The temperatures in the northern hemisphere are starting to drop and you’re looking for a warm, southern climate to extend your summer tan. While Northern Florida has been known to dip into chillier temperatures itself, many often set their sights on the Sunshine State as a great fall destination. The balmy temperatures have shifted, and the mid-day sun still offers hope of toes in the sand afternoons. If you’re seeking a unique experience this time of year, you may want to consider spending a fall day in Crystal River Florida.
Located in Florida’s ‘Nature Coast’ region, Crystal River is the “Manatee Capital of the World”. And fall is Manatee Season!!!! Between the months of November and April, hordes of manatees aggregate here for the fall/winter season. In fact, this is the world’s largest aggregation center for manatees, hence Crystal River’s “Manatee Capital of the World” designation. While their numbers fluctuate throughout the season, manatees may start to arrive as early as October. Every year, thousands of visitors come to Crystal River to explore the natural springs here.
So why here? What is it about Crystal River that manatees gravitate to? There are over 70 springs that feed hundreds of millions of gallons (seriously) into Kings Bay per day! Every year, thousands of visitors come to Crystal River to explore the natural springs here and the unique ecosystem here.
Join us as we explore spending the perfect fall day in Crystal River Florida.
Get An early start Snorkeling with Manatees
Set your alarm clock for dawn and make your way to the northern part of Crystal River to join the Crystal River Watersports team for an early morning snorkeling trip. Owner Mike and his team will welcome you with open arms to their eco-friendly tours.
After checking in and donning your wet suit, you’ll watch a short, educational video by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The video welcomes visitors to the King’s Bay Manatee Refuge and outlines the rules and recommendation for swimming with manatees respectfully and responsibly. These beautiful creatures are protected inside these waters and the designated sanctuaries. The main takeaway from the video is to practice ‘passive observation’, observing the manatees calmly, from a distance. That said, manatees are known to be quite curious and may approach you! If they do, you should stay calm and refrain from making any sudden movements.
Next, we make our way down to the dock to board the vessel and head out to King’s Bay. It’s about a 40-minute cruise from the dock to the springs. As your boat makes its way down the heavily treed Indian River, your guide will take some time to explain the manatee’s life history and why this ecosystem is so special. They’ll also point out any other animals that cross your path on the trip.
It’s Time to Jump In !
Once on site, you’ll be instructed to don a life-vest prior to entering the water, to keep you near the surface. The morning we took the tour the water temp was in the low 70s, so we were most grateful for our wetsuits.
Your tour guide will have a waterproof camera in tow to take pictures of you and your party on your snorkeling adventure (see photos below). You are welcome to bring along your own waterproof camera as well. We brought our own GoPro Fusion which allows us to get 360-degree photos and videos while in the water. We spend about 30 minutes floating around and watching the manatees slowly come in and out of the murky shadows – incredible!
The whole experience takes about 3-4 hours. If snorkeling isn’t up your alley, Crystal River Watersports also offers a variety of activities including:
You can click here or scan this QR code to book your next Crystal River Watersports adventure:
Grab an Early Lunch at Amy’s on the Avenue
You will have surely built up an appetite after all that floating! Make your way south, to Crystal River’s Heritage Village for a late morning breakfast at Amy’s on the Avenue. This quaint little shop is a boutique and bistro, offering up a unique selection of sandwiches and desserts. Thirsty? They’ve got a collection of coffee choices, as well as some adult beverages if you’re in a brunch mood.
They have indoor seating along the front windows and a patio out behind the building which is where we requested to sit. The open space has a few tables with umbrellas, a couple palm trees and a colourful mural that screams French Quarter. During our visit, we ordered the Quiche of the Day and their ‘French Connection’ sandwich, along with a couple macchiatos. Needless to say, we weren’t disappointed by any of it!
Half of the building is a boutique which boasts local artisan and a variety of giftware. There’s also a case full of truffles and chocolatey treats. The space is starting to show some Christmas flare in these mid-autumn days and serves as the perfect spot to start some Christmas shopping.
Roam around Crystal River’s Heritage Village
As you exit Amy’s on the Avenue, you’ll be enticed to do some exploring on foot. There are some curious looking buildings, in addition to some exquisite murals that start to reveal themselves as you make your way down the couple streets that make up Crystal River’s Heritage Village. Most of these murals were painted by W.M. Mickey, a resident artist who clearly has a passion for the local wildlife.
There are a couple restaurants, bars and shops to duck into (another of which we will visit for dinner). And the seasonal decor of pumpkins, mums and hay bales add that extra little something to change up your perspective if you’ve visited before. From the downtown area, you can access the Three Sisters Springs Visitor Center and maybe take in some live music at Town Square. There are several ways to pass the time on a fall day in Crystal River.
