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Ever dream of swimming with manatees? It’s possible from the backyard of one home in Crystal River, FL.
The marine mammals gather in the waters that run by the back of the house.
“They come when the Gulf (of Mexico) is really cold. They have to be in the warm water,” explains listing agent Maggie Moore, with Coldwell Banker Next Generation Realty.
The freshwater springs behind the 3,000-square-foot house “stay 72 degrees year-round,” says Moore. The house is listed for $3.3 million.
Manatees swim right up to the backyard.
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The home operates as a bed-and-breakfast.
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Bed-and-breakfast plus manatees
The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home with an under-the-sea decor theme currently operates as the Crystal Blue Lagoon Bed and Breakfast.
“It’s all decorated whimsically. There are all kinds of things to do. Everything is right there for you,” Moore says. Everything conveys with the sale because the owners are ready to retire and pass along the popular spot.
“Everyone loves it. Everybody talks about it. People keep coming back to it,” she says.
Each bedroom has a bathroom.
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This is the only property in the area allowed to host short-term stays, and rooms are booked out far in advance, says Moore.
The owner “never really did any advertising,” she says. “It’s just such a natural place people gravitate to, and they come back for a lot of repeat business.”
The town does not allow rentals shorter than 30 days, but this B&B is grandfathered in. The bedrooms go for about $245 a night.
“It’s unique. There will be no other B&Bs because they want to keep the area quaint,” she explains. Town officials do not want it “overrun by tourists all the time. They respect the residents in this manner by not allowing a lot of rentals on the bay.”
The land is zoned for residential use.
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The property is nearly a half-acre.
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The home was built in 1960 and sits on a half of an acre. Moore says the house is zoned for residential use, so it could be converted back to a single-family home.
“There’s an extra boathouse that is like a little studio with a bedroom, a little kitchen, and bathroom,” she says. It could be rented out or used to house a caretaker or guests.
Both structures have observation decks where guests can watch the manatees that gather in the springs during the winter months.
The springs are a protected manatee refuge, the listing notes, and manatee season runs Nov. 15–March 31.
“A lot of moms and (baby manatees) come. You can see the manatees swim into the springs, real up-close and personal,” Moore says.
The manatees come only in winter, but there are other activities at other times of the year.
The home has an under-the-sea decor theme.
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Guests have use of the entire home.
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The main home’s observation deck
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“There is a lot of scalloping here from June to September,” Moore says. PLus, fishing, snorkeling, and kayaking are available. But the manatees are the main attraction.
“You can’t touch them, you just let them come to you,” Moore adds. “They’re very gentle—’gentle giants’ people call them.”
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