may spy some turtles lounging on logs along the banks, craning their elastic necks toward the sun. If you look very carefully, you may even spot one of the alligators known to inhabit the river.

Besides the nature trail, the park has a longer trail that runs through the woods leading out to Sand Lake, about two miles away. This is just the place to stretch your legs on a brisk walk or refreshing jog.

The path is covered in places with pine needles above the soft sand. As you trek deeper into the woods, the air becomes moist and cool, a relief from the nearly year-round heat. The sand pines and oaks’ wide branches screen visitors from the bright, sometimes harsh, Florida sun.

In the densest part of the woods, the path, in a couple of spots, turns into something resembling a black puddle, so be sure to wear sneakers. Very soon out of this thick foliage, you find on either side of the path baby pine trees reminiscent of Charlie Brown’s infamous Christmas tree.

The woods soon break wide open to a field of waist-high, bright green palms. The sun shines here, radiant, and the air carries the scent of wood chips, a sharp natural tang, like fresh mulch.

Finally, you arrive at Sand Lake, a wide rippleless mirror edged with tall grass. A sandy path runs all the way around it. If you look around you will see picnic tables tucked in places where the shore is clear of underbrush. In front of one of these isolated tables, a small spring bubbles, the one feeding this lake. A romantic spot, if you have the patience to search for it.

From all the walking, you may be a bit hot and tired and tempted to dive in for a swim. DON’T! Alligators reside in this lake, as in most lakes in Florida. Also if you do happen to have the good fortune to make the acquaintance of one of these scaly fellows, don’t feed it. It only whets its appetite for larger snacks.

If you are looking for a different experience the next time you visit the Orlando area, try the Wekiwa State Park. With its translucent springs, invigorating trails and river rich with wildlife, the park is a unique place for the nature lover to escape from the routine tourist trappings of the Orlando area.

Christopher McClelland is a free-lance writer who lives in central Florida.