Tampa is best described by what it is not. It's not crammed with theme parks like Orlando, though it is home to Busch Gardens Africa. It doesn't have a Miami-style scene, but celebrity-chef restaurants and sleek nightclubs are still on hand. And it's not just a beach destination, though it boasts America's #1 Beach.
In 1883 a man named Henry B. Plant built a railroad line to a backwater town in Florida and two important industries were born. First, Vicente Martinez Ybor moved his cigar-manufacturing plant to Tampa. And in 1891, another use was discovered for Plant's railroad line: transporting tourists.
Tampa vacations are about hitting the beaches, many of which rank as the best in the U.S. But there's so much more to see in the bay area. Families love the wild rides at Busch Gardens, educational exhibits at The Florida Aquarium, and the annual Gasparilla Pirate Extravaganza. Culture aficionados can watch artisans roll cigars in Ybor City, try Greek food in Tarpon Springs, visit the Salvador Dali museum in St. Petersburg, and more. Sports nuts can cheer on the Buccaneers, the Rays, and even the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Book a Tampa vacation package and enjoy so much more than surf and sun.
Events in Tampa
Adobe Gilas
Daily
Adobe Gilas
Open-air bar Adobe Gilas looks straight out over Latin quarter Ybor city's main drag and rocks to live music most nights. Its...
Daily; not Fri
Bern's Steak House
West of downtown Tampa, the legendary Bern's Steak House boasts the world's largest restaurant wine cellar (with an...
