Between The Magic Kingdom and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Central Florida certainly isn’t lacking in fantastical attractions that give movie-set vibes. Yet unlike its fictional counterparts, the picture-perfect downtown of Mount Dora, Florida, is the real deal. Mount Dora has all the polished vibrancy and small-town cheer of a Hallmark Christmas movie, and yet it’s close enough to Orlando (just a 50-minute drive from Orlando International Airport ) that you won’t need to travel far from the tourist corridor to get there.
Whether you’re in search of a quaint place to stop for lunch on your Florida road trip or you’re feeling nostalgic for an era when small towns were synonymous with walkable main streets and cozy, family-run inns, you’ll enjoy a walk through this picturesque downtown. Just like another Gilmore Girls-esque mountain hamlet in Utah, Mount Dora is full of places to visit for postcard-perfect beauty and Tinseltown charm.
Where to go for Hallmark movie vibes
Mount Dora, whose nickname is Festival City, is perhaps most known for playing host to dozens of art, music, and food festivals and for being one of Orlando’s top relaxing lakefront getaway destinations. But while people may come to the town for the art, they’ll likely return for the charm, which Mount Dora has in spades.
From the history museum, which is housed in the village’s old firehouse, to the historic Donnelly House (pictured above), which looks like it belongs in the pages of a children’s fairytale, to the restaurant The Goblin Market, with its cozy, book-lined dining rooms, everything in this town feels almost too quaint to be real. Even the town’s most popular pizza joint, PizzAmore, is located in a renovated historic home and looks camera-ready for its rom-com debut. It’s rated a Traveler’s Choice Award winner with 4.5 stars on Tripadvisor…