Tampa
Guide to Tampa: how to get there and where to stay, what to see and where to go in the evening. The best things to do in Tampa: fresh reviews and photos, places to see, branded entertainment and shopping.
According to Toppharmacyschools, Tampa is conveniently located on the shores of the large Tampa Bay, on the Florida peninsula, the third largest city in the state. How the name of the city appeared is not exactly established, but there are two versions. According to one of them, it is believed that the city got its name from the Indian word “tampa”, which meant “fiery sticks” (as the Indians called lightning). Indeed, this natural phenomenon occurs here very often during summer storms. The second version of the city’s name is more modern. Already in 1695, the Bay of Tanpa, Tanpa Bay, could be found on the maps. But the Spaniards who arrived did not understand the language of the local tribes at all and decided that Tanpa was the name of the area. And over time, Tanpa changed to Tampa.
Tampa is also the city where several main servers of the real international encyclopedia, Wikipedia, are located.
How to get there
Tampa is 330 km from Miami International Airport and 160 km from Orlando. In addition, the city has its own international airport, so it will not be difficult for tourists to get here. In addition, Tampa has the largest seaport in Florida, where tourist cruise ships stop very often.
Entertainment and attractions in Tampa
The oldest district of the city is called Ybor City, once a large Hispanic diaspora lived here. This area was also famous for the fact that cigar factories were concentrated here. But as time went on, Ybor City grew decrepit and fell apart, until at one point it was a complete fiasco. Only recently has Ybor City begun to rise again from the dust. New, modern houses and roads have been rebuilt, schools and public institutions have been built. But what remains of old Ybor City is a wonderful cigar museum, where you can trace the entire history and the entire process of creating what was once the best cigars in all of Florida.
Here you can ride on very old trams that walked the streets of the city 50 years ago.
There is also a zoo in Tampa, where about two thousand animals live. There are paddocks where birds live in their natural habitat, as well as places where visitors can feed the animals themselves and even pet them. The reptile exhibition and the terrarium are especially popular. The ticket price for a child is here 32.95 USD, for an adult 42.95 USD. Website: lowryparkzoo.org. The prices on the page are for June 2021.
Adventure island
No less popular in Tampa is the Adventure Island water entertainment complex. On the territory of 25 acres, there are all kinds of water slides and attractions, and for thrill-seekers and adrenaline junkies there are several high-speed slides – 25 meters of almost free fall called “Water Typhoon” or a 6-story swirling descent “Water makasin”. For children, there is a real children’s paradise of entertainment and permissiveness called “Attack of splashes.” This complex has just an uncountable number of all kinds of carousels, swings, water slides and other equally exciting attractions. The park is open daily. Ticket price – 69.99 USD. Website : adventureisland.com
Florida Aquarium
The Florida Aquarium enjoys special honor among tourists and residents of the city. Here, without much difficulty, you can see everything that only divers and scuba divers see underwater. The entire aquarium is divided into 4 zones, each of which represents its own part of the aquatic flora and fauna of the entire coast of Florida. In addition to small fish, you can see sharks, rays, turtles, and jellyfish here. Website : flaquarium.org
The aquarium is open almost all year round, it is closed to the public only on Christmas. The price of a child ticket is from 25.20 USD, for an adult – from 29.70 USD.
Events and holidays
Tampa is a pretty fun city. Every year, residents and guests look forward to the most beloved holiday – the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. The festival takes place at the end of January and is a very significant event for Tampa. According to legend, once upon a time a pirate named Jose Gaspare sailed in these places, and it is in honor of his brave and grandiose adventures that a holiday is held, which the locals simply call Gasparilla.
