A three-story waterfront family compound five minutes from the manatees. Private floating dock and boat lift in a no-wake tidal canal, with boats 27 ft and smaller recommended. Heated dip pool, full game floor, elevator, twelve TVs. Booking direct is about 5% below the platforms' nightly rate, with no service fee on top. Same calendar, same house, your savings instead of theirs.
5.0/5 from 15 guest reviews across Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com · from $500/night · Text us
the house
5 BR
five real bedrooms, sleeps eleven
direct-only
~5%
saved booking direct vs Airbnb
the manatees
5 min
to Three Sisters Springs
the season
Nov to Mar
manatee season, peak Jan to Feb
“What a great quick getaway from the city! It was so quiet and peaceful for the adults and plenty of fun in house and water for the kids. The space was ideal for our group of 11 moms and kids! Paddle boards and tours rented from Manatee Paddle, Bayside Craft Kitchen for a dinner out. Lots of grilling and cooking. We could have stayed forever. Thank you Bayshore, we will be back!”
The house
Every room, the dock, the pool and the game floor - 62 photos, sorted by area, with bed counts for each bedroom.
Open the photo tourWhy this house
We bought this place because we kept coming back to Crystal River year after year. Then we set it up like guests, not investors. Here's what that means in practice.
The game floor
Pac-Man, NBA Jam, Big Buck Hunter, Golden Tee, Fast & Furious. Pool table, ping pong, air hockey, and darts. Board games stored on the second-floor desk. A four-TV jumbotron wall plus a bar kitchen with ice maker, microwave, air fryer, and dishwasher. Twelve TVs in the house total.
Five bedrooms, three floors, one elevator
King primary suite on the main floor with double vanity, two-head walk-in shower, soaking tub, and balcony. Two queen bedrooms with their own bathrooms on the third floor. A queen-twin bunk room for the kids. A ground-floor fifth bedroom with full bath.
Working dock in a no-wake zone
Private floating dock, plus a boat lift you can use with prior host approval (boats up to 27 ft and 10,000 lb). Tie up to the dock or lift your boat clear of the water. Bring your own boat or rent one from Plantation Marina five minutes away. Manatees gather in the canal from mid-November through March.
The outdoor side
Heated dip pool, tiki bar, gas fire pit, putting green, cornhole, swings, lounge seating. Artificial-turf dog area with bags, trash can, and a hose for cleanup. Wraparound porch with rocking chairs.
Book direct
Same house, same hosts, same self check-in, without the platform's cut baked into your rate. Pick dates on the right for live availability and your exact total.
Heads up
Manatee season (Nov–Mar) books up months ahead. If your dates are tight, text us before you hit checkout — we usually find a way.
Direct booking
Pick your dates
Your exact total updates the moment you choose check-in + check-out.
Live availability
No platform fee
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A day at Bayshore
Three days, six moments. The honest version of what your weekend looks like.
Sunrise
Espresso machine humming. The canal mirror-flat. A manatee surfaces once, then disappears.
From your dock
Drop the lift, idle through the no-wake zone, and you're at the spring in fifteen minutes. Goggles on, blue water below, manatees most of the winter.
5 min drive
Drive five minutes to Cafe on the Avenue or Crackers on the water. Order the grouper sandwich. Save room for key lime pie.
Quiet hours
Pac-Man, ping pong, NBA Jam. Then twenty minutes in the heated dip pool while the kids drain themselves on the arcade.
15 min drive
Fifteen minutes west. The only Gulf beach in Citrus County. Dog runs the tide line; you don't look at your phone once.
Dark sky
Light the gas fire pit. Pour something from the tiki bar. Dock light on, in case a manatee comes to say goodnight.
Book direct
The widget on the right does the math live. Drag the sliders. The savings is real money, and it's yours.
The math
If you book on Airbnb
$2,975
platform fee baked into the rate, plus taxes
Book direct here
$2,826
no platform fee, same house
You save
$149
The platforms bake their service fee into the nightly rate and add taxes on top. Booking direct gets you a 5% lower rate with no separate booking fee. This is an estimate, not a quote. Your exact total loads after you pick dates on the booking page.
The area
Planning help: Crystal River travel guides · things to do · FAQ · all 62 photos · about the hosts
Nov to MarCrystal River is the only place in the U.S. where you can legally swim with West Indian manatees. November through March, hundreds gather in the 72° springs at the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, five minutes from the house.
5 min drive · or by boat from your dock →
Year-roundWe do not keep kayaks at the house and we do not recommend launching from our dock — the canal is rocky and oyster-edged. Better plan: rent from a real launch point a few minutes away.
5 to 10 min drive to rental shops →
Year-roundBring your own 27 ft-and-smaller boat and dock at the private floating dock, or rent one for the day. Crystal River has flats, channels, and the open Gulf within thirty minutes. Excellent for fishing, scalloping, sandbar days, and sunset cruises.
Rentals 5 to 15 min away →
From recent guests · 5.0/5 across 15 reviews
"Micheal was top notch. Any questions were answered right away. We needed a later check out and without question he made it happen. Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting the area. More then anything the price point for the home was very reasonable."
"This place was great to stay at with a large group! Great hosts great location."
"We had a great time staying at this beautiful house. There was so much to do and we loved the backyard and game room at the bottom!"
"Beautiful home! Great area, very responsive host. Perfect for large families. We loved our stay here so much. We will definitely be back. Thank you Michael for the hospitality!!"
"Positive: The homs was comfortable and had lots of entertainment areas. The game area was my family's favorite part. The home is in a good location with stores close by but also on the water. Negative: Nothing"
"Michael's Place was a great property for our annual 4th of July family vacation. The game room and outdoor space was perfect for our five grandchildren. We enjoyed having the downstairs kitchen which made it convenient for grilling. Michael was very responsive to questions prior to our trip. Upon our arrival he was equally responsive to issues and concerns. This property for large groups."
Dates already booked?
Manatee season (Nov to Mar) and scallop season (Jul 1 to Sep 24) fill three to six weeks out. Leave your target window and we'll send a note the day a cancellation opens.