5 incredible experiences you can expect to have at Florida’s freshwater springs

With their emerald and azure waters sparkling under the sun and hiding a wealth of flora and fauna, it won’t be long before you’re tempted for a paddle or a snorkel at one of Florida’s freshwater springs. Here are just five incredible experiences you can expect to have...

At a glance

Florida is home to more than 700 freshwater springs, offering ample opportunities to spot wildlife and jump in for a refreshing swim. Here are just some of the most notable ones and where to find them…

Silver Springs

Dubbed the ‘original tourist attraction’ Silver Springs is an iconic must, and visitors have been drawn to its impossibly clear waters since the 1860s. And for good reason. The USA’s largest spring is surrounded by primeval forest and its pristine waters are bursting with life including alligators, turtles and a rainbow-spectrum of fish.

Rainbow Springs

Brilliantly sapphire blue waters are fringed by emerald greenery. Waterfalls splash over mossy rocks and silvery fish can clearly be seen darting below the surface. Rainbow Springs looks as if it has been ripped straight from the pages of a fairytale. As photogenic as it is, there is much more to do here than stand on the edge with your camera.

Gilchrist Blue Springs

Gilchrist Blue Springs is the newest of Florida’s state parks and is certainly deserving of the title. The park contains a collection of springs of all shapes and sizes, but the real attraction is the Gilchrist Blue Spring. This bubbling beauty produces some 44 million gallons of water a day and has created a postcard-perfect paradise for visitors.

Crystal River

Known as the Manatee Capital of the world, Crystal River is the place to swim with manatees. As many as 800 come here from mid-November to the end of March to escape from the cold.

Ichetucknee Springs State Park

Spanning 2,669 acres of crystal-clear springs and thick forests, Ichetucknee Springs State Park is a haven for a variety of wildlife both on the shore and in the water. Beavers, otters and softshell turtles can all be found here, as can American kestrel, red-headed woodpecker and Northern bobwhite.

Devil’s Den

Housed inside a gloomy cave, this underground spring gives away its hiding place by breathing steam through the cavern’s opening like a chimney. Head inside for a journey through history, where ancient fossils dating back to the Pleistocene Age can be found and dramatic stalactites cling to the ceiling. Make your way down the ladder and submerge yourself in the water to start your thrilling adventure.

Ginnie Springs

From making a splash in the balmy springs and diving beneath the surface to pitching up a tent on the water’s edge and spending the night under a sky full of stars, there is so much adventure to be had at Ginnie Springs.

Wildlife watching

Wildlife abounds at Florida’s freshwater springs, both in the water and around its edges. Undoubtedly the springs’ most popular residents are the manatees. To swim with the gentle giants, look no further than Crystal River, the Manatee Capital of the world and home to the only National Wildlife Refuge in the US. As many as 800 manatees come to the warm spring waters of Kings Bay and Three Sisters Springs from mid-November to the end of March to escape from the cold.

Much other marine life can also be seen at Florida's springs and one great way to see it without getting wet is in a glass-bottomed boat at Silver Springs. These tours have been popular since the early 1900s when travellers would head out on dugout canoes with glass viewing boxes. Keep your eyes to the floor to catch a rainbow-spectrum of fish, turtles and even alligators swimming below you.

Alligators can also be seen at Crystal River, along with dolphins that playfully splash in the water. Ichetuckneee Spring State Park, meanwhile, is a haven for a variety of wildlife, with beavers, otters and soft-shell turtles, as well as birds including American kestrel, red-headed woodpecker and Northern bobwhite.

Talking of birds, Rainbow Springs is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, with wading birds, songbirds, hawks, woodpeckers and more all calling this neck of the woods home. Hit the hiking trails for a good chance to spot them, and enjoy the shade of the oak and magnolia trees.

Birdwatchers will also be in for a treat at Crystal River, where bald eagles, ospreys and pelicans can be seen.

Top facts about Manatees

The Manatee's closest relative is the elephant. They share the same thick skin and if you look closely at the snout, you'll see it's a shrunken version of a trunk.

Manatee's aren't as fat as they look. Their big size is because of their large stomach and intestines rather than because of any blubber.

A female manatee is pregnant for a whole year. Once they give birth, their calves stay with them for up to two years.

Slow moving manatees often get algae growing on their backs as algae thrives in wet areas where there is a lot of sunlight.

Diving and snorkelling

Many of Florida's springs have water as clear as glass, so snorkellers and divers can expect incredible visibility. Rainbow Springs State Park is said to have magical healing powers, so be sure to don a snorkel mask to glide over the fish and turtles.

Snorkellers at Ginnie Springs, meanwhile will likely see mullet, catfish, turtles and more, and divers should head to Ginnie’s Devil’s spring system where you can get to the bottom of three separate springs. Devil’s Spring is almost 15 metres wide and the water is so clear that even from the bottom, you will still be able to make out the trees that hang above the surface, and it will look as though you are viewing the natural paradise through emerald-tinted glasses.

Over at Ichetucknee Springs, you can scuba dive to explore the complex underwater cave system some 12 metres below the surface.

For a more thrilling diving experience, head to Devil’s Den. This cave-enclosed spring allows snorkellers to take a closer look at the pre-historic walls. The waters are dark so be sure to bring a torch to illuminate any passing turtles. Divers can go to the depths of 14 metres with an expert guide to reach the floor, where you can search for fossils. Look out for guppies, crappie and giant catfish along the way.

More adventures

With opportunities to kayak, stand-up paddleboard and tube, there are so many ways to get out on the water at the springs. At Rainbow Springs State Park, for example, kayakers can paddle underneath mossy cypress trees, with chances of seeing river otters.

Kayakers will also enjoy Gilchrist Blue Springs which offers a quarter of a mile trail down the ‘Big Blue’ where you can see fish and turtles in the clear waters. Crystal River offers guided kayak and paddle-board tours to see manatees, while at Ichetuckneee Spring State Park you can rent kayaks and canoes to float under Cyprus trees, get close to the limestone banks and explore the nine springs of the river.

Canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddle boards can also be hired at Ginnie Springs, giving you the chance to spot manatees munching on the seagrass beneath you. But for the classic Ginnie Springs experience, rent a tube to float lazily along the Sante Fe River. You can also rent a tube and float your way down the Rainbow River, drinking in the surrounding greenery and looking out for birds on the water’s edge.

While the clear waters of the springs are understandably seductive, the natural landscapes surrounding the springs are also well-worth exploring, and are often embossed with hiking trails. At Silver Springs State Park for example, you can walk under the shade of pine forests on the 3.7km Spring Trail or look out for white-tailed deer, Sherman’s fox squirrels and gopher tortoises on the Sandhill Trail.

If you're not ready to head back to the city when your day draws to an end, then why not surround yourself in all that nature for a little longer by pitching up at one of the on-site campsites that can be found at many of the springs?

Top facts about Florida's springs

Florida’s natural springs are a constant average temperature of 22 degrees Ceslius, perfect for swimming in all year-round.

It's believed that Florida has the largest convergence of fresh water springs on the whole planet.

Early humans once gathered by the springs. They fed on mammoth, giant armadillo and beaver. Today, divers sometimes find bones, teeth and stone-age tools.

The Floridan Aquifer is a porous limestone layer which trapped sea water thousands of years ago. Over the years, rainwater fell on top. The fresh water and trapped salt from the sea together formed tunnels and cavities, eventually creating giant reservoirs. Where the crust of the limestone is thin, the water escapes and bubbles to the surface, creating the springs seen in Florida today.