Visitors Guide to Tampa, Florida, USA

The city of Tampa is situated on the western coasteach day, Tampa Airport offers arange of
of the state of Florida in the USA.convenient ground transport, such as shuttle buses,
With a thriving commercial seaport and manytaxis and car rentaloptions.
waterfront areas, Tampa is also closeto a number ofTampa Hotels:
notable beaches, such as Clearwater and St. Pete.Being a popular and sunny coastal city, with many
Located acrossfrom St. Petersburg and within easyexceptional attractions, it comesas no surprise that
reach of Orlando, the city has much to offervisitors,Tampa offers an array of hotels, motels, bed and
including many historic sites, family attractions andbreakfasts, andaffordable accommodation. Some of
major sporting venues.the most popular hotels in the city can befound in
Tampa currently has a population in excess ofthe heart of the downtown district, close to facilities
300,000 and covers more than 110square miles / 285such as shops andrestaurants. Also, a number of
square kilometers.waterfront hotels in Tampa offer exceptional
Tampa also features a wealth of shopping centers,coastalviews and are extremely desirable, although
together with restaurants, barsand a healthy nightlife.the hotel rates often carry a premium,particularly
Much of city life is centered around the downtownduring the high season, which is from January to April.
area,which contains the Port of Tampa and theWeekend andsummer rates are usually reduced and
Waterfront district. With two universities,manythis is a good time to find discounts.
entertainment venues and the outstanding TampaTampa Restaurants:
Bay Performing Arts Center,the city has earned itselfTampa has an abundance of restaurants, which are
a reputation for being Florida's cultural center.readily available and suit everypalate. Restaurants,
Tampa Tourism:cafes and bars have developed greatly in recent
Tourist attractions in Tampa are extremelyyears, due tothe rapidly expanding tourism trade and
impressive, with many superb beachesnearby makingbusy seaport. Concentrated around thecentral areas
Tampa the perfect holiday destination. Facilitiesof Tampa, in the Hyde Park neighborhood -
include imposinglandmarks and monuments, museumsparticularly along South
and art galleries, many must-see sights andfamilyHoward Avenue, the waterfront and throughout the
attractions, recreational activities, and a number oflively Ybor district, most typesof cuisine can be found
large parklands andgardens. Top attractions includein Tampa, including fast food at large food courts
Busch Gardens, which is one of the best themeparksinshopping malls, traditional Hispanic eateries and
in the whole of Florida, with thrilling rides combinedexclusive seafood restaurantsalong the coastline.
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.
Wachee Springs, the extremely historic Sacred HeartFacilities in 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 -
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Throughout the year thewhich is locatedin the Ybor Historic District, and Old
cityregularly features many exciting festivals, includingHyde Park Village in Tampa's Old Hyde Parkdistrict,
the extremely popularwhere you will find a mixture of modern stores,
Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which is held each yearspecialty shops and artgalleries, in a particularly scenic
during January and always attractslarge crowds.setting.
Tampa Transport:Tampa Weather:
Around Tampa, public transport is well ordered andTampa features warm and sunny weather, with
the city is easy to reach byroad, with nearbypleasant breezes from the ocean.
highways and interstates. Greyhound buses operateTemperatures during June through August are at
withintheir hottest 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 inJanuary are the coldest months with daytime
advance.temperatures remaining extremelymild and warm,
Tampa International Airport (TPA) stands around 7generally around 22°C / 72°F, although lows
miles / 11 km from the citycenter and is an importantof
transport hub, regarded as one of America's15°C / 59°F may be experienced.
mostefficient airports. With many passengers arriving