Tampa Florida

An Overlooked Paradise

Located right in the middle of Florida's west coast, Tampa is a relaxed and friendly city with Southern charm and international appeal.  It's perfect for the Florida tourist who really, really wants to stay near a beach while also visiting Disneyworld and the other Orlando attractions, or for a couple of days of R & R to recuperate from those long hours in line at Universal or Epcot.

Tampa Florida - Downtown Area

For that matter, Tampa is a pretty nice town to visit just to check it out.  Deep sea fishing is excellent, and the city, third largest in Florida, has a homey, intimate feel that just invites you to settle down and take your shoes off.

Tampa Weather

Like the rest of central Florida, Tampa has a very temperate climate. Because it's on the coast, cool breezes from the Gulf make the summer heat more comfortable, and in winter it is rarely cold. You may have heard a lot about hurricanes; they do make landfall here, but somewhat less frequently than in the rest of Florida.

Average temperatures in Tampa are between 50 and 80 degrees year round; rarely there are more extreme temperatures on either end, but there is no recorded instance of temperatures reaching a hundred.

Very rarely, it will get cold enough in Tampa to freeze, but only in January and December.  Snow is nearly unheard of.

In the summer, expect afternoon showers on a daily basis that last about twenty minutes or so; these are rarely soaking rains, but rather typical tropical precipitation. 

Carry a small umbrella with you, or be prepared to take shelter when the skies suddenly cloud up.

Tampa Florida Culture

Tampa Skyline at night

You might think Tampa Bay is mostly Southern, or is mostly older people.  You'd be wrong. Tampa has the most multicultural population in Florida, and possibly in the entire Gulf Coast region.

You can get authentic hand-rolled Cubans in Ybor City, view beautiful historic architecture and find some of the best restaurants around in SoHo, or pick up some Greek food and old world pastries in Tarpon Springs.

The arts neighborhood is mainly in Seminole Heights, where you'll find classic early 20th century homes, unique local restaurants, and small art galleries and shows.

Just taking a walking tour of many of the Tampa Bay neighborhoods can be fun, depending on where you go.  Many of the small immigrant neighborhoods have a strong sense of the community roots, so Tarpon Springs may feel surprisingly close to being in a Greek fishing village.

Put on your walking shoes and get out when you seen an interesting area.  You'll be glad you did.