20 Tampa Bay tourist attractions that are actually worth the struggle

Caladesi Island/Honeymoon Island

First off, don’t ever, ever, try to swim across the pass from Honeymoon to Caladesi Island. There are boats and riptides, and it’s much farther than your eye tells you it is. Do, however, take every effort to visit both. The sister slabs of pristine, protected land are two of the most beautiful places you can visit in Tampa Bay, and it takes a considerable effort to get to both. Not just because of the drive, which is often slowed down by speed limits and construction, but because Caladesi (a bird sanctuary) is only accessible by kayak or ferry from Honeymoon Island. Virgin sand, birdwatching, kayak trails, sea oats and, yes, snakes, await, but you won’t find a single reason not to return year after year (or week after week if you’re local). The best part is that the closest thing to a city or downtown is Dunedin nearly six miles away. (RR)
1 Causeway Blvd., Dunedin. 727-241-6106
Photo by Spark for Visit Florida

Fish off the John’s Pass Boardwalk

It’s another tourist magnet, but there’s a reason for that: John’s Pass is just a lot of fun, and offers a lot of options for filing away a hot day down by the sea. Feel like a mini bar crawl? The Village has you covered. Want to try some of the freshest seafood available? Check. Looking to actually act like a tourist? There are T-shirt stores and games aplenty, not to mention some rather upscale shops, as well. It’s tough to think of a spot along the southern Pinellas beaches that offers so much to do without constantly getting into the car and out on Gulf Boulevard.
12901 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach.
Photo by Richard McNeil/Creative Commons

MOSI

If you’re from here, you’ve most likely taken a trip on a class field trip, tasted the astronaut ice cream and crawled through every strange crevasse possible. Now you can search Groupon for deals to the exhibits and the outdoor activity area.
4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa. 813-987-6000.
Photo via MOSITampa/Facebook

Take in a Rays game

We love to bitch about the low attendance, the traffic snarls, whether or not the Rays “belong” in St. Pete or Tampa. But even if you’re not the world’s biggest baseball fan, half a day spent inside the enclosed Trop, out of the heat, eating good food and drinking craft beer and feeling the energy of the crowd, isn’t half bad. Plus, ahem, you can almost always get tickets — if the Yankees or the Sox aren’t in town.
1 Tropicana Dr., St. Petersburg.
Photo via Rays/Facebook

Bok Tower Gardens

This one’s the furthest away from Tampa proper, but on a free day when you just need to get away from it all, it’s well worth the trip. Acres and acres of landscaped gardens set on one of the state’s highest elevations, shot through with pathways, romantic nooks and contemplative copses, surrounding a true marvel of beautiful architecture: the nearly century-old, 205-foot Singing Tower, with its evocative blend of neo-Gothic and Art Deco styles and its carillon, one of the finest in the world. It’s a perfect destination on those days when the first hints of fall are in the air.
1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales.
Photo by Larry Crovo/Flickr

Canoeing Hillsborough River State Park

Look, at some point this summer you’re gonna wanna go outside. Skip the beach traffic and head in the other direction to see some real, natural Florida outdoors just a few minutes from town. Hillsborough River State Park features all the wildlife you don’t see elsewhere in the country — otters and gators and sliders, oh my! — as well as activities ranging from hiking, fishing, biking and camping to canoeing, kayaking, historical tours of Fort Foster and seasonal swimming in the park’s pool.
15402 U.S. 301, Thonotosassa.
Photo via Florida State Parks

Clearwater Beach Pier 60

It may be the most outright touristy thing on this list — it’s not only on the beach, it’s on a beach regularly called the best in the nation — but that doesn’t mean locals can’t have some fun in the sun at Pier 60. The 1,080-foot pier is a major attraction for anglers, while performers and artisans of all stripes teem the surrounding area 364 days a year for a couple of hours before and after the sun goes down.
7 Causeway Blvd., Clearwater.
Photo via Pier60ClearwaterBeachFlorida/Facebook

