Day 1 - Get your coffee in Ybor and head to explore Riverwalk, Bayshore & Hyde Park area. At night, go out in Tampa downtown or Seminole heights.
📝 Summary of Day 1 - Kick off your Tampa vacation with a coffee in Ybor city. Then head to Armature works to start a long walk from the Tampa Riverwalk until the beautiful Bayshore boulevard, the most upscale residential neighborhood in Tampa. Have lunch in Hyde Park. End your day with drinks and dinner in either Tampa Downtown or Seminole Heights (or both, why not!)
📌Go grab a coffee in the historic district of Ybor City, famous for the pretty red bricks buildings, chickens and roasters roaming around, and a free spirit vibe all day and night long. While Ybor is one of the crazy nightlife hot spots of Tampa, it's surprisingly calm and relaxing to walk around during the day, where it transforms completely into a peaceful area.
Ybor City Historic District
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Ybor City, famous for the pretty red bricks buildings, chickens and roasters roaming around, and a free spirit vibe all day and night long. While Ybor is one of the crazy nightlife hot spots of Tampa, it's surprisingly calm and relaxing to walk around during the day, where it transforms completely into a peaceful area.
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Ybor City Coffee and Tea Co
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I recommend Foundation Coffee (now known also as Ybor City Coffee and Tea Co), a coffee shop with a stark industrial modern look, offering handcrafted coffee and espresso drinks, Don't miss checking out the hidden patio in the back, with an extremely relaxing atmosphere.
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👉 PRO tip from a local
If you happen to be in Tampa during the weekend, every Saturday morning there is free yoga session in the backyard of the Ybor City museum state park. It's an amazing experience that locals love, bring your own mat and relax immersed in the green backyard of this museum, The entrance is right in front of . Every Saturday at 9.30 am till 10.30 am. In the gardens covered by trees setting the stage for a serene and friendly environment. Entrance to the backyard on 9th Avenue, in front of Centennial Park.
📌Head to Armature works, a large food court by the Hillsborough River, to start your exploration from where the Tampa Riverwalk starts.
Armature Works
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It's a large food hall with plenty of eateries for all taste and budgets. The industrial market look gives an extra charm to this to go spot for foodies.
One of my favorite restaurant in Tampa is right there, Oak and Ola, serving mouth watering mezze appetizers and wood-fired oven pizza.
I also recommend checking out the MBird rooftop bar around sunset time to enjoy some great views of the Tampa downtown from the top; or check it out at night during the weekend when the live dj set makes everyone dance at the bar.
In front of Armature Works, you can grab a drink at Stones Throw, a casual outdoor bar with a perfect location. Highly recommend the drink Crazy Ze Eyes, their special cocktail with a vinegary lime, basil, habanero base.
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📌Continue your walk on the Riverwalk, until you pass Curtis Hixon Park and you can cross the bridge on Kennedy. You will recognize which one is the right bridge once you see the University of Tampa right on the other side. You can't miss it: the university has beautiful classical minarets standing out against the city's skyline, and a nice nice grassy areas overlooking the water.
Tampa Riverwalk
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Walking under the sun along the Riverwalk will really give you a taste of the Tampa life.
You will see people jogging, biking, kayaking, rowing, and sometimes also a little alligator resting on the edge of the river by the Ulele restaurant.
Remember that you can also stroll on the Riverwalk with your drink, as long as you have it in a to-go cup available at any of the Riverwalk restaurants and bars.
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📌After crossing the Kennedy bridge and walk past the University of Tampa, head to Bayshore boulevard.
Bayshore Boulevard
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Bayshore Boulevard is known for its scenic views of the water and skyline, and is considered one of the world's longest continuous sidewalks.
Strolling along the Bayshore is very relaxing, despite the large amount of people constantly running, biking, or skating.
Make sure to look at the very expensive villas in the area, some buildings architecture are quite impressive and fancy.
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If you end your walk in Hyde Park village, the total time you will be walking is 1.25 hour, which I think is very feasible and pleasant.
But if you don't feel like walking a long time, you also have the option to rent a scooter just outside the Riverwalk until the start of Bayshore Boulevard.
👉 PRO tip from a local
Scooters are NOT permitted on the Riverwalk or Bayshore, but they are located and need to be left just outside of the Riverwalk and Bayshore. Check out the scooter rental options available with Bird, Lime or Spin. I usually find plenty of scooters right by the Kennedy bridge.
Make sure to download any of these scooter apps beforehand, create an account, and when needed, use the app to scan the QR code on the bike or scooter. Once the bike or scooter unlocks and activates, your trip has started!
