WWingAwayWEEKENDSFly to lunchDestination guide 173
Florida · Couples · Two nights

Tavares & Mount Dora

America’s Seaplane City and a lakeside village.

Tavares calls itself America’s Seaplane City, and its seaplane base sits right downtown at Wooton Park on Lake Dora. Splash in for lunch, then drive ten minutes to Mount Dora, a hilly village of antique shops and oaks where the 1883 Lakeside Inn is Florida’s oldest continuously operating hotel. Pilots chasing a seaplane rating can add a day at Jack Brown’s in Winter Haven.

Seaplane cityLakeside villageHistoric hotel
See the weekend itineraryFlight & arrival details
Visitors at the restored Tavares railroad depot beside the tracks and palm trees
The restored depot in downtown Tavares.
YOUR ROUTEKMYR to KLEE
STRAIGHT-LINE DISTANCE~327 NM
ILLUSTRATIVE FLIGHT TIME~2 hr 25 min
WEEKEND STYLETwo nights · Rental car or dock

Time illustration: direct distance at 150 KTAS plus 15 minutes for departure and arrival, matching the discovery page. Use ForeFlight for your actual flight plan.

01 / Aviation & getting around

Land at Leesburg or on Lake Dora.

KLEE, Leesburg International, is a towered airport about 15 minutes from Tavares. Floatplanes and amphibians can land at FA1, the city-owned Tavares Seaplane Base and marina downtown.

The FBO

Sunair Aviation

Leesburg International Airport, Leesburg, FL

352-787-2211

Confirm FBO hours, fees and ground transportation. No live fuel price is shown.

Florida weather: daily summer thunderstorms by mid-afternoon, low morning fog in winter, and hurricane season from June to November. About 330 nm from Myrtle Beach.

Seaplane access

Tavares Seaplane Base & Marina (FA1), city-owned, public use

210 E. Main St., Tavares, FL · 352-742-6267

352-742-6267

Water lanes: 09W/27W 3,000 × 200 ft on Lake Dora; 100LL and mogas listed.

VFR operations. Be aware of Leesburg airport traffic to the northwest. (FAA chart supplement remarks.)

Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base (F57, Winter Haven) is about 50 nm south, the best-known place to earn a seaplane rating.

Water landing rules, conditions and docking change; call the base and check the chart supplement before you go.

02 / Where to stay

Florida’s oldest hotel.

Rates and availability need travel dates. Festival weekends in Mount Dora book early.

03 / Where to eat

Farm-to-table and a creative favorite.

Reserve weekend dinners.

04 / Things to do

Seaplanes, a village and the lake.

A water day and a village day.

01

Tavares Seaplane Base & Wooton Park

Watch the floatplanes and walk the lakefront promenade.

Visit Florida
02

Downtown Mount Dora

Antiques, galleries and oak-shaded streets.

Visit Mount Dora
03

Jack Brown’s Seaplane Base

Earn your seaplane rating in Winter Haven, about an hour south.

Jack Brown’s
05 / What’s happening

Sometimes the season is the reason to fly.

This prototype links to the local visitor site. It does not yet match events to your travel dates.

November–April

Best season

Mild, dry days on the water.

Concerts, festivals & local happenings

Check the local calendar when choosing a weekend, and confirm dates and tickets with the organizer.

Browse Tavares events
06 / Suggested itinerary

Friday in. Sunday home.

A sample weekend for seaplane pilots. No bookings or availability confirmed.

DAY 1

Arrive

  1. Arrival

    Land at KLEE or FA1, subject to weather, your fuel stop and your actual flight plan.

  2. Afternoon

    Splash in at Tavares and walk Wooton Park.

  3. Evening

    Dinner at Pisces Rising.

DAY 2

Explore

  1. Morning

    Downtown Mount Dora.

  2. Afternoon

    A lake cruise or seaplane ride.

  3. Evening

    Dinner at 1921 Mount Dora.

DAY 3

Morning & home

  1. Morning

    Breakfast at the Lakeside Inn.

  2. Before leaving

    Allow time at the base or airport.

  3. Fly home

    Afternoon thunderstorms build in summer; leave early.

07 / Good to know

Keep the weekend easy to change.

These details make the difference between an appealing list and a usable getaway.

Book in this order

Lakeside Inn first.

Short hop

About 330 nm: an easy nonstop.

Rating

Add a few days at Jack Brown’s for your seaplane rating.

Best seasons

November to April.

Reviewed · Destination 173

Reviewed November 6, 2026.

Picks and links reviewed by WingAway Weekends. Hours, prices, menus and availability change often, so confirm directly with each place before booking.

WingAway Weekends helps you discover the destination. Use ForeFlight and current official aviation information for route, performance, weather, NOTAMs and preflight decisions. Flight planning and PIC responsibility stay with the pilot.