MOUNT DORA, Fla. — Many people visit Mount Dora for its quaint shops, streets and southern charm. But another way to visit the historic area is by catboat.
What You Need To Know
- A unique way to see the waters of Mount Dora is with CatBoat Adventures Tour
- The tour gives visitors the chance to operate a two-seater catamaran and see the sights and sounds of Dora Lake
- Guests travel through the Dora canal that many describe as “Old Florida”
- The one-of-a-kind tour is two hours long and narrated
CatBoat Adventures gives guests the opportunity to operate one of its two-seater motorized catamaran boats while touring beautiful Lake Dora and the Dora canal.
For years, Captain Todd Voss has been taking guests by catboats to see the sights and sounds of Mount Dora.
“These boats are awesome. They are built in Orlando, and they are fun,” Voss said.
Guests that book a tour with CatBoat Adventures meet at a marina in Mount Dora to begin their adventure.
Voss or any of the other guides teach you how to operate the two-seater boat that glides atop the water that he said he feels anyone can quickly learn to operate.
“It’s like a surfboard with two chairs on it, a motor behind it, and you’re just flying across the lake,” Voss said.
Voss brings a sense of fun, adventure and humor to all of his tours.
Guests get to go both fast and slow while taking the narrated tour.
Riders going through the canal travel at no wake speed and hear Captain Voss talk about the history of the area that was once home to steamboats chugging along the waterway.
“The fact you’re only 8 inches off the water, you’re seeing a different perspective of the canal,” Voss said. “Seeing it from a boat is different. Here, it’s a little more personal. A little bit closer, a little more real.”
The tour is two hours long, and reservations are made online, with an advance purchase costing $160 per boat, or $80 per person, on Mondays through Fridays. The cost goes up to $89.50 per person on Saturdays and Sundays.