📌 After having walked a bit on the beautiful Bayshore Boulevard, it's time to walk towards the "inside" and head to Hyde park village. A direct route is through Swann Avenue or Roma Avenue, but it's also nice to just go with the flow and take other streets to admire so many different beautiful houses. You will be impressed by how elegant and refined some villas look.
Hyde Park Village
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Hyde Park Village has a very European atmosphere and it's a great spot to stroll around some shops, have a nice lunch or just a coffee break.
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The following are my favorite spots where to eat in Hyde Park:
🍽️ Restaurants
bartaco
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Bar Taco is a cool and casual spot to eat all day tacos, with very affordable prices and a great lively atmosphere inside.
It's super popular in Tampa, but they don't take reservations and it's first come first serve, so there is normally a wait but it's worth it! You can join a virtual wait list before you head over to help cut down your wait time
Some tacos are not really among the ones that can be defined as authentic Mexican, but still very yummy.
There are a lot of vegetarian options too, I personally like the mushroom and falafel tacos.
The sauces are all homemade and super tasty (and spicy!)
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Meat Market Steakhouse Tampa
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Meat Market is a restaurant steakhouse with also vegetarian options. Just don't make the mistake of ordering avocado toast, it's really not great.
Compared to few other places in Hyde Park, the Meat Market looks a but more fancy, mostly at nigth, when they don't allow a very casual outfit (at least during the weekends, when it becomes more of a cocktail bar during late night).
I love the mimosa service with lots of different juice options!
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Timpano Hyde Park
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If you are craving a big bowl of Italian pasta, Timpano is the place to go. They will season the pasta right in front of you at the table within a giant cheese wheel. Definitely a unique dining experience!
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While technically is not really Hyde Park but closer to Soho area, another cool place where to eat and open only until 3 pm is Psomi.
Psomi
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My favorite brunch place in Tampa, offering amazing Greek inspired dishes.
Don't miss trying the bread, freshly baked every day, the lemon pea hummus, and the spanakopita.
Even if they don't have reservations available, you can always sit outside in the front porch where it's first come first serve.
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Another cool place in Soho, very close to Hyde Park area, is Bulla, serving Spanish tapas. There is also a rooftop, even if the view is not great from there.
Bulla Gastrobar
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Great selection of Spanish tapas, and flavors fairly authentic. Pan con tomate and tortilla de papas are among my favorite dishes.
I recommend to check out the rooftop Luna Lounge, accessible through the elevator inside the restaurant. On the rooftop, the menu is limited.
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📌 After all these day activities, it's time to pick where to go out at night. You can choose between Downtown Tampa, but a different area than the one explored during the day, or another cool neighborhood called Seminole Heights.
If you decide to go out at night in Seminole Heights:
Seminole Heights is a cool upcoming area of Tampa. It offers a bustling night scene, thanks to popular restaurants with live music on weekends, plenty of craft breweries and distilleries and some fancy bars. There is also a water taxi option which will bring you to the Riverwalk from the inside of Lowry park. The area is also known for vintage stores like the Vintage Post Marketplace) and hipster vibes kava bars.
Seminole Heights is also the only neighborhood in Tampa with free volleyball courts, always with people down to play volleyball in the evenings (McDugald park, American Legion park).
Seminole Heights
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One of the most popular and trendy neighborhoods in Tampa.
It’s an historic district located only 8/10 min drive from the Riverwalk, downtown and Ybor. It includes many early 20th century bungalow homes, remaining Victorian style homes, vintage shops, hole-in-the-wall establishments and historic buildings.
Seminole Heights has its own soul, authentic and bohemian, that makes locals love this neighborhood and its friendly community including myself.
You can feel like a true local in Seminole Heights; you will barely find tourists despite the bustling night scene with great bars, restaurants, live music on the weekend, kava bars and great breweries and distelleries.
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🍽️ Restaurants
Front Porch & Bart's Tavern
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A bar and restaurant located in a typical Seminole Heights bungalow home. The burgers are really good, also the vegetarian option. I recommend the goat cheese and spinach burger.
They have live music during the weekends which gives this place an extra charm!
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The C House
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It's called C-House because everything on the menu starts with a 'C'.
I love the vegetarian buffalo cauliflower bites and the mushrooms gnocchi (in the menu they are called 'cavatelli', which is another Italian word to say gnocchi).
Live music during the weekends, and sometimes during the week too.
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Ebisu Sushi Shack
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Ebisu Sushi Shack is located in a 1900' bungalow. Known for being one of the best sushi in Tampa. Laid back atmosphere but great food quality.
