Travel

The Best Things to Do in Florida's Most Misunderstood City

Everything you thought you knew about Tampa is wrong.

Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Whether you refer to it as Tampa (correct), Tampa Bay (incorrect unless you add “Area”), or God’s Waiting Room (that’s actually how people used to refer to neighboring St. Pete, although hardly anymore), the city of Tampa has had its share of skeptics. But with the spotlight hitting the city of this year’s no-doubt weird Super Bowl, now’s the perfect time to take a harder look at Florida’s third-largest city, where something wholly unexpected to outsiders is happening: greatness. 

Tampa’s growing food and live music scene, killer lineup of breweries, backyard manatees, and almost eternally beach- and boat-friendly weather have made for a quality of life so appealing that the city is now considered one of the hottest towns (no pun intended) for millennials to move to… and not the millennials born in the year 1000. 

Here’s what’s brewing-literally and figuratively-in this misunderstood Florida treasure.

Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Tampa Water Street
Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Tampa Water Street
Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Tampa Water Street

Check out the evolution of downtown in real time

Enormous things are happening in downtown Tampa, where Bill Gates is among the investors in the burgeoning Water Street Tampa district, a multi-use project that recently saw the opening of Tampa’s first true five-star luxury hotel, JW Marriott Tampa Water Street. Before serving as the host hotel for the Super Bowl, the hotel is scheduled to open its luxe Spa by JW, with the city’s highest rooftop bar, Beacon, opening on the 27th floor in early 2022. 

No need to wait for a drink though: On most any day, you’ll find the city’s cool kids and families lounging in the beer garden and sipping cocktails proffered from shipping containers at Sparkman Wharf, the district’s hippest outdoor hangout, fronting the water and cruise-ship docks on Garrison Channel.  
 

Indulge in some travel-worthy steaks

Bern’s Steak House-home to a wild 100,000-deep wine list-has long been lauded as one of Tampa’s best steakhouses… by those who could book a table. For the rest of us, Donovan’s Modern American Meatery in nearby Riverview serves up steaks (and seafood) that are just as lovingly prepared over a custom-made open-fire grill fed with local woods. Chef Jasper brings serious Texas cred, and his passion for the craft shows in the immaculate flavors that permeate tomahawks, porterhouses, and delectably smoked prime rib alike. This is a place that takes its meat so seriously, it even features an edible tallow candle-a steal for $7 at happy hour, and the perfect takeaway for a very specific sort of Secret Santa gift. 

Courtesy of Hotel Haya
Courtesy of Hotel Haya
Courtesy of Hotel Haya

Eat one of the city’s best new Cubanos (at the coolest new hotel)

News flash: Tampa-not Miami-invented the Cubano, that iconic amalgam of roast pork, smoked ham, swiss cheese, and mustard pressed between bread. You’ll find these essential sandwiches in Latino neighborhoods along Columbia Boulevard in West Tampa, and even at the city’s tonier restaurants and delis. One of the new heavyweight contenders can be found at Café Quiquiriqui, which opened last year inside Ybor City’s new Hotel Haya, a stunning boutique property paying homage to mid-Century Havana. If the sandwich and requisite cafe con leche don’t have you bursting, venture over to Flor Fina, which dishes up the swankiest ceviche platter in town.
 

Discover the rowdy side of shuffleboard

Shuffle puts an au courant spin on the sport that made the Sunshine State famous (that’d be shuffleboard… gator wrestling is tough in a bar). Located in the budding Tampa Heights neighborhood, the 4,700-square warehouse is outfitted with a trio of indoor courts, has a full bar stocked with local taps and Tang mimosas, and even slings gourmet hot dogs and homemade pickles. There’s also an expansive “yard” complete with cornhole boards and worn lawn furniture that bears a striking resemblance to the kind that outfitted your grandparents’ condo. Apt. 

Urban Kai
Urban Kai
Urban Kai

Hit the sea from The Getaway

Sandwiched between Tampa and St. Pete near a long causeway bridge connecting the cities, The Getaway is a relaxed Florida tiki bar amid the mangroves that dishes up fish tacos, rum runners, and sunset views. It’s worth coming here just for the Florida Keys vibe. But onsite Urban Kai ups the appeal even more with rentals for self-guided excursions into the bay via kayaks, canoes, or paddle boards. Feeling ambitious? Jaunt to nearby Weedon Island Preserve, where you can roam the protected, 3,000-acre labyrinth of mangroves, sandbars, and “real Florida” wildlife. 

