Tampa Bay
Around Tampa Bay
Photo: Alvesgaspar · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Metro area · Florida · 3.4M people
Tampa Bay
“The Big Guava”, “Sunshine City”, “Sparkling City”
Tampa · St. Petersburg · Clearwater · Largo · Pinellas Park
Where the Gulf breeze meets the city lights.
Tampa Bay Rays Columbia BlueTampa Bay Lightning BlueUSF Green
Welcome to Tampa Bay! Whether you're here for the beaches, the sports, or the Cuban sandwiches, you'll find a laid-back vibe with plenty to do. Grab a cold one, catch a sunset, and enjoy the good life.
Clubs for Tampa Bay
No clubs for Tampa Bay yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Tampa Bay. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Tampa Bay. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Raymond James Stadium NFL stadium, home of the Buccaneers
- Amalie Arena Home of the Lightning, downtown Tampa
- Tropicana Field Home of the Rays, in St. Petersburg
- Salvador Dalí Museum Surrealist art museum on the St. Pete waterfront
- Ybor City Historic District Historic cigar-making district with nightlife
- Tampa Riverwalk 2.6-mile waterfront walkway along the Hillsborough River
- Outdoors Kayak through mangroves at Weedon Island Preserve
- Outdoors Bike the Pinellas Trail
- With kids Visit the Florida Aquarium
- With kids Spend a day at Busch Gardens
- Evenings Bar-hop in Ybor City's historic district
- Evenings Catch live music at Jannus Live in St. Pete
- Locals love Beach bars and tiki huts
- Locals love Craft breweries
Through the year
- Gasparilla Pirate Festival January Pirate invasion and parade in Tampa
- Florida State Fair February State fair with rides, food, and exhibits
- Clearwater Jazz Holiday October Free jazz concerts on the waterfront
- St. Petersburg Grand Prix April IndyCar street race through downtown
- Tampa Bay Margarita Festival April Tasting event with local restaurants and tequila
Humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild, drier winters. Best time to be out is from November to April when it's pleasant. Best: November to April
Talk like a local
- “The Burg”
- Nickname for St. Petersburg
- “Cigar City”
- Nickname for Tampa, referencing its cigar history
- “Bolts”
- Shorthand for the Tampa Bay Lightning
- “SoHo”
- South Howard Avenue, a dining and nightlife district
Getaways
- Lakeland Visit the historic Bok Tower Gardens
- Homosassa Springs See manatees at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
- Arcadia Small-town charm and the Peace River
- Sarasota Beaches and the Ringling Museum
Local flavour
Teams
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL
- Tampa Bay Lightning NHL
- Tampa Bay Rays MLB
- Tampa Bay Rowdies USL Championship
- South Florida Bulls NCAA Division I
Eat and drink
- Cuban sandwich Born in Ybor City's cigar factories, a pressed sandwich with ham, roasted pork, Swiss, pickles, and mustard.
- Deviled crab A Tampa specialty, a croquette of blue crab meat, breadcrumbs, and spices, often sold at local seafood shacks.
- Stone crab claws Sweet, cold claws served with mustard sauce, a Gulf Coast delicacy.
- Grouper sandwich Fried or grilled grouper on a bun, a staple of beachside restaurants.
Where people go
- Gulf Coast beaches Clearwater Beach and St. Pete Beach are iconic for their white sand and calm waters.
- Ybor City historic district Once the cigar capital, now a vibrant neighborhood with brick streets, murals, and nightlife.
- Waterfront parks and riverwalks Tampa Riverwalk and St. Pete's Pier offer scenic paths along the water.
- Museums like the Salvador Dalí Museum A world-class art museum in St. Pete, along with the Tampa Museum of Art.
Heritage and traditions
Tampa Bay is proud of its Cuban and Spanish heritage, the historic cigar city of Ybor, and its world-famous beaches and sunshine. Locals love the blend of old-world traditions with a laid-back coastal vibe.
This time of year in Tampa Bay
- Stone crab season October-May Claws are harvested from October to May, a local delicacy.
- Tarpon Springs Greek Festival October Greek food, music, and dancing at the Sponge Docks.
- Ybor City Guavaween October A Latin-flavored Halloween block party with costumes and music.
- Cuban Sandwich Festival October Competition and tasting of Tampa's iconic sandwich in Ybor.
Say it like a local: “The 'Burg” — Short for St. Petersburg, the local way to say it.
