Tampa Bay Blog

CUBA WITHOUT A PASSPORT Visitors to Tampa Bay can make a side trip to Cuba without needing their passports. Tampa Bay’s historic Latin Quarter, Ybor City, is home to a genuine piece of Cuban territory – José Martí Park, dedicated to the memory of the poet, journalist, and firebrand who led the island’s revolution against Spanish rule in the 1880s and 1890s. The park at the corner of 8th Avenue and 13th Street is owned by the people of Cuba. For nearly six decades,...

When the sun’s out, fun’s about keeping your cool! And Tampa Bay knows the way. Hit the water in the hip, urban heart of Florida’s west coast for a Sunshine State experience (mostly) without the sand. Ride the Rapids Here’s a Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay PRO TIP: Start your visit at the farthest point in the park. While everyone else is lining up for the first ride they see, you’ll stroll on past to Congo River Rapids for a short line and a wet ride that will...

As a Tampa Bay native, Kalyn Sexton knows a thing or two about the beat of life here in the urban heart of Florida's west coast. She serves as a guide for the Tampa Downtown Partnership, helping visitors find their way around downtown, choose a

Desde el año 1885 – cuando Don Vicente Martinez Ybor abrió su fábrica enorme de Tampa Bay – la fabricación de cigarros (tabacos) ha formado un gran parte de la vida de Ybor City, el distrito que lleva su nombre. Durante más de un siglo, la

Since 1885 - when Don Vicente Martinez Ybor opened his huge Tampa Bay factory - the manufacture of cigars has been a big part of life in Ybor City, the district that bears his name. For more than a century, the industry invited generations of

Packing your smart phone for your trip to Tampa Bay? (Who are we kidding -- of course you are!) Keep Florida's most diverse destination at your fingertips through these apps that will make the most of your stay. DOWNTOWNER Operated by the Tampa Downtown Partnership, this free electric shuttle service will pick you up within the urban core and ferry you to your final destination within Downtown, Channelside (home to the Florida Aquarium, Amalie Arena, and Port Tampa Bay cruise terminals),

Felicia LaCalle: Chef/Owner, Hemingway's After years of working in other people's kitchens, Felicia LaCalle struck out on her own in early 2018, opening Hemingway's Cuban restaurant in the Heights Public Market at Armature Works with a menu

Tampa Bay is filled with people who make it their job to help visitors have a good time and make great memories during their stay here. Some of them work in the spotlight, having daily interactions with visitors. Others work behind the scenes, making sure you experience the best visit you can. Either way, take a moment and thank them for their efforts. They're doing it for you.

Some places have pigeons -- in Tampa Bay's historic Ybor City neighborhood, they have chickens. Step off the TECO Historic Streetcar near Centennial Plaza in the midst of the urban jungle, and the next sound you'll hear will be the enthusiastic

Angelise Joseph wears many hats. She's a single mom (and now grandma) with three grown children and two still at home. Born in Haiti, she grew up in South Florida before moving to Tampa Bay 18 years ago. Eight years ago, she began working as a