From its diverse historical legacy to exotic beaches to being a beer lover’s and foodie’s paradise, Tampa Bay and St Petersburg/ Clearwater in Florida are emerging as major tourism destinations that have an exciting mix of offerings for visitors of varied interests By Sudipta Dev
The Gulf Coast of Florida is famous for its picturesque beaches, beautiful resorts and many interesting tourism locales. Florida’s premium travel trade event Florida Huddle organised in Tampa Bay earlier this year showcased well the many attractions of Tampa Bay and St Petersburg/ Clearwater. For most tourists the highlight of visiting Tampa is to explore its fascinating Cuban heritage at Ybor City. The best option of visiting Ybor City is to take a 20 minute ride from downtown Tampa in a heritage street car. The ride is quite an experience in itself as some of the cars are from the 1920s.
Cuban heritage
Tampa is also known as Cigar City because it was in Ybor that the world-famous cigar was first rolled here 130 years ago. Ybor City Museum State Park gives an insight into the fascinating history of the area, its economic growth and information about the Mutual Aid Societies of Ybor City, which were ethnic social clubs. It is believed that if cigar making was the heart of Tampa, the soul was these mutual aid societies. The cigar makers were known as artisans and were well paid. Near the museum, a few homes of cigar workers have been preserved to give an insight to visitors on the lifestyle of those times.
One of the landmarks in Ybor City is the Jose Marti Park. The legendary Cuban national hero visited Tampa often and it was in his memory that the memorial was established. In fact this park happened to be the only land owned by the people of Cuba in the US, before the establishment of the Cuban Embassy in Washington DC. An interesting aspect for any visitor to Ybor City is the sight of roosters everywhere – from the streets to parks and bus stops. These birds believed to be the descendents of the chicken bred by the cigar workers 130 years ago, are considered a part of the heritage and consequently given a protected status.
No trip to Ybor City can be complete without taking a bite into the celebrated Cuban sandwich at Columbia. Founded in 1905, Columbia is Florida’s oldest restaurant and interestingly the oldest Spanish restaurant in the world. Famous for its Cuban and Spanish cuisine, the vegetarians have the option of trying out a special salad which has a recipe dating back to 1905. The restaurant also organises flamenco dance shows in the evening, which is a crowd puller.
Tampa Bay is also regarded as Florida’s craft beer capital. Florida’s first brewery was set up in Tampa in 1897. Beer was sent from Tampa to Cuba. Today, the region has a booming micro brewery scenario with a number of celebrated establishments that attract both locals and tourists.
Pirate invasion
The best time to visit Tampa is undoubtedly during the Gasparilla festivities, in the month of January. The whole city of Tampa turns into a pirate themed party location. The story traces its antecedents to the 18th century mythical Spanish pirate José Gaspar who had invaded the Florida coast. Since 1904, the city celebrates this mock-invasion with a flotilla of pirate ships invading Tampa city. The pirate ship of José Gasparilla, along with his crew docks at the Tampa Convention Center. They confront the mayor and demand keys to the city, following which they take him hostage.
The colourful Parade of Pirates draws more than 300,000 people. It is supposed to be the third largest parade in the US. Apart from the grand spectacle that the parade presents, for the public the biggest takeaway are the colourful beads collected from the pirates.
Family getaway
Tampa is a perfect family destination with attractions like Busch Gardens, The Florida Aquarium, Lowry Park Zoo, Museum of Science & Industry and of course Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The Tampa City Pass includes these tourism attractions. The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a rescue centre and hospital for marine animals in Florida. It houses rescued dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, and sting rays. The most famous inhabitant is of course Winter, a dolphin without a tail, who has been the subject of the movie Dolphin Tale. The sequel Dolphin Tale 2 is the story of another famous inhabitant, the dolphin Hope. St Pete/ Clearwater has in fact emerged as an important destination in Florida in recent times. Though the destination is yet to get many visitors from India, its varied attractions could be a great draw for Indian tourists.
A ferry ride from the sandy beaches of Honeymoon Island State Park takes visitors to Caladesi Island State Park. Nestled among lush mangroves, Caladesi Island State Park is a secluded destination, ideal for those who want to discover the many plant and animal life found in the vicinity. One can opt to take the walking trail or just listen quietly to the sound of waves crashing the shore. Visitors cannot take any live shells. There are no accommodation options here and visitors are not allowed to camp in the night. For those interested in spending a night or two at this picture perfect location have the option to hire a boat and stay onboard.
Not too far away is Dunedin, which is a little piece of Scotland in Florida. The town with just one main street has quaint antique and curio shops with a distinct European influence. You can buy a souvenir at the Celtic Shop of Dunedin or visit the Dunedin Historical Museum located at a restored railroad station. Dunedin Brewery is another popular hangout. Visitors to Dunedin get an interesting showcase of the town’s Scottosh roots during the annual Highland Games festival.
One of the recent highlights of Dali Museum in St Petersburg is the ‘Dare to Dream’ exhibition showcasing the collaboration between Disney and Dali. The exhibition that opened in January will continue till the month June. Visitors get the exciting opportunity to enter the surrealistic world of Dali’s paintings through Oculus technology virtual reality.