Mazzaro's

This Italian market is as beloved locally as it is famous beyond our borders — hell, it’s mostly regulars causing those headache-inducing lines on weekends. It’s worth the wait, though, to get inside and take your time, perusing amazing groceries, wines and pre-made dishes in the AC. Take a number, grab a sandwich and take a break, do a little more walking around, and grab a bottle of vino or three for your next summer-days adventure — this should be a tradition for every season, really, crowds or no.
2909 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-321-2400
Photo via DiscoverMazzaros/Facebook

Busch Gardens (Serengeti Safari)

Yes, it’s a theme park. And yes, we’re about an hour or so from some of the nation’s biggest and most beloved theme parks. But Busch Gardens has evolved into something all its own — part amusement park, part animal preserve — that you can experience in a single day, for a fraction of the cost of a trip to Orlando. The park is now home to some of the most thrilling roller coasters in the state on top of being lauded for its conservation efforts. Plus, its Serengeti Safari and other animal-centric animal tours are worth the price of admission plus the premium.
10165 McKinley Dr., Tampa.
Photo via Busch Gardens

Climb the fort at Fort De Soto

Clearwater Beach may get all the accolades, but if you’re looking for a shoreline experience that’s a little (OK, a lot) more natural, Fort De Soto is pretty much impossible to beat. It’s actually a tight group of five islands featuring everything from sandy beaches to mangrove hammocks to its historic namesake fort. The fishing and kayaking are superb, as are the beach areas there’s camping, too, but we’re definitely not up for that during the season, along with two fishing piers, a boat launch, a dog beach (!), and trips across the mouth of the bay to Egmont Key, as well.
3500 Pinellas Bayway S., St. Petersburg.
Photo by Spark for Visit Florida

ZooTampa

The former Lowry Park Zoo has really upped its game over the last several years. If you’re a lifelong Tampeño, you might’ve loved it as a kid, then gone back as a teen or young adult and been more than a little disappointed by the lack of upkeep or evolution. All that has changed, and ZooTampa at Lowry Park is now truly an attraction worthy of “among the Bay area’s best tourist destinations” status. And if you’ve got a kid of your own these days, well, you owe it to the little one to brave the heat and crowds in order to instill a love of animals early — and you’ll probably find something new to gawk and grin at, too.
1101 W. Sligh Ave., Tampa
Photo via ZooTampa

See a movie at Tampa Theatre

Sure, you can go to the movies anywhere. But how many pre-Depression movie palaces are there left to experience in the country? Built in 1926, the Tampa Theatre features an opulent Mediterranean courtyard motif and a “sky” full of wispy clouds and twinkling stars, as well as “the Mighty Wurlitzer,” a classic pipe organ that rises up from beneath the stage. Go cool off and see the latest indie/art-house fare, or revisit a classic during one of the theatre’s many themed and seasonal series. It’s also rumored to be haunted!
711 N. Franklin St., Tampa. tampatheatre.org
Photo via Pexels

Sunken Gardens

Billed as “St. Petersburg’s oldest living museum,” this lush botanical garden just blocks from the ‘Burg’s lively downtown provides the perfect antidote to the oppressive heat of urban living. Home to more than 50,000 tropical flowers and plants, Sunken Gardens is an awesome place to get away from it all without going far at all. This beautiful gem, one of the last original Old Florida attractions, also hosts tours and classes.
1825 4th St. N., St. Petersburg.
Photo via City of St. Pete/Flickr

Grab a cold beer on the Tampa Riverwalk

Tampa’s latest downtown attraction is, well, pretty much the coolest part of downtown. From the Channelside District up along the east side of the Hillsborough River to Tampa Heights and the very hip restaurants and event spaces of the old Armitage Works building, this pedestrian thoroughfare ties together everything from public art and retail to parks, culture and dining. Park the car and get culture all around downtown (The Straz! The Tampa Museum of Art! The library!) on foot, rental bike or water taxi, popping in here or there to cool off. It’s a day well spent.
Downtown Tampa along the eastern shore of the Hillsborough River.
Photo via Visit Tampa Bay