It's not located on Florida Avenue like most of the Seminole Heights restaurant, but still super close to the nightlife scene.
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Independent Bar and Cafe
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Great spot for both food and drinks, mainly beers.
They have a very unique selection of German inspired food, live music during the weekends and somedays during the week too.
It's one of the iconic spot of Seminole Heights.
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🍸Bars (Cocktail and kava bars)
Mandarin Heights
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Very cool retro-style bar, elegant and Floridan atmosphere with the flamingos decorations.
The picture in the bathtub is a must if you are in Tampa.
Great old-school mixing craft cocktails selection, but note that no food is being served here.
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Velvet Gypsy
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Cool looking and chill bar where to get a drink.
No food is being served here.
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Bula Kava Bar & Coffee House
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Perfect spot if you like drinking kava or kratom.
As many other spots in Seminole Heights, also this kava bar is located in a bungalow-home.
The hipster and friendly vibe will make you feel like you are chilling at home o chill, check out. Perfect also if you need to do some work done.
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🍺Breweries
If you are into beers, Seminole Heights is the right place to be. They have plenty of breweries and beer shops, such as:
Angry Chair Brewing
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One of the most popular brewery in Tampa, and stouts are their signature beers like the oatmeal cream pie stout called Debbrah.
This microbrewery and taproom has a large seating area, plenty of beers house-made, and a very good food selection.
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The Rollin' Mullet
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Very cool outdoor bar serving beers and much more from an airstream.
The patio is large and with some games, and a food truck is always there.
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Jug & Bottle Dept.
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Don't underestimate the amazing selection of beers and liquors that this place offers. It's also ideal to grab a vegetarian bite: inside the store there is a vegetarian eatery called Three dot and dashes, serving great burgers.
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Common Dialect Beerworks
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It's a microbrewery and taproom located right in front of the lively Bar Independent Cafe',
Very nice and chill atmosphere, and the patio is pet friendly.
As many other breweries in Tampa, once per week they organize a fun Trivia night. Just check the website for up to date info on the day.
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If you decide to go out in Tampa downtown:
🍽️ Restaurants
Rocca
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Rocca offers one of the most unique dining experience in Tampa with its table-side mozzarella cart, freshly stretched in front you before serving it with a nice heirloom tomatoes salad.
This has been my favorite restaurant since it opened few years ago, but their prices went up a lot since then thanks to the increased popularity. While dining there can be pretty expensive now, I would still go to sit at the bar just to order the bread service, the mozzarella cart and a good glass of Italian wine.
Make sure to reserve a table in advance, reservations fill up very quickly. Alternatively the bar is first come first serve.
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Oak & Ola
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I love their mezze (sort of appetizers, like hummus or eggplant, raisins, carrots and whipped cheese salad) and pizzas and cocktails.
The food is mostly cooked on wood-fired oven, also the steaks, and the ambience is European vintage and elegant.
The restaurant is in a great location, is one of the few waterfront restaurants at Armature works where to sit and order food.
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Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria
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This is the closest you will get to having an authentic Neapolitan style pizza in Tampa.
Being from a city near Napoli in Italy (where pizza was originated), I was impressed with their quality of pizza.
Worth paying the extra charge to add buffalo mozzarella imported from Italy on your pizza.
For dessert, don't miss a real Italian specialty, Nutella pizza!
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Hattricks
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Hattricks is a famous sports bar with the best wings in town.
Well known for their delicious shake and bake style wings. Choose your sauce and make sure you try them Dave's way,
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OLIVIA
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This is not really downtown, but the short drive can be definitely worth it if you like Italian food.
Among their appetizers, the Cicchetti tower is a must, including all their best appetizers at once (goat cheese arancini, cheese, crostini, etc).
Pasta and pizzas are delicious as well, with sauces cooked slowly for hours (like the 24h cooked Bolognese ragu's sauce).
Make sure to reserve a table in advance!
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🍸Nightlife (bars and dance clubs)
CW's Gin Joint
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Retro vibe and exclusive atmosphere in this stylish craft cocktails bar. Live jazz music on Friday and Saturday night.
To dine there, you will likely need a reservation during the weekends. But I usually pick this spot just for drinks, and the bar is first come first serve. Also, it's very common to just hang out around the bar on the weekends even without a seat.
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511 Franklin
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One of the dance club of Tampa with DJ set and a full craft cocktails bar.
Sometimes on weekends there is a line to get inside, but it's fairly quick.
If you like to dance, this is a really good option to check out.
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American Social - Tampa
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American Social is one of the must do in Tampa.
