Florida is popular for Orlando and it’s theme parks or Miami and it’s party scene, but not a lot of people know much about Tampa. In our opinion, Tampa is the perfect balance between Orlando and Miami. Not too crowded and not too flashy. To get started exploring Tampa, we suggest trying these 8 unconventional things to do in Tampa:
This area is one of the highlights in downtown Tampa with museums, the Riverwalk, concerts and free outdoor activities like yoga. Enjoy a weekend brunch outdoors at Sono Cafe, the restaurant located within Tampa Museum of Art.
While you're at Curtis Hixon Park, you can check out this award-winning building and icon of Curtis Hixon. The Tampa Museum of Art offers fantastic exhibits that rotate on a regular basis. They also have many tours, lectures, classes, programs and events you can attend.
If you want to explore more of downtown Tampa, we highly suggest renting a bike from Coast Bike Share. We had so much fun riding these bikes that we couldn't stop smiling. Our video proves it.
A cute and trendy little area in Tampa that has great stores and restaurants like West Elm, Anthropolgie, Piquant, Sprinkles and more. The best part is that almost all the stores are pet friendly, so you can go shopping with your furry friend! Check out our fun video HERE.
Ybor City is a historical neighborhood that was once a thriving cigar industry in the 1880s. Now, the historic buildings have been turned into stylish offices, shops, restaurants, breweries, and boutique hotels. Make sure to check out the cigar makers hand roll cigars at several cigar shops on 7th Avenue.
CIGAR MAKERS HAND ROLLING EACH CIGAR IN FRONT OF YOU IN YBOR CITY
6 | Eat Tons of Great Local Food
Tampa is booming with great local restaurants. Make sure you check out the gorgeous Oxford Exchange, enjoy brunch at Elevage and devour on the delicious chicken and waffles at Cask Social Kitchen.
Ginger Beard Coffee is our favorite coffee shop in Tampa that serves awesome nitrogen-infused coffee. You'll get friendly service, fast wifi, a relaxing atmosphere and an all around great vibe.
JOSH, CO-OWNER OF GINGER BEARD COFFEE, IS THE FRIENDLIEST BARISTA YOU'LL EVER MEET
If you're looking for a place to stay while you're in Tampa, there's no better place than Le Meridien Tampa. This hotel is a historical landmark that used to be the city's federal courthouse and in 2014, turned into a beautiful hotel. Even if you don't stay here, it's a great place to check out all the preserved features mixed in with the modern decor. If you happen to be in Tampa on the fourth Friday of the month, you'll get to experience one of their awesome tours of the century-old building.
To discover more fun things to do around Tampa, check out this list. Tampa has more to offer than people think!
Camera equipment used: Canon 5D Mark III, Sony a7S II, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4
Read more about Crystal & Candy’s travels on their blog, Travel Pockets, or follow their adventures on Instagram.