As the old saying goes, “catch flights, not feelings.” However, you’ll probably be doing both in this Florida city. It’s hard not to fall in love with the landlocked town of Tavares, as it might as well be an island. The cozy spot is surrounded by three lakes: Lake Harris, Lake Dora, and Lake Eustis. It’s less than one hour northwest of Orlando, and if you don’t have a car, that’s not a problem. Just take a seaplane! Per the Lake County website, Tavares is nicknamed “America’s Seaplane City” for its seaplane base that makes it possible to fly just about anywhere.
Tavares is centrally located, where it’s easy to fly over the Everglades or take the three-hour flight to Key West to grab a drink at one of Florida’s oldest and most famed bars. You’ll especially want to visit during springtime, one of the best times to visit both the archipelago and Central Florida. Getting to Tavares is fairly easy, so long as you fly into Orlando Airport and rent a car to make the 45-minute drive. Taveras has a selection of hotels, though you won’t find the same luxury and resort-style spots that you’ll find in Orlando.
Average Fahrenheit temperatures in the area are in the high 70s and low 80s. While the water may be too cool for this weather, seeing it from a bird’s eye view via seaplane is quite nice.
All the places you can fly to by seaplane in Tavares
The local company providing air travel is Jones Brothers & Co. They have day trips to Key West, as well as Florida’s Gulf Coast areas, like Clearwater/St. Pete, and Cedar Key. They also have historic tours to DeLeon Springs, where you can visit the Old Spanish Sugar Mill and have an exciting breakfast cooking your own pancakes on tables with built-in griddles.
If you want to stay nearby, you can take quick flights under 30 minutes to paddleboard and kayak on the surrounding lakes. Elevate your date night with a romantic fly-in dinner and eat at the Hillstone chain’s fine-dining restaurant with lakefront views. Bigger groups can also sign up for a bar-hopping adventure by seaplane. Who needs a designated driver when you have a designated pilot? Talk about pulling up to the bar in style! People love these excursions so much that the company has a near-perfect review score on Tripadvisor. In Tavares, the sky is actually the limit for all the things you can do.
Things to do in Tavares, Florida without a seaplane
