Tampa-Florida

In addition to its fine museums and Busch Gardens, one of the most popular theme parks in the state, the city holds, in the Cuban-influenced Ybor City, just northeast of the city center, the west coast's hippest and most culturally eclectic quarter.

Tampa began as a small settlement beside a US Army base that was built in the 1820s to keep an eye on the Seminoles.

In the 1880s, the railroad arrived, and the Hillsborough River, on which the city stands, was dredged to allow seagoing vessels to dock.

Tampa Florida became a booming port, simultaneously acquiring a major tobacco industry as thousands of Cubans moved north from Key West to the new cigar factories of neighbouring Ybor City.

The Depression ended the economic surge, but the port remained one of the busiest in the country and tempered Tampa's postwar decline.

Today, little seems to stand in the way of Tampa's continued emergence as a forward-thinking and financially secure community.

Nothing about Tampa is typical.

Nothing about Tampa is typical. From the dramatic design of the minarets at the historic Tampa Florida Bay Hotel to the brilliant sunsets that electrify the night sky, this West Coast community is tropical and always alluring.

Lush, exotic foliage flourishes throughout the area, filling the surrounding scenery with brilliant colors and intoxicating scents.

Glistening waterways wrap around the region's miles of coastline, providing scenic lookouts and passageways for dolphins, manatees and other aquatic creatures. Architectural highlights and delights add visual vibrancy to the local landscape.

Tampa has all of the attributes and things to do that make Florida one of the world's favorite destinations. Major theme parks and attractions? From mild to wild, we've got them here.

The country's top beaches? Three of the 10 best are just minutes away.

Premier sports facilities and top notch teams? Olympic athletes, professional baseball players, and tennis pros can attest to the quality of our courts, fields, playing surfaces and pools.

Tampa-Florida Rentals

Tampa-Florida and the popular Bonita Springs rentals

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