Visitors Guide to Tampa, Florida, USA

The city of Tampa is situated on the western coast ofground transport, such as shuttle buses, taxis and car
the state of Florida in the USA.rentaloptions.
With a thriving commercial seaport and manyTampa Hotels:
waterfront areas, Tampa is also closeto a number ofBeing a popular and sunny coastal city, with many
notable beaches, such as Clearwater and St. Pete.exceptional attractions, it comesas no surprise that
Located acrossfrom St. Petersburg and within easyTampa offers an array of hotels, motels, bed and
reach of Orlando, the city has much to offervisitors,breakfasts, andaffordable accommodation. Some of
including many historic sites, family attractions andthe most popular hotels in the city can befound in the
major sporting venues.heart of the downtown district, close to facilities such
Tampa currently has a population in excess ofas shops andrestaurants. Also, a number of
300,000 and covers more than 110square miles / 285waterfront hotels in Tampa offer exceptional
square kilometers.coastalviews and are extremely desirable, although the
Tampa also features a wealth of shopping centers,hotel rates often carry a premium,particularly during the
together with restaurants, barsand a healthy nightlife.high season, which is from January to April. Weekend
Much of city life is centered around the downtownandsummer rates are usually reduced and this is a
area,which contains the Port of Tampa and thegood time to find discounts.
Waterfront district. With two universities,manyTampa Restaurants:
entertainment venues and the outstanding Tampa BayTampa has an abundance of restaurants, which are
Performing Arts Center,the city has earned itself areadily available and suit everypalate. Restaurants,
reputation for being Florida's cultural center.cafes and bars have developed greatly in recent
Tampa Tourism:years, due tothe rapidly expanding tourism trade and
Tourist attractions in Tampa are extremely impressive,busy seaport. Concentrated around thecentral areas
with many superb beachesnearby making Tampa theof Tampa, in the Hyde Park neighborhood - particularly
perfect holiday destination. Facilities includealong South
imposinglandmarks and monuments, museums and artHoward Avenue, the waterfront and throughout the
galleries, many must-see sights andfamily attractions,lively Ybor district, most typesof cuisine can be found
recreational activities, and a number of large parklandsin Tampa, including fast food at large food courts
andgardens. Top attractions include Busch Gardens,inshopping malls, traditional Hispanic eateries and
which is one of the best themeparks in the whole ofexclusive seafood restaurantsalong the coastline.
Florida, with thrilling rides combined with a vast zoo.Tampa Shopping:
Also worth a visit in Tampa are the Florida Aquarium,The city offers a diverse shopping destination, with a
Dinosaur World, the Weekilarge and varied selection ofshops and stores. Facilities
Wachee Springs, the extremely historic Sacred Heartin Tampa include many designer outlets,
Catholic Church and thewell-knowndepartment stores, top boutiques and
Raymond James Stadium, which regularly hosts majorshopping malls. Popular shopping areasinclude the city's
professional football gamesand is the home ground ofhistoric and cultural areas, the Centro Ybor Mall - which
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Throughout the year theis locatedin the Ybor Historic District, and Old Hyde
cityregularly features many exciting festivals, includingPark Village in Tampa's Old Hyde Parkdistrict, where
the extremely popularyou will find a mixture of modern stores, specialty
Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which is held each yearshops and artgalleries, in a particularly scenic setting.
during January and always attractslarge crowds.Tampa Weather:
Tampa Transport:Tampa features warm and sunny weather, with
Around Tampa, public transport is well ordered and thepleasant breezes from the ocean.
city is easy to reach byroad, with nearby highwaysTemperatures during June through August are at their
and interstates. Greyhound buses operate withinhottest and can attain highsof around 33°C /
Tampa and travel to a number of Florida cities,91°F. Winter and spring are warm seasons and
including Orlando and Miami. Otherpopular modes ofmanypeople choose to visit the Tampa area at this
transport include Amtrak trains, inner-city streetcarstime of the year. December and
and taxis,which should generally be booked in advance.January are the coldest months with daytime
Tampa International Airport (TPA) stands around 7temperatures remaining extremelymild and warm,
miles / 11 km from the citycenter and is an importantgenerally around 22°C / 72°F, although lows
transport hub, regarded as one of America'sof
mostefficient airports. With many passengers arriving15°C / 59°F may be experienced.
each day, Tampa Airport offers arange of convenient