Why book direct instead of through Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com?

Same house, same calendar, same hosts. Direct skips the guest-side fee every platform tacks on. Airbnb charges guests ~14% in service fees. Vrbo charges 6 to 12%. Booking.com varies by listing, typically 0 to 15%. On a typical $2,500 week with us, direct saves you roughly $200 to $400. The booking engine on this site is wired straight to Hostaway, the same backend that powers our Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com listings. We're routing it through our own domain so we don't have to pay the platform tax.

Is the calendar real-time?

Yes. Availability and pricing on this site pull live from Hostaway. If a date shows available here, it's actually available everywhere.

How many people does it sleep?

Eleven, across five real bedrooms. King primary suite on the main floor. Two queen bedrooms with private baths on the third floor. A queen-twin bunk room on the third floor. A fifth bedroom on the ground floor with its own full bath. Six beds total.

What do guests have access to?

The full home, driveway parking, outdoor living areas, balconies, heated dip pool, dock, game room, bar kitchen, tiki bar, fire pit, putting green, dog turf area, and waterfront spaces. You also have full use of the washer and dryer, both kitchens, the elevator, and the entertainment level (ping pong, arcade games, darts, board games, the four-TV wall). Three small areas are locked for owner storage: one closet in the master bedroom and two downstairs storage closets. Everything else is yours.

How do check-in and check-out work?

Self check-in via a Yale smart lock. You'll get a door code 24 hours before arrival that works for your entire stay. Check-in 3 PM, check-out 10 AM. We almost always say yes to a late check-out if the calendar allows. Just ask.

Are you available during our stay?

We want guests to have a smooth, private, relaxing stay. You won't see us, but we are available by message before and during your stay. If something comes up at the house, message us right away and we'll handle it quickly.

Yes. Maximum two small dogs, 25 lbs each. $150 pet fee per stay. No cats or other animals without prior written approval. We have a dog-friendly artificial turf area with bags, an outdoor trash can, and a hose for cleanup. Please supervise pets, keep them off furniture and beds, and clean up after them. Guests are responsible for pet-related damage or extra cleaning.

When can I see manatees?

Manatee season runs roughly November 15 through March 31, peak January and February. They gather in Crystal River specifically because the springs hold 72° while the Gulf drops into the 50s. From May through October you'll occasionally see a year-round resident, but for the postcard experience, book in winter.

Are kayaks, paddleboards, or a boat included?

No. We do not keep kayaks, paddleboards, or a boat at the house. You're welcome to bring your own and use our boat lift and jet ski lift. To rent: Hunter Springs Kayak Rentals, River Ventures, and Crystal River Watersports rent kayaks and paddleboards. Plantation Marina, Crystal River Watersports, and Pete's Pier rent pontoons, center consoles, and jet skis. All five to fifteen minutes from the house.

Can I launch a kayak from your dock?

We don't recommend it. The canal bottom near the dock is rocky and oyster-edged. Use Hunter Springs Park's free public launch or any of the rental shops downtown. Better water entry, no risk to feet or boards.

Can I use the boat lift and jet ski lift?

Yes, with care. The lifts must be operated correctly to avoid misalignment or damage. We'll provide written instructions before arrival, and we ask that guests follow them exactly. Press both buttons simultaneously when raising or lowering. The canal is tidal and gets shallow around low tide, especially in winter. We recommend boats 27 feet or smaller for the canal; guests are responsible for checking tide charts, confirming their boat's draft, and planning both departure and return windows.

How does the elevator work?

Three stories, fully operational, available for guests who need help with stairs or for moving luggage and groceries between floors. Three rules: maximum two people at a time, every elevator door on every floor must be fully closed before it will move, and children may not use the elevator without adult supervision. If the elevator won't move, walk each floor and confirm every door is shut.

Yes, but the heater takes time to warm up. If you want the pool heated for arrival, message us a day or two ahead so we can run it in time.

Anything I should know before arriving?

A few practical notes. (1) On the ground floor, only the middle sliding doors open; the side sliders are decorative. (2) The ground-floor mini-split remote must be pointed directly at the unit to change settings, it looks like a thermostat but it's a remote. (3) As with any Florida waterfront home, mosquitoes and no-see-ums are around at dawn, dusk, and after rain. We provide bug spray; bring your preferred repellent if you have one. (4) Please do not flush wipes, feminine products, paper towels, or anything other than toilet paper.

