12 minutes south, the City of Tavares runs pontoon tours from Wooton Park. $25 for adults, 2 hours, and you see three lakes plus the Dora Canal.
The boat holds 49 people and has a cover. Captain Mike or Captain Ron narrate. They know the lakes: Dora, Eustis, Harris. They know the birds: osprey nests, eagle spots, the gator they call “Big Al.” They know the history: which shoreline was a citrus dock, which cove had a speakeasy.
You go through the Dora Canal and they cut the motor. For 10 minutes you drift under cypress and just listen. Then they start it up and you go fast across Lake Eustis. Kids love it. Adults take photos.
It’s the same water Mount Dora sits on, but you see it from the middle. The Lighthouse looks tiny. The Lakeside Inn looks big. You get why steamboats were a thing.
Tours run 3 times a day, Thursday to Monday. Sunset tour is the one to book. BYOB is allowed. They provide ice and cups.
Local Tip: Sit on the right side going out. That’s canal side. Left side coming back for sunset. And tip the captain. He’s telling jokes and docking a 30-foot boat in the wind.