Fodor's Expert Review Plantation on Crystal River

On the shore of Kings Bay, this two-story eco-friendly resort, constructed in the 1960s, is on 232 acres near nature preserves and rivers. Although its exterior looks like that of a huge Southern mansion, the rooms are more comfortable than palatial (however modern). The spa offers extensive services, and the restaurant's creative, Southern-inspired fare deserves mention (think shrimp and grits or boiled peanut hummus). This resort's on-site dive shop has daily snorkeling excursions into the area's two major manatee hubs, Kings Spring, and Three Sisters Springs (when it's open).