The outdoor patio has a beautiful water view over Tampa downtown, and the views turns really cool at sunset time.
Both restaurants and bars get very busy during the day and at night, and the vibe is always extremely lively.
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Day 2 - Explore St Pete and have a beach day. Options to go out at night in St Pete or Ybor city in Tampa.
📝 Summary of Day 2 - Don't miss the opportunity of having a typical Floridian day at one of the beautiful beaches around Tampa Bay area. Start the day in St. Petersburg ("St. Pete") and have a stroll and breakfast downtown before picking one of the beaches either near St. Pete or further south (Annamaria Island or Siesta Key). At night, decide whether to go out in St. Pete or have a crazy fun night in Ybor city in Tampa.
📌 St. Petersburg (or just "St. Pete") is an awesome town to check out either during the day or at night. The atmosphere is always going to be fun, friendly, and relaxed.
If you decide to go to St. Pete during the day, I suggest walking along the Bayshore of Vinoy Park until the Bayshore Dr NE of St. Pete where the Pier is. You will see plenty of people doing sport activities, chilling on the hammocks hung between trees, having picnic on the grass or just strolling around. There is certainly a happy vibe in the air.
Vinoy Park
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Vinoy park is pretty big, but a good starting point where also park your car is where the volleyball courts are located on the North Shore. Look for North Shore aquatic complex on the map.
From there, you can have a very pleasant walk towards the Pier of St. Pete.
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St. Pete Pier
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The St. Pete Pier District has been awarded with many awards for the great new urban design.
There are many things on the Pier such as a rooftop bar/restaurant, a small beach with a bistro, a family park, and very often there are events or markets along the pier.
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For breakfast or brunch, there are many spots on the Bayshore or downtown St. Pete. One place on the Bayshore worth to mention is a restaurant serving also brunch:
Social Roost
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This is the place to go for an elevated brunch experience right in the heart of St. Pete, with a delicious globally inspired menu.
In the weekend brunch you will find a variety of dishes, from pancakes and eggs benedict, to Mediterranean shakshuka, Peruvian bowl, Italian frittata and much more.
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📌 After breakfast/coffee or brunch, it's time to head to the beach. There are so many gorgeous beaches around St. Pete or further south towards Sarasota. Pick the one that fits the most your ideal vibe, whether it's a relaxing beach day or more a fun day near a beach bar with entertainment.
No matter which beach you will choose, remember that the sunset views from any of these beaches are breathtaking.
For some of these beaches and specifically the ones in St. Pete, plan on being at the beach as early as possible, ideally by 10 am, if you. The traffic and the parking situations gets very busy during peak season (February - May). Also, keep in mind that street parking by St. Pete beach or at the public beach parking lots for the whole day, may end up being almost the same cost of a daily flat rate at any of the beachfront hotels in St. Pete; sometimes it might be worth to pay few dollars extra and park right by the beach without having to look for a street parking anywhere available.
🏖️ Best beaches Tampa Bay
- If you are looking for pristine sandy beaches, and a peaceful day, these are the best options:
Fort De Soto Park
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This pristine beach is within a stunning park where you can do birds watching, kayaking and waterfront camping as well.
The Fort De Soto Park is really a nature lover's dream with its miles of serene, sandy shoreline.
Usually the entrance fee is 5 USD, and it includes also the parking. It's very convenient, relaxing, and you don't need to get there as early as other beaches since the spots are less limited.
Even if the park is very popular, it never feels busy since it's a large park.
The drive is about 45 min from Tampa.
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Anna Maria Island Beach
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One of the most beautiful beaches, with plenty of parking spots and crystal clear water.
The ride there goes through the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, one of the longest cable-stayed concrete bridges in the world, offering a fantastic panoramic view that will make you feel you are driving on the water.
If you do spend the day there, grab lunch or dinner at the restaurant Mar Vista with water view.
The drive is a about 1 hour from Tampa.
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Siesta Beach
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Siesta Key Beach is another great beach with white sands, known to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the US.
The beach is very wide, spacious, and calm, but the parking spots are very limited if you get there late in the morning.
Go check out also the cute little town walking distance form the beach.
The drive is a bit over 1 hour from Tampa.
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- If you want to add some fun to your beach day, these are the most beautiful pristine beaches near entertaining and lively beach bars:
Postcard Inn Beach Bar & Snack Shack
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PCI is at the top of the list of the most fun beach bars. It's one of the favorite spots for locals to have fun during the day.
There are multiple volleyball courts, corn hole game, and a DJ during the weekend that will make everyone dance at the bar.