Take a self-Guided Kayak Tour of Kings Bay
For the afternoon portion of our fall day in Crystal River, we’ll be kayaking some of Kings Bay springs. There are several rental places to choose from, but ours will come from Paddles Outdoor Rentals. We’ll each have a single person kayak for three hours, which is plenty of time to explore the area.
After sign in at the main office, we are again required to watch a short, educational video by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Next, we walk down to Kings Bay Park, about a 1/2 km walk from Paddles Outdoor Rentals headquarters. There, we are greeted by two employees who have our kayaks in the water and ready to go for us! They hand us a laminated map displaying the local springs as these will be the spots to look for manatees.
For three hours we paddled at our own leisure along the canals of Crystal River. We paddle into Three Sisters Springs. This is where we spent part of our morning snorkeling and enjoy the landscape of the crystal blue waters. During our paddle session we encounter approximately a dozen manatees! We also see several tarpon and various species of birds including anhinga and American white ibis.
If you’re looking for other ways to explore Kings Bay, Paddles Outdoor Rentals offers:
Treat Yourself to dinner at Kane’s Cattle Co.
A three-hour paddle certainly builds an appetite! For dinner, we head to Kane’s Cattle Co.
The unique interior of this restaurant has a very clear theme – cattle! You’ll find wall mounted busts, murals and cattle skin rugs on the walls. They’ve got a variety of options on the menu featuring Florida raised and processed beef. They have a great selection of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees – there is sure to be something for everyone. Thirsty? You can find local beers on tap, including Marker 48 and Copp Winery.
We started our meal off with the coconut shrimp and prime rib chowder, along with fresh rolls. For our main courses we ordered the beef wellington over truffled potatoes with a caesar salad, and the 6oz sirloin with brussel sprouts and a wedge salad. The food was all very delicious, and sorry to say, we didn’t have room to get a dessert.
To sum it up, we spent an unforgettable fall day in Crystal River!
For more information about Crystal River, visit Official Guide to Crystal River and Citrus County, Florida. Ready to start planning a fall day in Crystal River? Start with finding a hotel for your visit.
Looking for other unique fall destinations in the US? Why not visit Cape Cod or Currituck.
Have you ever snorkeled with large megafauna?
This post was developed in partnership with Discover Crystal River Florida. All views expressed are my own.
I want to do all of this! Looks amazing!
Promise you won’t regret it Victoria! Hope you get a chance to visit Crystal River.
Not sure if I would love swimming with the manatees or not. I think they might freak me out a bit.
That’s fair Jolayne! They are quite large in person. Luckily they have a variety of tour options, including some that keep you dry 🙂
Frolicking with manatees has always been a dream of mine! I guess I know where I’ll be heading in 2023!
Happy to inspire your 2023 travel planning Carly! It was certainly an experience unlike any other.
I love the street mural. Discovering outdoor art is one of my fav things to do when I travel.
Mine too Terri! They have a few really great pieces in Crystal River, most of which are painted by the same, local artist. He is very talented!
This is actually the first time I heard of Crystal River but it looks like such a lovely and relaxed place to spend a nice day at! Would love to go there one day 🙂
Hope you get a chance to visit Lina! It is a quaint little town with lots to offer.
Kayaking with manatees would have been so much fun. Kayaking is one of the few water activities that I can do. So, yes, would love to try this one.
Glad to hear one of the activities appeals to you Anukrati! Luckily they have a variety of watersport options to offer for those who are interested in seeing them up close!
Sounds like an amazing day! I’ve never even heard of that place before. I’d love to swim with manatees in a sanctuary, they are so cool and relaxed all the time 🙂
Happy to share with you Tina! I know getting into the water with the manatees isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I highly recommend it if you’re feeling adventurous!
Wow! What an amazing wildlife experience! I think I’d love to swim & also kayak with manatees.
Glad to hear that both experience styles appeal to your Linda! Getting into the water with these incredible creatures was an experience unlike any other. Can’t recommend it enough!
Woah kayaking with manatees in Crystal River looks absolutely incredible!!
It was an experience unlike any other Katy! And there is plenty of other wildlife to observe from the kayak, so it’s definitely worth it!
I’d love to do all of these! The manatees look cute and kayaking with them in Crystal river would be an amazing experience.
Glad you think so too Ha! We are so glad we did both activities but understand that getting into the water with large animals isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Hope you get a chance to make the trip!
Looks like there is plenty of stuff to do here. I’d love to snorkel with manatees!
You’re right Jenn! There is no shortage of activities to keep one entertained during a day in Crystal River. Hope you get a chance to snorkel with manatees one of these days!
This is on my bucketlist! My husband and I love manatees and we got to see them in Xcaret in Mexico. I bet swimming in them was quite an experience!
It’s a great bucket list item to have Hannah! Swimming with them in their natural habitat is certainly a next level experience. Hop you get a chance to cross it off your list!