Florida has a ton of hidden gems hidden within the swampy state, but one little town has been quite overlooked for a while. This small town located in western Florida has just become one of the best places to visit, especially if you love quaint towns. If you\u2019ve been looking for your next best vacation spot then look no further than this dreamy<\/strong> coastal town.\u00a0<\/p>\n

20. Coastal City<\/h2>\n

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Image: Travel For Wildlife\u00a0<\/p>\n

Crystal River, Florida has been super underrated in terms of awesome places to visit in Orlando. The small town, however, has been quickly growing a pretty amazing reputation and you\u2019ll be surprised<\/strong> by all of the fun things you can do and see.<\/p>\n

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19. Location<\/h2>\n

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Image: Only In Your State\u00a0<\/p>\n

You can find Crystal River about an hour and a half north of Tampa. This quaint beach town has tons of great food choices such as seafood galore, beautiful beaches, and is home to an amazing wildlife refuge that you won\u2019t want to miss out on!<\/p>\n

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18. Spring Water<\/h2>\n

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Image: Plantation on Crystal River\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of the coolest activities to partake in is swimming with manatees. You may not believe it but Crystal River has a gorgeous hydrological spring that pump out around 30 million gallons of water daily. This makes it the perfect home for manatees.<\/p>\n

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17. Fresh Water<\/h2>\n

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Image: Only In Your State\u00a0<\/p>\n

With all of the fresh water constantly being pumped at the Crystal Spring preserve, manatees have been able to live there with no complaints. During the colder months, native manatees make their way over to the spring and many people have even had a chance to swim with them.<\/p>\n

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16. The Refuge<\/h2>\n

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Image: YouTube\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, many of the manatees are sheltered so that they can survive during the colder months. Since the spring stays at a comfortable 72 degrees, manatees are always spotted swimming around and you can even book your own manatee-swimming tour with the refuge. The tour is pretty outstanding!<\/p>\n

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15. The Tour<\/h2>\n

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Image: Johnny Jet\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the manatee swim tour, you\u2019ll get a chance to take a cruise along the Crystal River where all of the manatees reside. You\u2019ll adorn some snorkeling gear and swim along with the manatees as you observe them in their natural habitat \u2013 talk about a cool experience! But manatees aren\u2019t the only things that make Crystal River so cool\u2026<\/p>\n

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14. Spring Park<\/h2>\n

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Image: Only In Your State\u00a0<\/p>\n

Another beautiful gem located in this town is Hunter\u2019s Spring Park. This wooded park is absolutely gorgeous and gets its name from the natural springs that are located within it. There is so much that you can do in this park that it\u2019s almost unbelievable.<\/p>\n

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13. Activities<\/h2>\n

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Image: greenroads\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are so many fun activities to do in this beautiful park. Many people find that Hunter\u2019s Spring Park is the perfect place to launch a kayak, as it is only 20 minutes away from the Three Sisters Spring. If you\u2019re not up for swimming with manatees then a kayak ride through these crystal clear waters may just be the activity for you.<\/p>\n

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12. Shopping<\/h2>\n

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Image: Only In Your State\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you happen to be more of the shopping type then you\u2019ll find some really cute shops in Crystal River as well. Along Citrus Avenue you\u2019ll find The Shoppes of Heritage Village in the historic downtown area of Crystal River. You won\u2019t believe the kind of cute shops they have here.<\/p>\n

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11. Cute Shops<\/h2>\n

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Image: Small Town Tall Girl\u00a0<\/p>\n

While taking a stroll through the historic downtown area you\u2019ll find an abundance of cute boutiques filled with unique clothing and accessories, designer eyewear, antiques, d\u00e9cor, and sporting needs. If, however, you\u2019re more interested in getting a mouthful of food then this area will also serve your needs.<\/p>\n

