Our family of 9 recently visited Crystal River for a swim with the Manatees. We stayed at the Best Western Inn on the property and the rooms were clean and breakfast good. Nothing amazing but the best option in that area. Just behind the hotel is a rental place where you can rent a pontoon boat for $35 an hour!!! Now I have to warn you that this boat looks like it is rented for $35 an hour but it runs and gets you where you need to go. You can rent wetsuits for only $10 and then we brought our own snorkels but those are only $5. Call ahead and reserve your boat with Jerry 352-795-6798 at the Crystal dive center. Then just follow respectably behind the tours where people are paying $80 a person. If you see a lot of people snorkeling, you can bet manatees are there. Slide in quietly and prepare to be amazed! The joy of bringing your own boat is you get to go where you want to. People who had paid big money never saw one that day. If you own canoes or paddle boards, bring them and do it completely free. This is an experience you don't want to miss! We went on Dec 30th. One tip we learned was the colder the air is outside, the higher the chance you will see Manatees. Water is always 72 and feels great. The whole experience cost us about $200 for a family of 9

On December 21 my family visited Crystal River for a manatees snorkeling trip by Fun2Dive. It was an experience of a life time. Not only is Crystal river a wonderful little town, the people were amazing and friendly. We stayed at the Holiday Inn express in a 2 KING bed room (great for young adult sisters) and had a fantastic seafood dinner at Crackers Bar and Grill. We participated in a luxury manatee cruise with Fun2Dive at 730am with Ryan and Kelly. Kelly captured incredible pictures and video of us interacting with the manatee, allowing us to enjoy our up close interactions with the manatee. We were amazed at how friendly, curious and cute these gentle giants are! Again thank you #Fun2Dive

We just ate at Saltwater Cowboys Restaurant in Crystal River and are totally impressed with the new owners and the improved menu. All items are fresh, not frozen and all desserts are made on the premises. The blackened grouper was huge with just the right seasoning and came with two sides. The shrimp scampi contained several very large tiger shrimp and was very tasty. We saw a huge burger being served with fried green tomatoes on top. It looked amazing! The fresh made chocolate peanut butter Pie was incredible and the soft white chocolate cranberry cookies were fantastic. The new owner told us that all their steaks and meats are of the highest quality and are reasonable priced. This is the newest edition to Crystal River dining and is an instant hit! Don't let the edifice fool you...there's a jewel inside the doors!

We visited Hunter Spring park in Crystal River. It was very busy around noon when we visited, mostly locals launching their kayaks and paddle boards. We didn't see the small sign about paid parking as you enter the park, as we were busy looking for an open space among maybe 40 parking spaces.There is no signage on each space, just the two kiosks on opposite sides of the parking area. Be careful in Crystal River because it seems they have a mixture of "public parking" that is free and paid parking that is patrolled by ticket writers. We were there less than 30 minutes and we got a $50 ticket for not paying the $5 fee.

Been going to Crystal River for 30 years. It used to be clean and pristine, but today went for Mother’s Day and wow what a dirty not kept up place. The state needs to shut it down for 5 years or so to replenish this place back to its beauty. Too many kayaks and they are ruining this beautiful place.swimming in the back is safer for the erosion. People climbing all over the sides and kayaking on the shores and ramming it. It’s definitely a disappointment as I’ve been coming for years here. Save crystal river I say, people have no respect for nature. So they shouldn’t be able to enjoy it and ruin it. I hope the state does something soon or it will be ruined forever.

We experienced a small group manatee swim at Crystal River with guide Dave and Captain Troy from River Ventures USA (booked through Get your Guide). A fantastic experience, with knowledgeable and caring people. Although out of the main season we gor to see a mummy manatee nursing her calf and had interactions with various other manatees. Whole eperience was tailored to the care and protection of the manatees. Lovely little touches like complimentary drinks (inc wine) and snacks, as well as a little side trip to the three sisters spring. Lot's of manatee retail therapy back at base and friendly canine greetings from the puppies. All in all a great day and worth the drive out from Orlando. Thank you

Being an animal lover and zoo volunteer, I eagerly looked forward to our visit. We weren't disappointed in our quest to see some manatees. I had a great conversation with volunteer Kimberly... she even thanked me for being a zoo volunteers. I'd recommended spending one's time exploring the sights from the boardwalk... the "hiking" path is very nice, but there's more action in the river.

Apparently, some folks and/or visitors to Crystal River feel COVID is not a threat. Despite posted policies for mask-wearing, people are milling around without masks at the Home Depot and at Publix. AND no one with those stores s following up to tell the folks to mask up or leave.

The Explorida Manatee Tour was wonderful. We were able to get up close to the manatees and when the area we were swimming in became crowded, they took us to another beautiful spot where we saw a mother manatee with her calf. The tour guide and boat captain were great - they told us all about the manatee habits. They were so helpful and catered to our every need. We swam in wet suits and the water is 72 degrees all year and very clear. It was a very relaxing, enjoyable day. I highly recommend it.

My husband and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary swimming with the manatees. He is a great swimmer, I am not. Actually you are floating with a mask and snorkel. I also used a noodle. Our captain, Dustin, and our guide in the water, Courtney, were both wonderful. They both are very knowledgeable and helpful. Courtney made sure each of us were ok and that we got a chance to see the manatees up close without disturbing them. Dustin had warm towels and hot chocolate for us when we got back in the boat. We asked lots of questions and they were very helpful and courtesy. Also wanted to mention the staff in the office, Dennis & Aubrey. They were very friendly and helpful. Aubrey was especially helpful as we needed to change our scheduled time which she did easily and pleasantly. Great experience!!!