Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge was created specifically to protect the endangered species and can arrange boat and kayak tours designed for spotting them in their habitat. The homey town of Crystal River has become synonymous with the gentle sea giants, in fact. Each year, October through March, the warm waters of spring-fed Crystal and Homosassa river hosts the largest herd of manatees in the U.S. All empty into Gulf of Mexico bay waters mottled with verdant, gnarly mangrove islands. Northernmost Citrus County alone holds four of Florida’s designated Outstanding Waters – rivers Withlacoochee, Homosassa, Crystal and Chassahowitzka.
The so-called Nature Coast keeps its secret: the river-riddled, marshy coastline of Citrus, Hernando and Pasco Counties is tailor-made for fishing, boating and kayaking among manatees, otters, bald eagles, swallowtail kites and more than 200 other species of birds that have been spotted there. Crystal River, located on Florida’s “Nature Coast,” is an eco-tourism paradise that visitors of all ages are sure to enjoy. This area boasts a wide variety of restaurants, hotels, motels and other vacation rentals. Some of the other interesting places to visit near Crystal River includes the Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, the Naber Kids Doll Factory and the Crystal River State Archeological Site. There are nine area golf courses near Crystal River. Built around Kings Bay, near the Homosassa River, Crystal River also offers fishing, boating, camping, nature trails for hiking, canoeing and kayaking. You can go swimming with these gentle creatures that sometimes let you get close enough to scratch their bellies! Crystal River offers manatee safaris, manatee snorkeling tours and dive tours.
This tranquil community is known as the place “Where Man and Manatee Play.” Manatees abound in the year round 72-degree spring fed waters in Crystal River from the months of November through March. Crystal River is a city in Central Florida.Ĭrystal River is located in Citrus County, approximately 90 miles northwest of Tampa near the Gulf of Mexico.