Photo by Keir Magoulas for Visit Tampa Bay
Photo by Keir Magoulas for Visit Tampa Bay
Photo by Keir Magoulas for Visit Tampa Bay

Explore the Tampa Riverwalk

With more than two miles of winding waterside walkways (alliteration!), the AIA-nominated Tampa Riverwalk is the ideal place to walk, bike, or even hop the so-kitsch-it’s-cool Pirate Water Taxi to soak up the many sights and attractions of Downtown Tampa. Start at Columbia Cafe (a more casual riverfront version of  Ybor City icon) and fortify with some white sangria. Or grab a beer from the nearby Sail Plaza. Then rent a bike or stroll past Curtis Hixon Park-the majestic University of Tampa is right across the river-and the Tampa Museum of Art.

Photo by Alex Haney / Unsplash
Photo by Alex Haney / Unsplash
Photo by Alex Haney / Unsplash

Gorge your way through Tampa’s best food hall

Tampa may be late to the food-hall party, but Heights Public Market, located inside the fully restored 1900s streetcar warehouse called Armature Works, seems hellbent on making up for lost time. The 22,000-square-foot temple of indulgence on the Hillsborough River is home to 18 gourmet food stalls-don’t miss fantastic ramen at Ichicoro or an exemplary Cubano at [kū´bå] Modern Cuban Cuisine-and sit-down restaurants (Euro-centric Oak & Ola comes with James Beard pedigree). Seating is communal, and the waterfront courtyard is prime for people watching.

Big Storm Brewing & Distilling Co.
Big Storm Brewing & Distilling Co.
Big Storm Brewing & Distilling Co.

Hop down the “Gulp Coast” craft beer trail

Many people don’t know this, but Tampa has its own little “Napa Valley”… except instead of valleys and vineyards, it’s Gulf waters and breweries. The trail spans from Tarpon Springs through Dunedin all the way down to St. Pete, and is approximately an hour drive from beginning to end. Given there are more than 30  breweries-including gems like Clearwater-based Big Storm and St. Pete’s go-to 3 Daughters Brewing-you may want to start pursuing those Uber star ratings now.
 

Spend an afternoon tarpon fishing

California has surfers; Florida has fishers. If you don’t have a friend with a boat or knowledge of the best hooking spots (the latter, pretty much all locals have), it’s worth the rental fee to charter a vessel and captain for the afternoon. Plus, let’s face it, your worst fishing day on a boat coasting under the famous Skyway Bridge and through the crystal clear waters of Anna Maria Island is still probably most people’s best actual day.
 

Manatees, two ways

Tampa is surrounded by natural springs and flowing fresh rivers. That’s a recipe for two very different things that come gloriously together here: tubing and sea cows. 

Aside from being one of the closest tubing locations to the city, Manatee River is also home to tons of seagrass-chomping gentle giants. In the summer months, the river reaches high enough levels for a two-hour tube run, during which you’re almost guaranteed to spot several manatees while drifting downstream. 

Meanwhile, on cold(ish) winter days manatees absolutely clog the docks at Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center, lured by the relatively warm water spewing into the bay from a discharge channel. It’s closed this season due to COVID concerns, but that shouldn’t dissuade you from checking out babies and mothers jostling for the warmest jets on webcam

Photo by Keir Magoulas for Visit Tampa Bay
Photo by Keir Magoulas for Visit Tampa Bay
Photo by Keir Magoulas for Visit Tampa Bay

Bike the world’s longest sidewalk

South Tampa’s Bayshore Boulevard runs along Hillsborough Bay and is the main drag for the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival (Tampa’s arrrrgh-rated version of Mardi Gras). The stretch of concrete is allegedly the longest continuous sidewalk in the world, and outside of Gasparilla, the city’s prime spot to go for a run, walk, or bike. 

The best way to take in the entire 4.5 mile span is to nab a two-wheeler at one end and pedal all the way to the other. The path loops you through a bayfront park with a long fishing pier in the Ballast Point neighborhood, where the brick streets lined with massive Spanish oaks and stilt-style houses are particularly atmospheric. While you’re there, do yourself a favor and grab the best grouper sandwich in the state from Big Ray’s Fish Camp or treat yourself to top-notch Turkish food at Bayshore Mediterranean Grill.
 

