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Top 5 things to Do in Crystal River, Florida

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If you’re looking to visit Florida but you’ve decided to stay away from the traditional theme park vacation, then Crystal River Florida is the right place for you. The locals like to call it the “Real Florida.” Check out our 5 things to do in Crystal River Florida below.

manatees - Crystal River Florida

1. Swimming with the Manatees

Swimming with the manatees at Crystal River, Florida is probably number one on our list of things to do here. Swimming with these gentle giants are amazing and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is extremely humbling to be next to an animal that on average is 10 ft long and 1000 lbs.

The waters of the Crystal River are “crystal clear”. The river where we swam in was only about 5 feet deep at its deepest. Once we were in the water it was just a matter of floating to stay around the manatees. The calmer and stiller you are, the more time they will hang around. You are not allowed to touch them as they are a protected species but we were only a couple of feet away! Of course you should never touch a wild animal… no matter how gentle the animal is.

The best time to see these beautiful creatures are between the months of November and April when the waters of Crystal River are much colder and the temperatures of the springs in Kings Bay are a constant 72°. Click here to learn more about manatees and a book your excursions.

charter fishing

2. Florida Charter Fishing

Florida Charter fishing is number two on our list to do in Crystal River. The calm waters of the flats in the Gulf of Mexico make charter fishing so much easier for those who have a tendency to get seasick on the high seas. The great thing is you do not sacrifice any fun by not going to the deep water. It’s more of an active fishing. You get to cast and reel in the lure instead of just letting it drop and wait.

Most people like to fish for sea trout or red fish but on our excursion, with Captain Don of Flats Chance Charters, we also caught a blowfish, shark, lizard fish, and a ladyfish. We didn’t have have a lot of experience fishing in the Gulf but Captain Don was extremely patient with us. Even when he was almost hooked and when the elusive fanny pack fish was caught! On our way back to the dock we saw a porpoise and her baby, a bald eagle and several different migratory birds.

charter fishing
Fanny pack fish

3. Three Sisters Springs

Three Sisters Springs is located on the Crystal River. There are 3 natural springs that make up the Three Sisters Spring. The Pretty Sister, The Big Sister, and The Little Sister feed 72 degree water into the river year round. It’s this warmer water in the winter that draws the manatees to the area during between the months of November and April. It’s not uncommon to see hundred of manatees enjoying the warm water during this time.

There is no boat access to the springs but you can go in with your kayak, canoes, or you can swim over to them. I can’t even describe how clear the water is here. It is truly breathtaking.

4. Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

The Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park has been attracting tourists to it’s gates since the early 1900’s. People could hope off the train and after a short walk enjoy the first-magnitude spring. Over time it went from a small attraction until 1964 when it was expanded and billed it as Homosassa Springs “Nature’s Own Attraction”. They even added exotic animals.

In 1984 the Citrus County Commission bought the property to protect it as an environmentally sensitive area until the State of Florida could purchase the property as a Florida State Park. Now the park serves a place where people can come learn about the animals that are native to Florida. All the animals in the park are there because they would not be able to survive in the wild. Most of the time it is due to injury.

Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park has brought the enclosures up to modern standards and works to ensure the safety of both animal and human.

Oh and P.S. Don’t forget to visit Lu the hippo. Lu isn’t a native Floridian but was made a citizenship of Florida by then Governor Lawton Chiles because they couldn’t find a suitable place to rehome her.

5. The Food

Now living in Oklahoma all our lives, we have never really eaten good seafood. So when we travel to a place near water we love to try new things.

Our first stop was Cajun Jimmy’s Seafood Seller & Cafe. Not only is this a Cajun inspired menu, they also have a fish market on site. So after you eat your delicious meal you can take home some fresh fish! I had the fish tacos and they were AMAZING! Of course don’t eat so much that you can’t get dessert!

Another great place to eat is Vintage on 5th. This is a little more upscale and intimate. They have a great wine selection and the server will guide you through the menu and explain everything. Our server talked us into getting out of our comfort zone and ordering duck. OH. MY. GOSH. It was so good. When the meal is over you have to try the desserts. The Key Lime pie was some of the best I’ve ever had.

How can you talk about food and not mention a place you take your catch to and they will prepare it for you? That’s right… after we went fishing with Captain Don, Flats Chance Charters, we brought our Sea Trout to SeaGrass Waterfront. They offered us 3 different way to prepare it, parmesan crusted, grilled, and fried. We chose to have it parmesan crusted and then all we had to do was pick out sides. It doesn’t get any fresher than that!

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