make the most of your trip

Make the Most of Your TripWith the world's tourism mecca — Orlando — just 70 miles up the road, it might be easy to overlook the city by the bay as a major travel destination. But Tampa and its communities offer a number of fun things to do with friends and family. First, there's a theme park here: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay preceded Walt Disney's dream by 12 years. With varied cultural offerings, world-class attractions, championship sports teams, water recreation opportunities and a vibrant Latin heritage, Tampa merits a closer look.

During the 18th century the bay belonged to pirates who left a decided influence on the area. The legendary Jose Gaspar may have pillaged his way to annual celebrity—Tampa's Gasparilla Pirate Festival takes place late January or early February. The NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers also take their name from this era.

In the late 1800s, railroads stimulated the tourist trade, attracting wealthy Northern vacationers. In 1891, royalty, financial bigwigs and luminaries attended the opening of Henry B. Plant's exclusive Tampa Bay Hotel, which is now part of the University of Tampa.

Cigars were once the city's mainstay, and brick and frame factories housing such companies as Hav-a-Tampa and Cuesta-Rey provided employment for Spanish, Italian and Cuban immigrants who labored at long tables hand-rolling tobacco leaves. Cigars are still produced, but the business community has diversified.

Tampa is now the foremost port of Florida's west coast and one of the nation's busiest, with petroleum, coal, steel and cement among its major inbound cargoes. A state-of-the-art cruise terminal welcomes passengers of several cruise lines bound for Caribbean and Latin American destinations.

Architecturally, Tampa admirably records the different periods of its growth. Older stucco homes with flat roofs, patios and wrought-iron balconies show a marked Spanish influence. The Tampa Convention Center, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, and skyscrapers and luxury hotels added during the building boom of the 1980s and early 1990s heightened the city's once modest business district to a stature worthy of more established corporate centers.

On the waterfront, The Riverwalk, a 3-mile pedestrian promenade that parallels the Hillsborough River, has transformed the downtown landscape, opening up public access to Tampa’s lovely waterfront and linking museums, parks, hotels, numerous places to eat and outdoor gathering places. Pedestrians can walk alongside the river beginning near The Florida Aquarium, passing Amalie Arena, Tampa Museum of Art and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, and ending at Water Works Park.

Hosting the Super Bowl for the fifth time in 2021 served notice of the bay area’s passion for sports, particularly football, and the resident Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended up winning the Super Bowl LV trophy at their home stadium. The Buccaneers had previously took home the Super Bowl XXXVII trophy in 2003, the same year the Tampa Bay Storm arena football team won its fourth championship. In 2020 and 2004, the Tampa Bay Lightning took the NHL’s coveted Stanley Cup. Then there’s Major League Baseball. From late February to early April, a spring training stint renders pro teams accessible to those who want to see how their favorites — including the 2020 World Series contender Tampa Bay Rays — are shaping up for the real season.