There are just a couple of short weeks left before summer officially ends, but that’s not stopping me from launching into a Tampa, Florida series! After all, summer goes on forever in the Sunshine State, and it’s a great place to visit any time of year!
This week, I want to share some of my favorite activities in the Tampa area that aren’t on the CityPass. Don’t worry –I’ll get into all that fun later. For today, I have 5 fun activities for you to add to your bucket list!
Check Out Our Adventure on YouTube!
Must-Do Activities for a Tampa, FL, Vacation
Jet Ski on Tampa Bay
Tampa’s quiet bay is the perfect spot to hop on a Seadoo and make some waves. This natural harbor has plenty of space to zip around, yet it’s protected from harsher ocean winds and has a stunning view of Tampa’s skyline.
I recommend booking a one-hour excursion to enjoy the sunshine and scenery.
As you can probably imagine, there’s no shortage of rental places to book your jet skiing adventure. But I want to give a big shoutout to Paramount Water Sports for being a fantastic host for our group of 8! A lot of the other places were more expensive or only catered to smaller groups. But Paramount was so easy to work with and very reasonably priced.
We split into 4 groups and had 2 people on a jet ski for an hour of fun on Tampa Bay. This ended up being the perfect length of time, and the location was so perfect!
Our guide took us around the Davis Islands, then let us play around for the remaining 45 minutes. We could see all the downtown buildings, plus a bunch of fancy houses that are home to some celebrities! There was also plenty of room to pick up speed and cruise without worrying about running into each other.
Relax on Local Beaches
Despite its waterfront location, Tampa doesn’t have many beaches. Shocker, right? But that doesn’t mean they’re nonexistent.
The local beach is Ben T Davis Beach, located right along the Courtney Campbell Causeway. This narrow strip of beach faces Tampa Bay, so the waters are calm. It is minimal, but it has access to a nice restaurant and a watersports rental.
If you prefer ocean views and waves, I recommend driving to Clearwater Beach. It’s a bit of a drive, but you can easily make a day of lounging on the beach and exploring all that Clearwater has to offer. There’s a marine hospital, a marine, shopping, and lots of water excursions available for your enjoyment.
Take a Glass-Bottom Kayak Tour–At Night
While searching for unique things to do, we came across Sharkey’s on Tampa Bay. They have several locations in the area, including one right on Ben T Davidson Beach, where you can rent bikes, paddleboards, and kayaks.
But if you visit their website, you’ll see that they also offer glass-bottom kayak tours in St. Pete Beach and Sarasota…with a twist. The kayaks are rigged with colorful LED lights to light up the water around you and reveal all the marine life beneath your boat!
Each tour lasts for about an hour and costs $55 per person. It includes everything you’ll need, including a guide, kayak, lifevests, and fish food. We opted for the St. Pete Beach location, which meets just outside the renowned Don CeSar hotel.
We got to drift by a wild bird reserve and under some cool bridges and see thousands of fish scrambling for a bite. It was such a cool experience!
It was well worth the drive and intense arm workout of paddling! I definitely recommend checking out out my YouTube video above to see how insane the fish were in less blurry quality than these picture provide.
Explore Ybor City
Did you know that Tampa has a historic Cuban district? Yup! Ybor City “is the only neighborhood on Florida’s west coast to be designated a National Historic Landmark District.” It’s a cool place with an eclectic mix of vibes, activities, and wild chickens. (Yes, I said chickens.)
Ybor City was once known as the Cigar Capital of the World, and cigars still have a big presence in the local shops. You can even see Tampa’s first cigar factory standing at the intersections of 7th and 15th Streets.
You can tour a couple of historical museums, including the Ybor City Museum State Park and the Sheriff’s Office History Center (located in a 100-year-old casita).
There’s also a small park, where you’re guaranteed to find a flock of wild chickens! While these fowled friends roam throughout Ybor City, they seem to congregate here en mass. These are the direct descendants of the chickens kept in residents’ back yards over 100 years ago.
While some parts of Ybor City definitely lean more toward “run down” than “historic,” the main streets are alive with color, music, and things to do. 7th Street, in particular, has a plethora of shops, restaurants, and businesses tucked inside historic buildings with beautiful facades.
I definitely recommend a trek down 7th Street and a stop by the Centro Ybor Mall for shopping and some delicious ice cream at Mayday Ice Cream.
Visit The Tampa Waterfront
The Waterfront is the hub of Tampa’s activity, so you’ll find plenty to occupy yourself here! For starters, take some time to enjoy the Tampa Riverwalk, a 2.5-mile pedestrian path that winds right along the Hillsborough River. You can walk or bike this trail to see an extensive portion of the waterfront district.
Stop along the way to check out local shops and restaurants, or hit some of the popular attractions like the Henry B. Plant Museum, Tampa Museum of Art, or the Pirate Water Taxi. The Sparkman Wharf is a particularly popular spot with restaurants, shopping, and street food.
Closing Thoughts
Stay tuned in the weeks ahead for more fun activities to do in Tampa, Florida! I’ll specifically be highlighting the attractions on the popular CityPass, which includes things like the Tampa Zoo, Florida Aquarium, a sunset cruise, and more!
If you liked this post, be sure to save and share it. And feel free to comment below with any questions or just to let me know you enjoyed it!
I’d like to invite you to sign up for the blog newsletter before you go as well. It’s completely free, and you’ll be the first to know about the latest travel tips, destinations, and more!
Sign Up for Updates from Carried Away Travels
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon! Happy travels!
Ready for More? Check Out These Recent Posts!
- Discover the Magic of Virginia’s Luray Caverns!
- Everything You Need To Pack For A Week In Iceland
- How to Spend 3 Days in Dublin & Northern Ireland
- 11 Essential Things to Know Before Visiting Iceland
- My Top 12 Travel Tools For Saving Time & Money
- Dublin Exploration Hack: Big Bus Tours
Make Vacation Planning Easier
Download my Vacation Planner or Travel Blogger’s Planner today!
