Tangwood

If you’d like to meet some manatees, you’re certainly in the right spot. Crystal River (five minutes’ drive) is the only place in the US where you can get into the water with these gentle giants, and they collect at Kings Bay and Three Sisters Springs (both 10 minutes) in great numbers. You can book guided boat tours to swim and snorkel with them, or kayak up river to see them – just remember to respect their space and don’t get too close. Crystal River also offers a host of other activities, from some of Florida’s best fishing to challenging golf courses. You can whizz along the Citrus County Cross-County Trail – which interconnects with the Withlacoochee State Trail – by bike, or take long hikes through native trees in Potts Preserve (40 minutes). Into history? There’s a preserved pre-Columbian Native American ceremonial centre in Crystal River Archaeological State Park (10 minutes), where you can also see burial mounds and temple relics; learn more at the park’s Interpretive Museum.