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10. Tea House<\/h2>\n

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Image: Only In Your State\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re on the lookout for a charming place with great lunch options then the Tea House 650 Caf\u00e9 is a great local spot to check out. The caf\u00e9 features over 70 loose-leaf teas to choose from as well as a delectable lunch menu with delicious options like Panini\u2019s and roast beef sandwiches.<\/p>\n

If however, you\u2019re hungrier than that there are some even more delicious options.<\/p>\n

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9. Seafood<\/h2>\n

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Image: TripAdvisor\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seafood lovers will greatly enjoy indulging at Peck\u2019s Old Port Cove. Here you\u2019ll find fresh plates of seafood ranging from crab, shrimp, and oysters. You\u2019ll even get a wonderful waterfront view from the restaurant so you can enjoy more than just good food.<\/p>\n

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8. Breakfast<\/h2>\n

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Image: TripAdvisor\u00a0<\/p>\n

For those of you that plan on staying overnight in Crystal River, you\u2019ll find some of the absolute best breakfast and brunch over at Grannie\u2019s Restaurant. This place has been around for years and is a staple place for family-style breakfast. Your mouth will water over the food they serve!<\/p>\n

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7. The Food<\/h2>\n

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Image: TripAdvisor\u00a0<\/p>\n

At Grannie\u2019s Restaurant, you\u2019ll find food that is not only delicious but affordable too. From delicious omelets to homemade pancakes, Grannie\u2019s Restaurant doesn\u2019t disappoint. Now, if you\u2019re looking for great seafood along with fantastic drinks you won\u2019t want to miss out on this next place.<\/p>\n

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6. More Seafood<\/h2>\n

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Image: TripAdvisor\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ranked as one of the top<\/strong> seafood places in Crystal River, Seafood Seller & Caf\u00e9 is a great top choice. Here you can spend an afternoon chowing down on some crab and crawfish while taking a swig of your drink of choice from the bar.<\/p>\n

Finally, we have a great romantic spot for those looking to enjoy a beach sunset.<\/p>\n

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5. The Beach<\/h2>\n

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Image: A Dangerous Business<\/p>\n

For those of you that may not know, the town of Crystal River doesn\u2019t have an actual beach. This, however, isn\u2019t a huge problem because the closest beach is only a 15-minute drive away. At this beach, you can enjoy the most beautiful sunset ever\u2026<\/p>\n

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4. The Sunset<\/h2>\n

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Image: A Dangerous Business<\/p>\n

Located around 15-minutes away is Fort Island Gulf Beach. Here you can enjoy a beautiful afternoon picnic or a romantic sunset along the beach. You can choose to sit on the sand or take in the view from the pier \u2013 your choice. Either way, it\u2019s definitely a stunning view.<\/p>\n

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3. Visiting<\/h2>\n

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Image: A Dangerous Business<\/p>\n

Crystal River has quickly become a quite popular tourist attraction. While it hasn\u2019t reached the ranks of places like Orlando or Miami, there is just something about Crystal River that has people returning time after time. We could, however, make a guess as to why that is\u2026<\/p>\n

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2. Beauty<\/h2>\n

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Image: MilesGeek\u00a0<\/p>\n

From the crystal clear springs that allow you to swim with manatees to the beautiful shopping area and food places, Crystal River is an absolute beauty. The locals take very good care of their coastal city and make sure that the charming small-town feeling remains.<\/p>\n

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1. Adventure<\/h2>\n

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Image: Only In Your State<\/p>\n

So whether you\u2019re in the mood to get active and engage in some swimming and kayaking or you just want to stroll around you\u2019ll have a lovely time in this small Florida town. Be sure to share<\/strong> this with your friends and family so that you can all plan a trip together to enjoy all that Crystal River has to offer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Florida has a ton of hidden gems hidden within the swampy state, but one little town has been quite overlooked for a while. This small town located in western Florida has just become one of the best places to visit, especially if you love quaint towns. If you\u2019ve been looking for your next best vacation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":555,"featured_media":33475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[117],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-adventure-active"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/555"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33269"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33619,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33269\/revisions\/33619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalhealthyliving.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}