A Local’s Guide to Tampa: Everything You Must Do
Tampa seems to be on many individuals’ minds lately, and for a good reason. The city offers almost endless days of sunshine, a buzzing sports scene, trendy restaurants, and ritzy neighborhoods. Discover some of the best things to do in Tampa with this local guide.
Hyde Park Village
Hyde Park Village, while a bit touristy, is a must-visit location in Tampa. This adorable little square has an abundance of cute shops and restaurants, as well as a complimentary parking garage. Some of my favorite stores here include Paper Source, Francesca’s, Anthropologie and Madewell. There are multiple restaurants lining the streets, with a mixture of indoor and outdoor dining. My favorite of these is bartaco, a tasty Mexican joint with a wide selection of authentic tacos. Read more about this restaurant in my Tampa Restaurant Guide. Most stores stay open until 8 pm, and most restaurants remain open up until midnight.
Hyde Park also has a nice public seating area with a fountain. When visiting Hyde Park on Valentine’s Day, the Tampa Bay Posies Flower Truck was set up near the fountain selling flowers! This truck was a hit, with a never-ending line of patrons looking to buy last-minute Valentine’s gifts.
Attend a Lightning Game
I can’t believe it took me so long to attend a Tampa Bay Lightning game, but now I’m hooked! After just one game, this has easily become one of my favorite things to do in Tampa. Whether you know the rules of ice hockey or not, there’s no better way to feel like a local than chanting “Go Bolts!” in Amalie Arena.
If you can score tickets to a game while you’re in town, I highly recommend going, even if you’re more intrigued by the fights on the ice than the rules of ice hockey. If you can’t attend the game in person, there are countless nearby bars that air the game, one of which is located directly outside of the arena. I sat here one evening enjoying drinks with my aunt while we watched the game on the big screen, although nothing compares to being inside the arena.
Explore the Food and Drink Scene
Tampa has such a diverse food and drink scene. With new restaurants and bars consistently popping up, you’ll always be presented with new options.
It is my personal opinion that everyone owes it to themselves to expand their palate and branch out from their usual order. I definitely fell into a groove in Tampa where I was visiting my favorite restaurants over and over again without trying out the new spots I was seeing pop up. I recently committed myself to trying out new spots and was actually able to find some new favorites!
Check out my ultimate restaurant guide to Tampa to see my top recommendations!
Mural Hunting
If you want some great photo opportunities for the gram, spending an afternoon mural hunting throughout downtown Tampa is a proven way to stock up on footage. There are fun murals scattered throughout the city. I’ve listed a few of my favorite murals, along with their locations, below:
Wizard of Oz Mural: N. Franklin Street
Cat Mural: Café Hey
Tampa Heights Mural: Café Hey
City of Tampa Mural: Florida Avenue and Royal Street
Be Your Own Spotlight: 108 North 11th Street
Watch the Sunset from the Davis Islands Beach
Though it is located on the bay, Tampa is still a good distance from most beaches. You can do a number of day trips from Tampa or, if you would like a closer option, the Davis Islands Beach is always a good bet. This man-made beach is located near the Davis Island Yacht Club, meaning that you’ll have a view of countless sailboats while lounging on the beach. Parking here is free, which is an added bonus, given that most other beaches in the bay area require paid parking. The only downside of this beach is that it is not recommended that you get in the water here since many sailboat owners dump their sewage in the water.
Take the Cross Bay Ferry to St. Pete and Attend a Rays Game
If there’s one thing I’ll never grow tired of, it’s being on the water. You mention the word, and I’ll be there! Running back and forth from Tampa to St. Petersburg from the months of November to the end of April, the Cross Bay Ferry is an honorary mode of transportation used by both locals and tourists. Not to sound like an overdone radio ad, but hurry up and purchase your tickets before they’re all booked up! It is recommended to purchase ferry tickets a few weeks prior to your departure. In Tampa, the ferry departs from the Tampa Convention Center. If departing from St. Petersburg, you’ll board at the Downtown Waterfront, mere steps away from the St. Petersburg Pier.
