Mount Dora town

Mount Dora is adorbs! The main street is hilly Donnelly Street, packed with cute cafes and shops. Check out the side streets too, and you will keep finding more nice things, such as a on 4th Ave, Checkered Moon, a colorful home goods store, The Windsor Rose, a British tea room, Barrel of Books and Gmaes, a bookstore, and Goblin Market, a cafe. There is a Cuban restaurant called Las Palmas with lively staff. European Breads and Allyson A Bake Shop are two bakeries to check out. Le Petit Sweet is a dessert shop with things like eclairs. Under the Cherry Blossoms is a gift shop with a positive vibe. Village Coffee Pot is a cozy coffee shop that also sells gelato. Scoops on 5th is an ice cream shop. 

If you continue to walk uphill on Donnelly Street you will come to Donnelly Park, with a pretty fountain, colorful tennis courts, and an attractive recreation center. What an appealing place! The trees are full of lights and must look lovely at night. On the other side of the park, across Baker Street is the Mount Dora Community Building, which has pretty architecture, and is a venue for theater productions and concerts. Continue uphill and you can see Congregational Church Mount Dora, a beautiful white church with a steeple and red doors. Another sight to see is the Masonic Temple, built in the old yellow Victorian Donnelly house, at 535 N. Donnelly Street. It is so charming lit up at Christmastime.
Walk or drive down Charles Ave, past the marina, to get to the lighthouse walk at Grantham Pointe. It's a pretty walk once you complete a short barren stretch on Charles Ave. A walking path runs along the water, with benches, and hammocks beckoning you to relax a while. Once you come to the point, you will see the land juts out into the lake and there is a lighthouse at the end! People gather here to chat, and boats zoom by. In spring, the abundant flowers at the water's edge are a delight. 
Continue your walk south to Palm Island Park where there is a long boardwalk on the lake. This is a secluded area so bring a friend. Or instead, cross Tremain Street and check out Gilbert Park. Here you wil find a stream lined with flowers and tropical plants, a sloped lawn with lots of trees, and best of all, a huge imaginative ship playground and a rope climbey that big kids love.
For a more peaceful park with almost no one there, check out Trimble Park on Lake Beauclair, an eight minute drive away.
Mount Dora is famous for its Christmas lights (from end of Nov to end of January)! Check them out around Donnelly Park, Sunset Park, Evans Park, and the marina. At the end of November, Santa arrives by boat and there are fireworks by the lighthouse.

Directions

The main street in Mount Dora is hilly Donnelly Street, where it meets 4th Ave. There is free parking along the road. Come early on weekends as it gets crowded.

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