PCI is also an hotel, and they do have a parking lot for a daily flat rate (it can cost anywhere between 25 and 45 $ per day, depending on the season). It fills up quickly, so it's ideal to get there before 11 am on the weekends.
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Jimmy B's Beach Bar
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This is a fun tiki style beach bar, lively during the day and at night, when there is live music entertaining the crowd.
It's few steps away from the other fun beach bar PCI. I would pick Jimmy N's more for the evening.
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Caddy's Treasure Island
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Caddy's has multiple locations in Tampa, but the best one is on Treasure Island. Daily live music, party vibe, and very good food selection too.
The parking here is extremely limited, so if you are driving, make sure to get to the beach early.
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👉 PRO tip from a local
If you have decided to go to one of the beaches in St. Pete, but you don't want to deal with the parking issues, you can use the rapid SunRunner service, available every 15 minutes. It's a very easy way to get to the beach from downtown St. Pete and anywhere in between. It has its own lane so you won't have any traffic or parking issues if you use it.
SunRunner buses arrive every 15 minutes from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday-Saturday; evening service runs every 30 minutes from 8 p.m. to midnight.
At the link below, you can see an interactive map of the route of the SunRunner, as well as parking options along the route including free on-street parking lots or parking garages.
🔎 Useful links
If you decide to go out at night in St. Petersburg:
St. Petersburg has become an important hub for locals of both Tampa and St. Petersburg, and it's town that is booming with great restaurants, vintage and hipster shops, museums, fun bars, and dance clubs. There is something for everyone, it's super friendly, and the vibe can match any age, budget and taste.
👉 PRO tip from a local
Like in downtown Tampa, also the city of St. Petersburg offers a super convenient free trolley service 7 days a week. It runs every 15-20 min and it goes from the St. Pete Pier around downtown, running until about 10 pm.
🔎 Useful links
👉 PRO tip from a local
A very popular way for locals to explore St. Petersburg is by taking the ferry from Tampa, called the 'Cross Bay', connecting in less than 1 hour via ferry Downtown St. Pete to Downtown Tampa. It goes from the Convention center in Tampa to the Port of St. Pete, near the Dali museum in St. Petersburg. It works also late in the evening, till about 11 pm and the round trip is only 24$ for an adult fare. The fun part is that the ferry has a full bar service on board.
🔎 Useful links
Where to go out at night - three areas/streets very lively at night:
📌 Around 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue (you can as reference point the restaurant and bar 'Copper Shaker' or the bar 'Five Bucks' drinkery)
📌 Central Avenue, around 11th street (you can use as reference point the bar 'No Vacancy')
📌 Beach Drive NE (you can use as reference a starting point at the restaurant & rooftop bar 'The Canopy' and an ending point at the pier on 600 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701)
🍸Nightlife (bars and dance clubs)
Jannus Live
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Jannus Live is a cool outdoor music venue with always something interesting going on. Check out the events online beforehand.
It's located in the heart of the nightlife of St. Pete.
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Mandarin Hide
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Bustling and trendy bar mixing old-school cocktails.
Both Tampa Seminole Heights and St. Pete downtown locations have a great cocktails menu and a retro-style interior.
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Copper Shaker
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Copper Shaker has two locations, one in Tampa Ybor and one in downtown St. Pete. But locations offers an amazing selection of craft cocktails, but the one in St. Pete has also a dance club attached, connected to the main bar by a hidden corridor in the back of the bar.
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Club 201 at the Detroit
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Very chill bar where to enjoy cocktails, draft beer & live music. Steampunk themed.
Live Jazz on Wednesdays and $5 old fashioned, more mature crowd from the rest of the party block in downtown.
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The Saint
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It's a cool and unique speakeasy, with a theme matching everywhere: from the sinners cards posted on a big board to the lighting and decorations.
The food is not great, but it's worth checking out the place for the experience of it.
Seating is limited, so it's best to reserve a table.
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Good Night John Boy
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Loud party music, making everyone dance around.
Not recommended for food, but just for a good time and some some 70's boogie vibes!
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El Cante
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Cool spot with a Latin vibe, where to dance with live music salsa and bachata on Friday and Saturday night.
It's located on 10 Beach Dr NE, and the dancing floor is in the basement.
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Dirty Laundry
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Just few minutes drive further than St. Pete downtown, there is the cool speakeasy Dirty Laundry, The look of a diner and laundromat gives this place a real charm.
It's super busy on weekend nights, and it turns into a club with DJ around 10 pm. During the day, it's great to hang out in the trendy patio and try any of the tasty brunch food options.
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🍽️ Restaurants
Bacchus Wine Bistro
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Trendy wine bistro for some French inspired delicacies and good wine.
