As temperatures keep rising and the summer season heads our way, a new sense of adventure builds.
But before you start driving down to the Keys or booking that flight to the Bahamas for your next getaway, what if we told you there’s a laid-back town not too far from the city that actually has hills?
National Geographic expert Brenna Darling recently released her highly anticipated book, Small Towns U.S.A.: 100 Must-See Getaways Across the United States, which highlights the best quaint villages and scenic havens from coast to coast. In it, readers will find several Florida picks, with one exuding an artsy flair and plenty of Old Florida charm.
Located less than an hour northwest of Orlando is the quiet and surprisingly elevated town of Mount Dora. In case you didn’t know, the town actually sits on a relatively high plateau. And many of the downtown buildings here are painted a cheerful pink color, left over from when it served as the set for the 1981 film Honky Tonk Freeway.
What to do in Mount Dora
The town is defined by the peaceful shores of Lake Dora, with highlights being access to the water and walkability. The book encourages visitors to walk along the Palm Island Boardwalk for a nature tour over the water and keep an eye out for wildlife like herons, alligators and sandhill cranes hiding among the verdant trees.
The historic downtown area is also packed with independently owned antique shops, local art galleries and breezy outdoor cafes.
“The monthly wine walk, starting at Maggie’s Attic and winding through town, is a noteworthy event that brings out locals and visitors alike,” Darling writes. “Mount Dora is known as Festival City, and its events calendar is booked with fun happenings including the Scottish Highland Festival in February, the Sailboat Regatta in April, and the Craft Fair in October.”
Most importantly, you’ll want to make a pit stop at the town’s iconic red-and-white brick beacon standing tall at the Port of Mount Dora in Grantham Point Park. It also happens to be the state’s only inland lighthouse!
Other must-see Florida towns
If you have extra time for a longer road trip up the coast, the NatGeo writer highlighted two other historic Florida gems: St. Augustine and Amelia Island.
The oldest continuously occupied settlement in the U.S., St. Augustine made the cut for its incredible history and Gilded Age architecture. The book highlights the 17th century Castillo de San Marcos fort, the cobblestone streets of the Historic Colonial District and Fort Mose, the first legally sanctioned free Black town.
And tucked all the way up at the Florida-Georgia border, Amelia Island is known as “Isle of Eight Flags” due to its heavily contested history. Darling notes its unique blend of nature and history, spotlighting the Victorian-era homes of downtown Fernandina Beach, the shark-tooth hunting at Fort Clinch State Park and historic A.L. Lewis Museum, established by Florida’s first Black millionaire.