While in St. Petersburg, you’ll want to check out a Tampa Bay Rays game, cheering on the baseball team from the Tropicana Field. This is one of my favorite childhood memories, as no trip to St. Petersburg was complete without a day at the stadium. It’s only a shame that Evan Longoria no longer plays for them! If you have time for it after the game, check out one of St. Petersburg’s abundance of cute restaurants!
Play Pickleball in Ybor
Pickleball has become all the rage, claiming me as one of its “victims.” In all seriousness, this fun sport is made even more fun when you have Florida as your backdrop. Courts are popping up all over Tampa Bay, and my aunt even has friends who began a pickleball facility in Ybor!
Known as Tampa Pickleball Crew, this is the city’s first covered, open-air pickleball facility, complete with eight pickleball courts, although they hope to expand. They have different membership options to choose from, and new players are welcome to check it out at any point. They even were hosting a Taylor Swift-themed pickleball party that I was sad to have missed.
If you’ve been looking for active things to do in Tampa or want to connect with others in a fun environment, I definitely recommend checking out Tampa Pickleball Crew in Ybor and possibly picking up some birria tacos from Jimmy’s Tacos afterward.
Do an Escape Room
If you happen to have a rare rainy day in Tampa, visiting The Great Escape Room is a fun way to pass the time. Grab a group of friends and choose between the themed rooms offered here. My group chose to break out of The President’s Bunker, which was pretty challenging at times. However, we also asked for a lot of hints and were able to solve the clues in the nick of time. Afterward, we took some fun photos to celebrate our win.
Celebrate Gasparilla
Every Tampa local needs to celebrate Gasparilla! This annual parade happens on the final Saturday of January and is a treasured tradition (pun intended).
I have an entire blog explaining what Gasparilla is. In short, the city throws a boat parade/pirate invasion, followed by a street parade. It celebrates the overthrowing of a famous pirate who seized and robbed ships off the Gulf Coast. Prepare to catch many beads, Mardi Gras style.
Luckily, my aunt hosts a fun party for this each year. We find a great spot for the boat parade, come back for lunch, and then head out to the street parade. The drinking starts early, so make sure to pace yourself if you’re engaging in that aspect of the day, as I’ve not been the best at that previously. Nonetheless, it is such a fun day when done right. I’ve never partaken in the pricey bar crawls that are offered, but I would recommend against those unless you want to be in a crowded space away from the fun of the parades.
Attend a USF Football Game in the Raymond James Stadium
Even though I’m not a huge sports fan, I have always enjoyed attending games in person. I was invited to a USF football game, and they just so happen to play in the Raymond James Stadium, home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
We didn’t do much tailgating, but it was so fun to see what was going on outside of the stadium, such as free Wendy’s Frosty’s being handed out! I already loved the energy, which didn’t die down inside the stadium.
We had club access, which was great to have on this hot day, but I also wanted to experience being in the stadium itself. I took turns between these seats so that I could experience the game in two ways. The energy was definitely better out in the actual stadium seats, as we were pretty close to the field to see everything in person rather than on a screen.
These games are a fun way to spend an afternoon in Tampa and can be found for a cheaper price than NFL tickets.
Visit Indie Flea
My friend found this adorable flea market, Indie Flea, with the cutest vendors! You could find everything from plants in disco planters to an airstream with kittens to a clay shop. I purchased the cutest clay piece for my kitchen from Sugar Cream Clay.
This flea market takes place in both St. Pete and Ybor and has many food options on top of the shops that are present. These happen monthly during their on-season, with the St. Pete Flea occurring on the First Sunday and the Ybor City Flea occurring on the Second Sunday.
Take a Day Trip
Another thing that makes Tampa so great is the plethora of towns within driving distance, giving locals and visitors plenty of day trip options. I wrote a blog on the best day trips from Tampa. Check that out here!
If you’re local to the Tampa area, I’d love to hear your additional suggestions! With new businesses popping up all the time, there is no shortage of things to do here.
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