Ideal for a romantic dinner or just hang out with a glass of wine with friends.
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Good Fortune St. Pete
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A uniquely decorated Asian fusion restaurant located underground with an electric vibe, where you can enjoy sushi and also have a great time booking your own karaoke room in advance. Super fun experience!
Don't miss trying the milkbread dessert.
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Good Intentions
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This restaurant is entirely vegan and the food is simply outstanding. Probably the best vegan food in the whole Tampa Bay area. Gnocchi and fried tofu are delicious.
Nice vibe and cool art in this hipster eco-nature themed spot.
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COPA
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The tapas offered at this spot combine the amazing flavors of Latin America and the Caribbean, and prices are very affordable.
Open also for late dinner, and it doesn't accept reservations. Very cool ambience.
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Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria
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Incredibly tasty pizzas, and very close to the authentic Neapolitan style pizza.
I recommend adding buffalo mozzarella on top pf the pizza and try the Nutella pizza as a dessert, a typical Italian treat in a pizza place.
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Tryst Gastro Lounge
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Nice spot where to chill and hang out on the Beach Dr NE strip, with good ambience and music. You can enjoy a drink but the bar is also serving tasty food like the delicious mushroom flatbread and the truffle fries.
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Red Mesa Cantina
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Mexican taqueria and tequila bar, with a charming outdoor patio. Nice option if you feel like having Mexican food.
There is also a walk-up stand, called Red Mesa Mercado.
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Allelo
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Cool wine bar with a tapas-style menu offering dishes inspired by the regions near the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea. Turkish eggs, hummus, pasta, burrata, charcuterie board are just some on the example of great plates you can taste while drinking a glass of wine.
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Engine No. 9
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This is a the place to go if you are craving a burger, craft beer, and you want to also watch sports on TV.
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Ford's Garage St. Pete
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The decor of this place is very intriguing, all automotive themed accents, including having tires as sinks!
Their burgers are very appreciated in the area.
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👉 PRO tip from a local
If you happen to be in St. Petersburg on the first Friday of the month, don't miss the opportunity of experiencing the "First Friday" of St. Pete. It's an incredibly popular free event that takes place every first Friday of the month. It's a block party starting usually at 6 pm with live music, food vendors, and drinking on the street, located in downtown St. Petersburg on Central Avenue between 2nd and 3rd avenue.
Keep in mind that taking an Uber that night back to Tampa will be very expensive (anywhere between 40$ and 80$ is what you should expect to pay on the way back to Tampa).
If you decide to go out at night in Ybor City:
If you go out in Ybor, be ready to have an eclectic experience.
Ybor City is Tampa's historic district with a vibrant personality. Peaceful and relaxing during the day, it transforms into a hub of adult-oriented entertainment at night. Just walk on 7th avenue and you will find yourself in a strip full of fun and unique vibes, where the sheer number of bars, clubs, and restaurants guarantees that there is definitely something for everyone: karaoke bars, gay friendly bars, night clubs, dive bars, kava bar, music venues, comedy club, drag queen clubs, breweries, as well as fancier bars and restaurants. There is entertainment for everyone.
You will also see a large number of cigar bars where you can enjoy a cigar that has been hand rolled on site. Tampa’s Ybor City was once known as the cigar capital of the world. Towards the end of 19th century, for various reasons (American tariffs on imported cigars and political issues in Cuba), Cuban cigar manufacturers to build factories in the United States in the latter part of the 19th century. One of them was Martínez-Ybor's, who picked Tampa for cigar manufacturing city due the warm, humid climate and its proximity to Cuba.
Unlike Tampa downtown or Hyde Park that have an early bed time, the nightlife is very active and bustling until 3 am, including late night munchies spots. Unlike Soho area that is preferred by college age audience, Ybor is suitable for every age.
🍽️ Restaurants
Columbia Restaurant
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More than for the food, this restaurant is iconic in Tampa and popular for being the oldest restaurant in Florida.
It's a traditional Spanish Cuban restaurant, a branch of a long-standing local chain dating back to 1905. It's a very large restaurant, the ambience is very unique and colorful tiles decorate the place.
Awesome the flamenco shows at night. Make sure to reserve a table where the show is performed.
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Casa Santo Stefano
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Great dining place, serving authentic dishes from Sicily, Italy (except for some dishes like chicken parm, which is definitely not from Italy). One of the best Italian resturant in Tampa.
Nice vintage Italian setting.
Recommended a drink on the rooftop before dinner.
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James Joyce Irish Pub & Eatery
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Very nice nice Irish Pub right off the main strip of Ybor.