Go to a Lightning Game

Donning a jacket and going to an ice rink is perhaps not what you had in mind for a visit to Florida, but in a beautifully ironic twist of fate, NHL hockey is probably Tampa’s most popular sport (the home team won the Stanley Cup in 2020, and Tampa still hasn’t stopped celebrating). Whether you follow them or not, Tampa Bay Lightning games are a blast. Amalie Arena is also located in the thick of Downtown and the Water Street Tampa district, making it accessible to plenty of bars and restaurants to pre- and post-game. 

Photo by Keir Magoulas for Visit Tampa Bay
Photo by Keir Magoulas for Visit Tampa Bay
Photo by Keir Magoulas for Visit Tampa Bay

Take a walking tour of historic Ybor City

The original “Cigar City” of Tampa, the historic Ybor City neighborhood is Tampa’s cultural heart as well as one of the best nightlife districts. From cigar bars to the roosters roaming its brick roads (including world-famous 7th Avenue), the best way to soak in the area is on foot. 

Whatever you do, don’t miss a stop over at La Segunda Central Bakery, a century-old bread factory that bakes Cuban bread for outlets across the country, not to mention its iconic Ybor neighbor Columbia Restaurant. New to the dining scene in late-2020, Casa Santo Stefano nods to Ybor’s lesser-known Sicilian roots with family-style Italian suppers (even the furniture and art are imported from Sicily). Nearby, the J.C. Newman Cigar Factory is the last family-run cigar factory still operating in the country. And one of Tampa’s most legendary live music venues, Crowbar has been housing –and launching the careers of-the best acts in the games for years right here in Ybor, too.Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.

Liz is the former Miami editor and contributing writer for Thrillist. She also writes for Bustle and Fatherly, and enjoys telling people she’s the captain of the Pismo Beach Disaster Relief.

Terry Ward is a freelance travel writer in Tampa, Florida, who has lived in France, New Zealand and Australia and gone scuba diving all over the world.

Travel

Ditch your Phone for ‘Dome Life’ in this Pastoral Paradise Outside Port Macquarie 

A responsible, sustainable travel choice for escaping big city life for a few days.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

The urge to get as far away as possible from the incessant noise and pressures of ‘big city life’ has witnessed increasingly more of us turn to off-grid adventures for our holidays: Booking.com polled travellers at the start of 2023 and 55% of us wanted to spend our holidays ‘off-grid’.  Achieving total disconnection from the unyielding demands of our digitised lives via some kind of off-grid nature time—soft or adventurous—is positioned not only as a holiday but, indeed, a necessity for our mental health. 

Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, an accommodation collection of geodesic domes dotted across a lush rural property in Greater Port Macquarie (a few hours’ drive from Sydney, NSW), offers a travel experience that is truly ‘off-grid’. In the figurative ‘wellness travel’ sense of the word, and literally, they run on their own independent power supply—bolstered by solar—and rely not on the town grid. 

Ten minutes before you arrive at the gates for a stay at Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, your phone goes into ‘SOS ONLY’. Apple Maps gives up, and you’re pushed out of your comfort zone, driving down unsealed roads in the dark, dodging dozens of dozing cows. Then, you must ditch your car altogether and hoist yourself into an open-air, all-terrain 4WD with gargantuan wheels. It’s great fun being driven through muddy gullies in this buggy; you feel like Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park.  As your buggy pulls in front of your personal Nature Dome, it’s not far off that “Welcome…to Jurassic Park” jaw-dropping moment—your futuristic-looking home is completely engulfed by thriving native bushland; beyond the outdoor campfire lie expansive hills and valleys of green farmland, dotted with sheep and trees. You’re almost waiting to see a roaming brachiosaurus glide past, munching on a towering gum tree…instead, a few inquisitive llamas trot past your Dome to check out their new visitor. 