Are there security cameras?

Exterior cameras only, located outside the property for guest safety and property protection. There are no cameras inside the home or in any private guest areas.

What's the cancellation policy?

Flexible. Full refund up to 14 days before check-in, partial refund within 14 days. Specifics confirmed at booking.

Minimum stay varies by date and season. The booking calendar pulls the live Hostaway minimum-stay rule for the arrival date you choose, including PriceLabs seasonality and orphan-night settings, before it shows a quote.

Driveway parking is included. The converted ground-floor game room is open for guest use but is not available for vehicle parking. If you have extra vehicles, ask us before arrival and we'll point you to overflow.

Manatee season

The vacation rental built for manatee season

Bayshore Getaway sits five minutes from Three Sisters Springs, the only place in the United States where you can legally swim with wild manatees. From mid-November through March, hundreds of them gather in the 72°F spring water of Kings Bay. Some swim past the dock behind the house.

How the property fits manatee season

How manatee season works at the house

The tours that put you in the water with manatees launch at sunrise. That's when the animals are most active and the boat traffic on Kings Bay is lowest. From Bayshore Getaway, the closest launch points are Pete's Pier, Plantation on Crystal River, and the downtown outfitters off Citrus Avenue. All of them are inside ten minutes by car. The earliest tours leave the dock at 6:30 a.m.

That sunrise schedule is why the house is set up for it. Coffee is provided, the kitchen is fully stocked, and the front-floor primary suite has a walk-in shower with two heads so the first person up doesn't wake the whole group. The dock is in a no-wake zone on the Navarre Canal, which connects directly to Kings Bay. If you bring your own boat or rent one from Plantation Marina, you can launch from the property and ride to the manatee zones in fifteen minutes.

The water is 72°F all year, which is why the manatees come. The air at 6 a.m. in January, on the other hand, is cold. Most guests come back from a tour, take a hot shower (the house has four full bathrooms), and end up on the wraparound porch with hot coffee watching the canal wake up. We see manatees from the dock about four mornings out of seven during peak season.

Timing the trip

Booking the right dates

The Florida swim-with-manatees program is legal mid-November through March 31. The rest of the year, a handful of resident manatees stay in Kings Bay but the legal in-water program is suspended. If swimming with them is the reason for the trip, aim for those four and a half months.

Mid-November through mid-December

Early season. Smaller crowds, fewer manatees but they are around every morning. Tour availability is wide open. The house is in its lowest-rate band of the season.

Mid-December through mid-February

Peak season. Book the house and the tours together, four to six weeks ahead. Cold fronts push manatee counts higher; the morning after a 40°F night you can see hundreds in one springhead. This is also the most beautiful time on the porch: cool, clear, no bugs.

Mid-February through March 31

Late season. Warming days mean fewer manatees, calmer water, and easier tour bookings. Spring break weeks fill up fast at the house because the game floor and the dock are kid magnets. Book the house first, then the tour.

Manatee season guide →Three Sisters Springs guide →

The house

What you get when you book Bayshore Getaway

The game floor

Pac-Man, NBA Jam, Big Buck Hunter, Golden Tee, Fast & Furious. Pool table, ping pong, air hockey, darts, board games. 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 dock on the canal with a boat lift and a jet ski lift you are welcome to use. Boats 27 ft and smaller are recommended for the canal. 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.

See every room →

How to plan it

A typical manatee-season morning

5:30 a.m. Coffee in the kitchen. The thermostat is set so the main floor is comfortable by 5. Pack a hot drink for the boat, a beanie, and a quick-dry towel.

6:00 a.m. Drive five minutes to your tour launch. Wetsuits, masks, snorkels, and a pool noodle are included with every tour we recommend. You don't need to bring gear from home.

6:30 to 9:00 a.m. On the water. The boats move slow, the guides keep you horizontal in the water, and the manatees come to you. The rule is passive observation: no chasing, no diving down, no separating mothers and calves.

9:30 a.m. Back at the house. Hot shower. Breakfast on the porch. The afternoon is yours: kayak rental at Hunter Springs, lunch at Crackers downtown, scallop dive in season, or down the canal in the boat to Plantation for a beer.

Book direct →Things to do

Ready to plan manatee season?

Peak dates (Dec through mid-Feb) book three to six weeks out. Get your dates in before they're gone.

Check dates →