Tampa, Florida

So should it be Florida? But please not as superficial and obsessed with young people as Miami? And not as crowded as Orlando? Then Tampa would be an excellent choice. The city with its almost 350,000 residents is located directly on the Gulf of Mexico and the nickname “Sunshine City” already suggests that the weather is not an issue here, as anywhere else in Florida.

According to campingship, the city of Tampa, which is the third largest in the state after Miami and Jacksonville, has a population of just under 350,000. If you like, you can just “just” go on a beach holiday here. Anyone who wants to experience something beyond that and be inspired also has ample opportunity to do so. In the old town, for example, the past of cigar makers who had a lot to do with not far away Cuba comes to life. Art and theater enthusiasts will get their money’s worth in Tampa as well as families with young children. The city offers more than a zoo and – after all, you’re in Florida – one or the other adventure park. If all of this is not enough, it should be said that the city together with St. Petersburg and Clearwater belongs to a metropolitan region that has a population of almost three million and therefore a lot outside of its own borders.

“And there is a magic in every beginning” – also in Tampa

Especially if you land in a different time zone after a flight, it is not a bad idea to first get an overview of the holiday destination. In Tampa, the Bayshore Boulevard, which runs along the Gulf of Mexico, is ideal. The fresh air from the sea cools you down even when it’s very hot and with a little luck you can even spot dolphins here in the morning. From Bayshore Boulevard, visitors also have a view of some of the most beautiful houses in the city and many of their residents. They are here at any time of the day. Alone, in groups, with children, with dogs, in the cooler hours they also come here for jogging and cycling. Overall, this is a wonderful and very authentic start to a stay in Tampa. Bayshore Boulevard is said to be the longest sidewalk in the world with its seven kilometers in length. If you want a bigger bang at the beginning, you can also head to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. This engineering masterpiece offers truly breathtaking views during the crossing. There should definitely be time for this sometime during your vacation.

With the animal world on you and you

Tampa is right on the ocean, so an aquarium is a must. The ” Florida Aquarium “(701 Channelside Drive) by no means only offers classic water basins, behind whose glass panes colorful fish can be admired. Shows are also offered here every day, with the option of feeding penguins and touching sharks, for example. When the weather permits, ships leave the Aquarum and head far out into Tampa Bay, where visitors can watch wild dolphins.

Animal-loving landlubbers please make yourself ” Big Cat Rescue “(12802 Easy Street). Wildcats live there in a huge area that had to be rescued from private collections, from circuses and small zoos that were closed. The visit is only possible as part of a guided tour in order to avoid risks. But there are also lions, tigers, leopards, ocelots and many other wildcat species, even endangered, to be seen as close and authentically as would otherwise only be possible on a safari.

For the sake of completeness, it should be said that Tampa also has a classic zoo. ” Lowry Park Zoo “(1101 W. Sligh Avenue) is a recommendation if the tour group includes smaller children. It is a zoo of short distances that offers lots of shade as well as lots of animals and with rides and food stalls also helps to overcome minor crises.

Arts and Culture

Tampas ” Museum of Art “(6600 North Ashley Drive) connoisseurs can already see from the outside what can be seen inside. The ultra-modern building actually has a permanent one that has focused on modern and contemporary art as well as photography since 1980. In addition, there are also demanding special exhibitions with works from earlier eras as well as activity days to which children and young people are also welcome. A real must in Tampa is the ” Ybor City State Museum”(1818 Ninth Avenue), where the craft of cigar making and the associated era of the twenties is revived. Back then, cigars made from Cuban tobacco were rolled in Ybor City and, thanks to their quality, were exported all over the world. The house is surrounded by a lush, Mediterranean garden, which is also open to the public.

The rest of Florida isn’t out of the world either

Despite these (and many other) tourist highlights, Tampa is not as commercial and crowded as parts of Miami and Orlando. For those who prefer these places, at least a trip to Tampa Bay is worthwhile. It’s 120 kilometers from Orlando; Miami is 420 kilometers away.

Tampa at a glance

• At seven kilometers, Bayshore Boulevard is the longest promenade on the Gulf of Mexico
• The “Museum of Art” offers modern and contemporary art and photography
• Animal lovers get their money’s worth in the “Florida Aquarium”, “Big Cat Rescue” and “Lowry Park Zoo”
• Ybor City is the historic heart of Tampa