Large craft beer selection, whiskey and scotch. Their burgers are very popular as well.
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Samurai Blue Sushi & Sake Bar
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Very good sushi place but also great design of the interior, with the typical historical Ybr style characterized by high ceiling, red bricks and industrial look.
Right in the square of Centro Ybore, on the second fllor above the Improv Comedy club,
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🍸Nightlife (bars and dance clubs)
Double Decker
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Fun atmosphere and dancing karaoke bar, maybe the best in Tampa Bay.
It gets very packed, and sometimes the wait for your turn to sing can be quite long. It's still entairtaining to watch other people see.
When the weather is nice, it's possible to hang out in the patio in the back, way calmer than the energetic indoor.
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The Copper Shaker Ybor
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I would define this as one of the "fancier" bars and restaurants in Ybor.
Food is pretty good and craft-cocktails curated and creative. The atmosphere is less wild and party vibe than other bars or venues on the 7th strip.
On the weekends, before the DJ music starts, some soft lounge music is being played live.
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The Ritz Ybor
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Great music venue, featuring both national and local artists. Three music rooms, very cool set up with a velvet couch style mixed with an electric vibe.
It's general admission only and no seating in the concert area.
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The Castle
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This is a goth/punk dancing club where nothing is a taboo and no rules are set.
If you are looking for a normal dance club, then the Castle isn't for you. It's everything but traditional.
There is a nice patio, few bars, cool lights and three floors where you can find also some wild dancing areas like in the dungeons.
There is usually a cover between 5 or 10 $, but the atmosphere is so unique that it's worthy.
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Funny Bone Comedy Club
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Classic layout of a comedy club, with bricks backdrop and soft lights. This Improv Comedy club in the heart of Ybor offers comedy shows or hosting free fun open mic nights.
For the actual comedy shows, a ticket is required and the hall is separated from the bar where open mic nights are hosted.
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Showbar Ybor
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Popular bar, with shows and live DJ music.
It's one of the spots where people seem to have a good time.
Sometimes they offer free shot and free entry before a certain time.
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Coyote Ugly Saloon
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Fun party vibe, with people dancing on the bar, playing beer pong, take shots.
Very friendly and lively venue.
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Club Prana
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Prana is a dance club on five different floors, with a different type of music on each floor (from Latin, hip-hop, dance music and reggaeton).
Not all floors are always open, depending on how busy is the night.
The rooftop bar is nice to checkout, more quiet and with an extravagant decor.
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Day 3 - Enjoy a day at a Florida spring or go kayaking at a mangrove sandbar. In the evening, go to Water street in Tampa and Sparkman wharf.
📝 Summary of Day 3 - You can't leave Florida without having visited one of the many beautiful springs around Tampa, or went kayaying/paddle boarding among mangrove trees, one of Florida true's native. Spend the day at a spring or a mangroove sandbar. In the evening, catch the sunset near Water Street in Tampa and then end your night at Sparkman Wharf.
📌 There are so many gorgeous springs around Tampa, and the choice is really dependent on how far are you willing to drive. Remember that at any spring you will find a delimited swimming area, separated from where kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards can go.
Here two options of stunning springs with a different driving distance from Tampa:
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
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This is probably the most popular spring close to Tampa, about 1 hour drive. The water in the river is crystal clear, and there are many activities available, inlcuding a waterpark and a sandy white beach. I find the river area where to paddle board or kayak much prettier and enchanting than the swimming area.
During busy months (summer or holidays), often the park reaches capacity, and they don't allow further entry for the remainder of the day. So make sure to get there early, or if you just want to go kayaking or paddle boarding in the weeki wachee river, book online your rental at Weeki Fresh Water Adventures.
The spring has also an app availble to download, where you can receive real-time park notification including park capacity updates.
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Rainbow Springs State Park
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Rainbow Springs is often considered the most picturesque of Florida's springs. The water is extraordinarily clear and the landscape unique.
It's a bit more far from Tampa than Weeki Wachee, about 1.40 hour. But it's worth the long drive.
There is a beautiful swimming area in sapphire-blue water, and there are canoe and kayak rentals available.
It gets very busy during weekends and holidays/busy months, so get there early. When the park reaches capacity at the headsprings entrance, the park closes to all visitors.
There is also an option to camp there overnight.
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📌 If you don't feel like driving to a spring, but still want to experience kayaking or paddle boarding in a nice setting, I suggest going to a mangrove sandbar where kayak and paddle board rentals are available.
