Crystal River is a small town on Florida's Gulf Coast, about ninety minutes north of Tampa, and one of the few places in the United States where you can legally swim with wild manatees. Hundreds of West Indian manatees gather in the warm spring-fed waters of Kings Bay between November and March, and snorkelling tours take visitors out to meet them at close range. Three Sisters Springs, a crystal-clear pool in the centre of town, is the most famous spot.
Outside manatee season, Crystal River is a quiet fishing town. The surrounding waters are good for scalloping in summer and redfish year-round. The town sits at the southern end of the Nature Coast, a stretch of unspoiled Gulf shoreline with salt marshes, oyster bars, and very few people. The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 20 islands in Kings Bay, and the Crystal River Archaeological State Park preserves a pre-Columbian mound complex dating back over 1,600 years.