Festivals
- Tarpon Springs Greek Festival October Greek food, music, and dancing at the Sponge Docks.
- Ybor City Guavaween October A Latin-flavored Halloween block party with costumes and music.
- Tampa Bay Caribbean Carnival June Colorful parade and music celebrating Caribbean heritage.
- Mainsail Art Festival April Juried fine art show in St. Pete's Vinoy Park.
- Sant'Yago Illuminated Night Parade February A Latin-themed illuminated parade through Ybor City.
- Cuban Sandwich Festival October Competition and tasting of Tampa's iconic sandwich in Ybor.
Landmarks with a story
- Tampa Theatre A 1926 movie palace with Mediterranean architecture and a Wurlitzer organ.
- Tampa Bay History Center Exhibits on pirates, cigar making, and the region's Native American past.
- Sunken Gardens A 100-year-old botanical garden in St. Pete with tropical plants and flamingos.
- Sponge Docks of Tarpon Springs A working waterfront with Greek culture, sponge boats, and shops.
- Ybor City Museum State Park Tells the story of the cigar industry and immigrant workers.
- Henry B. Plant Museum The ornate Tampa Bay Hotel, now part of the University of Tampa.
Food traditions
- Cuban coffee (cafecito) A strong sweet espresso, often shared after meals or at social gatherings.
- Medianoche sandwich A Cuban sandwich on sweet egg bread, a late-night favorite.
- 1905 Salad A classic from the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor, with ham, cheese, olives, and garlic.
- Greek seafood at the Sponge Docks Octopus, grilled fish, and baklava in Tarpon Springs, a Greek heritage.
- Conch fritters Caribbean-inspired fried bites, popular at beach bars.
Music and arts
- Ybor City Latin music scene Salsa, rumba, and live bands in historic venues.
- Tampa Theatre's classic film series Silent films and old movies with organ accompaniment.
- Chihuly Collection Dale Chihuly's blown glass art, a St. Pete landmark.
- Florida Orchestra The region's symphony, performing across Tampa Bay.
A little history
- 1880s-1930s Cigar industry boom in Ybor City, built by Cuban and Spanish immigrants.
- 1898 Tampa served as a major staging area for the Spanish-American War.
- Early 1900s Tarpon Springs became the sponge capital of the world, led by Greek divers.
- 1960s Cuban exiles brought new waves of culture and cuisine after the 1959 revolution.
- 1987 The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was rebuilt after a 1980 disaster, becoming a local icon.
Rivalries
- Lightning vs. Florida Panthers NHL in-state rivalry
- Buccaneers vs. Miami Dolphins NFL Florida showdown
- USF vs. UCF College football rivalry
- Tampa vs. St. Petersburg Friendly rivalry over the best downtown
- Game day Spring training baseball
- Game day Bucs tailgating
- Outdoors Fishing off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
- Outdoors Walking or biking the Bayshore Boulevard
- With kids Clearwater Marine Aquarium
- With kids Sunken Gardens
Tampa Bay speech mixes a Southern drawl with Cuban and Spanish inflections. Locals say 'y'all' and 'fixin' to,' but also drop Spanish words like 'cafecito' and 'medianoche.' The accent is softer than the Deep South, with a fast, friendly rhythm.
Only here
- The Gasparilla pirate invasion—Tampa's Mardi Gras with a pirate ship and bead throwing.
- The Salvador Dalí Museum holds the largest collection of his works outside Spain.
- The Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs are the only place in the US where you can watch sponge divers bring up natural sponges.
- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' stadium has a pirate ship that fires cannons after touchdowns.
New here? A few tips
- Embrace the humidity—light clothing and air conditioning are your friends.
- Learn to love the Cuban sandwich and cafecito; they're local identity.
- Say 'St. Pete' not 'St. Petersburg'—locals will smile.
- Traffic on I-275 can be brutal; plan around rush hours.
- Hurricane season (June-November) means having a plan and supplies.
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Nearby
Every areaLakelandFloridaWhere lakes and citrus meet.WauchulaFloridaWhere the Peace River winds through cattle countryHomosassa SpringsFloridaWhere the springs meet the GulfArcadiaFloridaWhere the Peace River meets the rodeoSarasotaFloridaWhere the Gulf meets the artsSebringFloridaWhere the race never ends and the lakes are always calm.Punta GordaFloridaQuiet waterfront living with a splash of Old Florida.The VillagesFloridaWhere neighbors wave and strangers smile
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.