Here my favorite mangrove sandbar around Tampa:
The Getaway
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This is one of the coolest mangrove sandbar I have been to. It's right off the Gandy bridge connecting St. Petersburg and Tampa, and it's about 15 min drive from Tampa.
It's a Florida Keys inspired waterfront tiki bar, which offers drinks, food, and the possibility to rent a kayak or paddle board next door at the Urban Kai shop to paddle among beautiful mangrove trees.
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If you picked the option of going to a mangrove sandbar, that won't take the whole day like a spring day. So you could combine this activity with any other activity mentioned for Day 1 or Day 2 of this guide.
📌 After spending the day at a spring or kayaking, I suggest spending your evening around Water Street area, making sure to be there when the sunset colors make the sky look magical.
Water street is a recently reimagined neighborhood: from business district, it transformed into a bustling donwtown area with water views, bars, restaurants and hotels.
📌I suggest making your first stop at American Social to watch the sunset, a bar located strategically between Riverwalk and Water street district.
American Social - Tampa
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American Social is one of the must do in Tampa.
The outdoor patio has a beautiful water view over Tampa downtown, and the views turns really cool at sunset time.
Both restaurants and bars get very busy during the day and at night, and the vibe is always extremely lively.
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Alternatively, there are two other cool rooftop bars where you could watch the sunset from:
Beacon Tampa Rooftop Bar
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This is the city’s highest rooftop bar, on the top floor of the JW Marriott hotel.
Reccomended for superb views of Tampa downtown and the delightful atmosphere.
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Azure at EDITION
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The Azure is the greek inspired restaurant on the rooftop of the hotel The Edition, hosting a Michelin-starred chef.
The cuisine is good but not not exceptional, but the location and ambience is really the winning factor.
You don't have to dine there to access the trendy rooftop pool bar, from where you can have great panoramic views over downtown Tampa.
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📌After having watched the sunset, head to Sparkman Wharf walking on Water street, the continuation of the Tampa Riverwalk.
Sparkman Wharf
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Sparkman Wharf is a cute outdoor space with a relaxing open-air vibe.
There is a bowling alley (Splitsville), a german beer-garden (LightHaus), several food stalls with different cuisine options, and a lovely grass seating area.
Often there is live music or major sport events projected on the big screen.
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📌If you don't want to get food at Sparkman Wharf, there are other dining options in the Water street district. Here my favorite:
The Pearl Tampa
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The Pearl is a midwest gastropub in the heart of Water Street district, one of the newest and trendy area of Tampa.
Fancy but energetic atmosphere, great cocktails, delicious corn bread, and the homemade pies are a must (the brown sugar one is really tasty).
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Noble Rice
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Great quality sushi and elegant vibe. Dishes are fresh and flavorful.
Prices are a bit high, but in line with the dining experience offered.
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Fabrica Pizza
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Excellent pizza Neapolitan style, with great flavors and fresh ingredients.
Despite the nice location, I don't love the seating area. But the food is definetely great.
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Other Tampa's must do
Gasparilla pirate festival
Gasparilla is one of the country's largest and most unique outdoor fest. It celebrates the pirat Jose Gaspar in a large pirate-themed event where hundreds of people gather on the streets to watch the parades, dress up as a pirate and attend Gasparilla music events hosted throughout the city. It's magical to see how the whole city for a month carries an energizing and festive atmosphere everywhere, from eateries to music venues, bars and shops.
There are many parades around the Gasparilla period, and one is entirely tailored for kids and families.
The Gasparilla event takes place over multiple weeks, between end of January and mid-February.
Green river
In occasion of St Patrick's celebrations, the Hillsborough river of Tampa turns green. The riverwalk fills up with people assisiting to this entairtaining change of color.
Bush gardens
Busch Gardens is an animal theme amusement park, located only 10/15 minutes drive from Tampa downtown. It's a family-oriented theme park, but there are many activities and fun also for adults. Just to mention few, throughout the year there is a food and wine festival, halloween shows, or music concerts at night.
Firestone GrandPrix
One of the IndyCar series grand prix is held near the beautiful downtown of the town of St. Petesburg, with spectacular water views along the circuit. The event takes place usually in February.
Conclusions
I hope you found my guide helpful!
Don't forget to download the free Thatch App to get easier access from your phone, it's super convenient and user friendly and you can also save as many places as you want among the ones I mentioned to check out during your trip📱If you liked this itinerary trip, click on save and it will appear in your library of 'Saved' guides.
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Do you still have any questions, concerns on your trip to Tampa? Do you need more restaurant or nightlife tips on Tampa and St Petersburg?
Don't hesitate to send me an email to marti.polo@outlook.com
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