To fully capture the awe of inhabiting a geodesic dome for a few days, a little history of these futuristic-looking spherical structures helps. Consisting of interlocking triangular skeletal struts supported by (often transparent) light walls, geodesic domes were developed in the 20th century by American engineer and architect R. Buckminster Fuller, and were used for arenas. Smaller incarnations have evolved into a ‘future-proof’ form of modern housing: domes are able to withstand harsh elements due to the stability provided by the durable materials of their construction and their large surface area to volume ratio (which helps minimize wind impact and prevents the structure from collapsing). As housing, they’re also hugely energy efficient – their curved shape helps to conserve heat and reduce energy costs, making them less susceptible to temperature changes outside. The ample light let in by their panels further reduces the need for artificial power. 

Due to their low environmental impact, they’re an ideal sustainable travel choice. Of course, Tom’s Creek Nature Domes’ owner-operators, Cardia and Lee Forsyth, know all this, which is why they have set up their one-of-a-kind Nature Domes experience for the modern traveller. It’s also no surprise to learn that owner Lee is an electrical engineer—experienced in renewable energy—and that he designed the whole set-up. As well as the off-grid power supply, rainwater tanks are used, and the outdoor hot tub is heated by a wood fire—your campfire heats up your tub water via a large metal coil. Like most places in regional Australia, the nights get cold – but rather than blast a heater, the Domes provide you with hot water bottles, warm blankets, lush robes and heavy curtains to ward off the chill.

nature domes port macquarie
Photo: Nature Domes

You’ll need to be self-sufficient during your stay at the Domes, bringing your own food. Support local businesses and stock up in the town of Wauchope on your drive-in (and grab some pastries and coffee at Baked Culture while you’re at it). There’s a stovetop, fridge (stocked as per a mini bar), BBQs, lanterns and mozzie coils, and you can even order DIY S’More packs for fireside fun. The interiors of the Domes have a cosy, stylish fit-out, with a modern bathroom (and a proper flushing toilet—none of that drop bush toilet stuff). As there’s no mobile reception, pack a good book or make the most of treasures that lie waiting to be discovered at every turn: a bed chest full of board games, a cupboard crammed with retro DVDs, a stargazing telescope (the skies are ablaze come night time). Many of these activities are ideal for couples, but there’s plenty on offer for solo travellers, such as yoga mats, locally-made face masks and bath bombs for hot tub soaks. 

It’s these thoughtful human touches that reinforce the benefit of making a responsible travel choice by booking local and giving your money to a tourism operator in the Greater Port Macquarie Region, such as Tom’s Creek Nature Domes. The owners are still working on the property following the setbacks of COVID-19, and flooding in the region —a new series of Domes designed with families and groups in mind is under construction, along with an open-air, barn-style dining hall and garden stage. Once ready, the venue will be ideal for wedding celebrations, with wedding parties able to book out the property. They’ve already got one couple—who honeymooned at the Domes—ready and waiting. Just need to train up the llamas for ring-bearer duties! 

An abundance of favourite moments come to mind from my two-night stay at Tom’s Creek: sipping champagne and gourmet picnicking at the top of a hill on a giant swing under a tree, with a bird’s eye view of the entire property (the ‘Mountain Top picnic’ is a must-do activity add on during your stay), lying on a deckchair at night wrapped in a blanket gazing up at starry constellations and eating hot melted marshmallows, to revelling in the joys of travellers before me, scrawled on notes in a jar of wishes left by the telescope (you’re encouraged to write your own to add to the jar). But I’ll leave you with a gratitude journal entry I made while staying there. I will preface this by saying that I don’t actually keep a gratitude journal, but Tom’s Creek Nature Domes is just the kind of place that makes you want to start one. And so, waking up on my second morning at Tom’s —lacking any 4G bars to facilitate my bad habit of a morning Instagram scroll—I finally opened up a notebook and made my first journal entry:

‘I am grateful to wake up after a deep sleep and breathe in the biggest breaths of this clean air, purified by nature and scented with eucalyptus and rain. I am grateful for this steaming hot coffee brewed on a fire. I feel accomplished at having made myself. I am grateful for the skittish sheep that made me laugh as I enjoyed a long nature walk at dawn and the animated billy goats and friendly llamas overlooking my shoulder as I write this: agreeable company for any solo traveller. I’m grateful for total peace, absolute stillness.” 

Off-grid holiday status: unlocked.

Where: Tom’s Creek Nature Domes, Port Macquarie, 2001 Toms Creek Rd
Price: $450 per night, book at the Natura Domes website.

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