Tampa and the Gulf Coast holidays

The Gulf Coast lets its natural allure speak for itself: coquina seashells blushing pastel, massive sunsets stopping traffic, and sandy beaches stretching seaward. The beaches should be your top priority. There are so many, you’ll have trouble choosing which to visit – so hop between the coast, barrier islands and keys to see as many as you can. The warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico entice paddling toes; and the shores are safe, sandy and shallow.

People have been coming to this gorgeous area of coastline and sunshine for decades, including Thomas Edison. You can visit his fantastic Winter Estate in Fort Myers and see some his many inventions. (He patented more than 1,000 during his life.) In fact, the Gulf Coast area has a surprising wealth of culture, if you know where to look.  

• If you’re staying in Tampa city to explore the local sights, Downtown Tampa and the Channel District are popular places to stay..
• Explore the historic Ybor City in Tampa centre and museums that showcase the work of Salvador Dali and David Chihuly. 
• In the wider Tampa Bay area, check out Gulfport for a touch of Florida Keys weirdness on the mainland.
• If you stay in nearby Clearwater, you can also visit Caladesi Island State Park, a beautiful barrier island only accessible by boat. St Pete’s Beach and St Petersburg are also popular areas to visit, thanks to a Dali Museum, a Chihuly museum, and yet more fantastic beaches. Just north of Tampa sits Crystal River, the manatee capital of the world that’s also renowned for its first-rate water sports. 
• Sarasota is a short hop across the bay from St Petersburg. Here you can enjoy The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, beautiful local keys and the lush Sarasota Jungle Gardens.
•  In nearby Bradenton you can check out such attractions as Anna Maria Island, Lido Key and Longboat Key. 
• Stay near Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria Island for the most stupendous sunsets from City Pier. Stay near St Armand’s Circle for charming restaurants. Further out, the city of Fort Myers is known for its water sports. Stay on Fort Myers Beach to try them out. 
• Naples is a small and elegant city with an abundance of beautiful, but challenging, golf courses. Look for Naples hotels near Fifth Avenue South if you’re planning to spend time sampling the city’s famous shopping district. Below Naples, Marco Island is considered the gateway to the Everglades. Luxury resorts have sprouted all along the fantastically long beach on the west coast of the barrier island. With the nearby nature reserves, it’s a great place to watch and photograph wildlife.

There was a time when Tampa was just a Gulf Coast gateway city – with travellers fleeing to the beach as soon as they’d grabbed their bag off the luggage carousel. That time has passed. The city has upped its game – and, most importantly, its food scene: Tampa is no longer just the city where the Cuban sandwich was invented, but the place where the Cuban sandwich has been artfully deconstructed. Anyone who doesn’t take some time in the city is missing out. Here is our list of the top things to do in Tampa. 

1. In a state where it would be mad not to make the most of the weather, al fresco meeting places are a must – like the Tampa Riverwalk. What Tampa lacks in beaches, it makes up for with this 2.4-mile stretch of renovated riverfront, which was completed in 2016. Locals and tourists alike meet, meander and relax along these lazy banks of the wide Hillsborough river. The bridges are lit up at night, and the parks and museums throng with chilled visitors in the day. Cycle, stroll, or rent paddleboards at Urban Kai. Just don’t rush – this isn’t the kind of place where you need to pound the pavement. 
2. Many of Tampa’s museums huddle around the Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on the riverwalk. There’s the whimsical Glazer Children’s Museum, where kids can play at driving a fire engine or build an epic pillow fort. Next door is the sleek, modern Tampa Museum of Art, with its light-up façade and contemporary exhibitions – and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts isn’t far away. A little further off, but perfectly reachable, is Tampa Bay History Centre, where you can get to the bottom of one of Tampa’s most joyous city festivals. 
3. It’s a U.S. National Historic Landmark, but Ybor City is anything but an old relic. Lying just northwest of Downtown (and easily reached aboard one of the frequent yolk-yellow streetcars), it’s home to Tampa’s best nightlife – plus more than a few free-roaming roosters, which peck around the houses, blissfully oblivious to staring tourists. Ybor City used to be the place where most of the city’s Cuban (and European migrant) community lived and worked – many of them in the cigar factories. If you were holding out on having your first Cuban sandwich, this is the place to give in; and they go down easily along with a café con leche. In the evening this area gets really lively – with skilled bartenders, DJs, live musicians, and plenty of breweries around 7th street, including the famous Cigar City Brewing company. Make a night of it and nip back home just before the roosters crow in the morning. 
4. Tampa is a emininently walkable city and if you want to spend your leisure time outside, you’ll be richly rewarded, thanks to a series of new pop-up areas. Take Sparkman Wharf, Tampa’s downtown leisure spot (it opened 2018). With a good lick of paint, some string lights, a ‘biergarten’ and some pop-up eateries, Tampa’s former dockyard has been transformed into a place where the young and trendy flock. This waterfront location is a great place to relax: its lawn alternates between screening your favourite films on a projector and supplying bowls and hoops for lawn games. Around the lawn, empty shipping containers have been spruced up by street artists and now sell soft tacos, banh mi, dirty fries – anything you can conceivably eat whilst holding a beer in your other hand. Get there on the TECO Line Streetcar, which you can ride for free. 
5. Are you a keen shopper looking for an outlet to feed your addiction? There’s a Premium Outlets just a half-hour drive from Tampa, with all the All American brands you would expect to find, as well as many more. Stock up on wallet-friendly versions of your favourite brands: Calvin Klein, Coach, Converse, Kate Spade… There are dozens of shops here, plus restaurants and plenty of places for snacks. Premium Outlets Tampa is open until 9pm (7pm on Sundays), which gives you ample time to fill any gaps in your holiday wardrobe – and any space in your suitcase. 

With so many beaches nearby, you can afford to be choosy. From north to south, try out these blonde beauties:

1. Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin – accessible by ferry – or even by kayak rental, this quiet beach is very beautiful.
2. Clearwater Beach – right in front of the town, this lively beach hosts daily sunset celebrations at Pier 60.
3. Fort De Soto Park, Tierra Verde – set in a county park, this beach has a safe tidal pool that’s perfect for kids.
4. Siesta Key Beach – one of the whitest beaches around, thanks to the high quartz content in the sand. This quartz also helps keep the sand cool even in hot weather. 
5. Sanibel Island – famous, alongside its sister island, Captiva, for being the best place in Florida for shelling.
6. Fort Myers Beach – a popular area with a set of great hotels, Fort Myers Beach is famous for water sports and presents an annual sand sculpture competition.
7. Naples Beach – this seven-mile beach in Naples resort is absolutely beautiful. Take a fantastic sunset photograph of Naples Pier at the southern end of the beach.

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