Crystal River Lands Sixth on Florida's Budget One-Tank Getaway List

Crystal River has placed sixth on a list of one-tank trip destinations for Floridians compiled by the vacation rental booking site HomeToGo.com.

The company said nightly stays priced under $100 were a major factor in the ranking. Beyond the price, the area attracts visitors with fishing, kayaking and scalloping dives.

Still, Crystal River, often called the manatee capital of the world, is perhaps most widely known for the thousands of West Indian manatees that collect in its warm, spring-fed waters during the colder months.

Alex Arrow, a wildlife refuge specialist at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, said winter is when visitors tend to be most impressed. "King's Bay itself probably has about 10% of the total estimated manatee population in the state of Florida," he said, adding that the bay alone sees more than 1,000 of the animals.

Some visitors get more than a glimpse of the animals swimming. Arrow said the "luckiest visitors" may be on hand for a manatee release or rescue. Those events are unpredictable, he noted, but are popular with onlookers.

Three Sisters Springs is among the town's signature attractions. An accessible boardwalk rings the springs, giving visitors a view down into clear water that in winter holds hundreds of manatees. Volunteers are stationed there to answer questions, and ranger-led programs cover manatee biology, history and conservation. A wetland at the springs also makes it a notable spot for birdwatching.

Elsewhere in the area, visitors can book private sightseeing tours on the bay, join excursions that include swimming with manatees, paddle kayaks through King's Bay or stop at the refuge's visitor center.

Arrow told Tampa Bay 28 that what he values most about Crystal River is its conservation community. He described a deeply invested set of stakeholders, from tour operators and federal and state agencies to ordinary swimmers who spot a manatee they think needs help.

"I like to say conservation is a team sport and this really exemplifies that," Arrow said.