Tampa vacations offers an affordable...well, downright cheap alternative to other Florida destinations like Orlando and Miami. A medium-sized city on Florida´s Gulf Coast, Tampa has much to recommend it: impressive museums, winning sports teams, rocking nightlife and a wealth of tourist attactions.
With many cheap hotels in the Tampa area or maybe a Tampa vacations package, this can be your trip to the Central West Florida where you can explore world-famous attractions, marvel at intriguing cultural treasures, watch exotic animals at Lowry park zoo and explore historical sites hundreds of years old. These Tampa vacations will allow you to take advantage of unique dining and an active nightlife in Ybor City, just outside Tampa´s downtown business district. Affordable cuisine from all over the world can also be found all over the Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater area.

Shopping
Tampa attraction can be enjoyed in a variety of settings- netting you the best bargains on hard to find merchandise from the top sellers. Shopping can be enjoyed in a variety of settings—netting you the best bargains on hard to find merchandise from the top sellers. Want to learn about shopping in other Florida cities? Visit the Florida Travel & Tourist Bureau for information on Orlando, Clearwater Beach, Daytona Beach, Melbourne and Cocoa Beach.

Dining
Tampa´s restaurants reflect its cosmopolitan character. Spanish, Southwestern, Italian, Asian, continental and seafood restaurants abound. Come and enjoy a good meal at any Tampa restaurant or a coffe at Blackhawk Coffee Cafe.

Nightlife
The hub of the tampa area nightlife is Ybor City, a former cigar factory now filled with shops and restaurants. Tampa Bay nightlife is centered along nearby Seventh Avenue, where numerous dance clubs and piano bars serve up live music nightly. All you have to do is stroll along and you´ll hear music blaring out of the clubs. Tampa Bay nightlife is packed with people on Friday and Saturday, but you´ll also find something going on Tuesday through Thursday, and even on Sundays. The clubs change names and character frequently, so you don´t need names, addresses, or phone numbers; your ears will guide you along 7th Avenue East while enjoying Tampa area nightlife.

Nature
Encompassing the southern portion of Florida´s Nature Coast as well as three of the world´s top beaches, the region is teeming with nature-based recreational activities. From swimming with manatees to flying over secluded barrier islands, a Central West Florida vacation can include eco-adventures of every kind. ECO-Tourism is discovering South Florida´s many Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and Zoos and learning about our fragile environment. Twenty-three miles of sun-kissed shores stretch along shimmering Atlantic waters.

Attractions
Playing host to large gatherings is a Tampa-area specialty. Large-scale events that have been held in the city are the 1997 National Tour Association Annual Meeting and two Super Bowls, plus, the city hosted the National Hockey League´s All-Star Weekend in 1999 and the XXXV Super Bowl in 2001.
The Tampa Museum of Art, the Performing Arts Center and the St. Pete Times Forum are just a five-minute walk from the University of Tampa. Busch Gardens, the Lowry Park Zoo and the Florida Aquarium are also popular Tampa attractions.
Other Tampa attractions are the Ruth Eckerd Hall, Bayfront Center, the Florida International Museum and the Salvador Dali Museum. The turnstiles at Walt Disney World´s Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, Sea World and Universal Studios.
Five major shopping malls and hundreds of nearby restaurants offer many options for shopping and