TAVARES

Tavares, known as “America’s Seaplane City”, has lots of outdoors to explore. With gorgeous sunsets on the lakes, you can take in the beauty from one of the many parks around. Wooton Park, is a popular choice and looks over Lake Dora. There are many recreational parks for boaters peppered throughout the city as well.

By land, by sea, and by air – in Tavares you can do it all. Book a seaplane tour with Jones Brothers & Co and soar over the many lakes in the area.

Discovery Gardens is a great place to take children and see plant life or go alone and peruse the flowers.

For quick eats, check out BTW (Burgers, Tacos, Waffles). The adjoining brewery Bru Tap House features a lot of local beers from Central Florida.  If you are looking for a family-friendly restaurant with lots of outside seating, another great option is the Tavares Dog House. The sports bar has games to play, plenty of televisions and is extremely dog-friendly – you can even order dog food for your dog while you eat!

Be sure to come aboard the Dora Queen, a New Orleans style paddlewheel boat. The boat offers 2-hour cruises on Lake Dora.

If you happen to be in Tavares during the Christmas holiday, be sure to check out the Royal Palm Railway Experience’s The Polar Express Train Ride. The experience takes you to the North Pole where Santa will board the train and hand out silver bells to each child. It’s a unique experience that will delight your kids or grandkids.

Tavares Pavilion on the Lake is a one-of-a-kind wedding venue that sits overlooking Lake Dora. The venue provides both indoor and outdoor event space including a brick-paved pier.

Fun Fact: Every year, across from Lake Idamere Park is the Lady of the Lakes Renaissance Faire. The event runs for two weeks and all proceeds benefit the Education Foundation of Lake County (a local non-profit that directly supports Lake County Schools). The renaissance faire features jousting, stage shows, musicians, games and medieval wares.

Tavares makes up part of the “Golden Triangle” – along with Mount Dora and Eustis. The three geographically close cities are easy to navigate so it’s easy to jump from one to the other. Perhaps you visit Mount Dora for the Mount Dora Craft Fair, then head over to the Tavares Dog House for lunch and finish off your day with a beer at Wolf Branch Brewing in Eustis and a walk through Ferran Park. The three cities have lots of things to do while maintaining the feel of a small town. That’s why it’s such a great area to call home.

For more information, check out the Tavares Chamber of Commerce’s website by clicking on the image below!