Crystal River is a city in Central Florida.

Crystal River is located in Citrus County, approximately 90 miles northwest of Tampa near the Gulf of Mexico. 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. 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. Built around Kings Bay, near the Homosassa River, Crystal River also offers fishing, boating, camping, nature trails for hiking, canoeing and kayaking. There are nine area golf courses near Crystal River. 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. This area boasts a wide variety of restaurants, hotels, motels and other vacation rentals. Crystal River, located on Florida’s “Nature Coast,” is an eco-tourism paradise that visitors of all ages are sure to enjoy.

The so-called Nature Coast keeps its secret: the river-riddled, marsh-mellow 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. Northernmost Citrus County alone holds four of Florida’s designated Outstanding Waters – rivers Withlacoochee, Homosassa, Crystal and Chassahowitzka. All empty into Gulf of Mexico bay waters mottled with verdant, gnarly mangrove islands. 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.

The homey town of Crystal River has become synonymous with the gentle sea giants, in fact. 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. Those who want to get closer take to the waters with snorkels or scuba gear to swim among them, but no touching allowed!

Get in

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Wehn traveling by air: The closest airports in the area are the Gainesville Regional airport (GNV) located about 57 miles northeast of Crystal River in Gainesville, Florida, the Tampa International airport (TPA) located approximately 64 miles south of Crystal River in Tampa, Florida, the St. Pete / Clearwater International airport (PIE) located roughly 68 miles south of Crystal River in St. Petersburg / Clearwater, Florida, and finally Linder Field / Lakeland Regional airport (LAL) located around 72 miles south of Crystal River in Lakeland, Florida.

See

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Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge is one of the best places to see endangered West Indian manatees that migrate each winter along the “Manatee Coast” north of Tampa Bay. This 40-acre U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sanctuary is a protected manatee habitat that includes the spring that forms the headwaters of the Crystal River.

Nearby Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge has over 31,000 acres of musk grass, widgeon grass,...