Tampa Bay, Florida – Florida Tourist Spots
Tampa Bay
Central Florida has things to see, shops, and sunshine.
Tampa Bay is the cool, urban center of Florida’s west coast. It has endless sunshine, waving palm trees, and stunning sunsets for tourists who want to relax and recharge. This Florida vacation spot has a wide range of activities to suit any trip style. You can float down a river with native animals all around you, watch a pirate parade, eat and drink the newest styles, drink locally made beer, or make new clothes at trendy and vintage shops. Attractions for families, museums, historic sites, live events, and lively nightlife will make sure that everyone in your group has moments they will cherish forever.
Family-friendly fun
The Glazer Children’s Museum has two floors full of hands-on exhibits where kids can pretend to be a doctor, vet, artist, or engineer. ZooTampa at Lowry Park, The Florida Aquarium, and the TECO Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach are all great places to see wild animals on land and in the water. Canoe Escape offers tours where you can see alligators, birds, and turtles on the Hillsborough River. These tours are a great way to get close to nature. The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) is a fun place for people who want to become scientists. Because of its thrilling roller coasters, Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay is a must-see for any group with bigger children who like to be scared. Get the Tampa Bay CityPASS. Some of the best things to do in Tampa Bay will be cheaper for you to visit.
Shopping, eating, going out at night, and going from one neighborhood to another
The downtown hotels, restaurants, parks, and shops are all connected by the pedestrian-only Tampa Riverwalk. It’s easy to cool off with a drink at a bar by the water and then take a sightseeing boat into the bay. There is a lot to see and do in the Channel District, which is close by. The open-air food hall Sparkman Wharf and Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team, are great examples. In the Hyde Park area, you can get classic drinks, go to a fancy spa, and do some stylish shopping. Are you ready for a party? Night owls are welcome at trendy clubs like Ciro’s Tampa and Edge Rooftop Bar, which have drink deals, music, and dancing. Seminole Heights is known for having an unusual vibe and being a hipster haven. At Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café, you can get great food and drink craft beers. At Angry Chair Brewing, you can hear live rock bands. On the weekends, let Brew Bus drive you around to craft breweries on the Local Loop trip.
A Historic Date
The Tocobaga, Calusa, Seminole, and Miccosukee Indians lived in Tampa Bay long before it became a tourist spot. The Tampa Bay History Center has a great collection of tribal artifacts as well as hands-on finds from the Age of Exploration. You can join a pirate group, use a sextant to find your way, or try your hand at sailor knots. In January, you can pretend to be a pirate for a day when the famous pirate José Gaspar and his crew sail downtown with their guns firing. Join the crowds on Bayshore Boulevard as they cheer for the pirate parade and pick up beads that are thrown from the floats.
In Ybor City, which has been around since 1885, Cuban masters still roll some of the best cigars by hand. This is where Tampa Bay’s Cuban past begins. The brick streets and iron balconies in this area make you think of the time when Tampa Bay was known as “Cigar City.” There are many shops on 7th Avenue (La Séptima) where you can watch artists at work and enjoy a strong café con leche at a table outside. At the Columbia Diner, which is the oldest diner in Florida, you can get a real Cuban meal. Stay out late in Ybor for the best music.