Tampa Bay Region - Central Florida Website Directory

Website
Categories

AC Dealers
Antiques
Attractions
Auto Dealers
Auto Repairs
Aviation
Banks
Bed and Breakfasts
Boat Dealers, Repairs
Boat Rentals
Boat Charters
Condos, Timeshares
Credit Unions
Flight Schools/Charters
Flooring
Furniture Stores
Garden Equip.,Supplies
General Contractors
Golf
Health Care
Home Builders
Hotels
Jewelry Stores
Landscape Contractors
Lawn Care
Limousines
Mortgage Companies
Motorcycles
Moving and Storage
Planned Communities
Pools and Spas
Real Estate
Remodelers
Roofers
RV's and RV Repairs
Scooters
Tourist Attractions
Vacation Rentals
Website Designers
Website Services
Weddings

Tourism Websites

Orlando Hotels
Start you search for an Orlando hotel here. When you visit the Orlando area, we have links to Orlando hotels websites.
Go to Orlando Hotels.

Orlando Attractions
We have links to all the best Orlando area tourist attractions. From the largest attractions to the the smallest.
Go to Orlando Attractions

Cities and Towns

Bay Pines
BAYONET POINT
Belleair
Belleair Beach
Belleair Shores
Brandon
Bridgeport
Brookville
CARROLLWOOD
CITRUS PARK
CLEARWATER
Dunedin
EASTLAKE
EGYPT LAKE
Four Corners
Goldstein
GULFPORT
High Point
HOLIDAY
HUDSON
Indian Rocks Beach
Indian Shores
KEYSTONE
Lake Carroll
LAKE MAGDALENE
LAND O LAKES
LARGO
LEALMAN
LUTZ
Maderia Beach
NEW PORT RICHEY
North Redington Beach
Oakhurst
OLDSMAR
PALM HARBOR
Penellas Park
Plant City
Port Richey
Redington Beach
Redington Shores
SAFETY HARBOR
Saint Pete Beach
SAINT PETERSBURG
SEMINOLE
South Pasadena
Spring Hill
TAMPA
TARPON SPRINGS
Tierra Verde
TOWN N COUNTRY
Treasure Island
Ulmerton
Walsingham
WESTCHASE

Tampa Bay
   Tampa Bay, located on the Gulf coast of Central Florida, includes numerous communities surrounding the largest bay in all of Florida including three of Florida's largest cities, Tampa, Saint Petersburg and Clearwater. The Tampa bay metropolitan area with a population of 2.7 million is the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Florida after the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro area.
   The largest city making up the Tampa Bay metro area is Tampa with approximately 320,000 residents, second is St. Petersburg with approximately 250,000 residents and Clearwater with approximately 110,000 residents. Other communities making up Tampa bay are Seminole, Tarpon Springs, Palm Harbor, East Lake, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor, Belleair, Bellair Bluffs and Leaman among others. Tampa Bay is also home to MacDill Air Force Base located on the large peninsula separating Hillsborough Bay from Old Tampa Bay, the two bays which are just north of the main body of water referred to as Tampa Bay.
   Tampa Bay's weather consists of bright sunny days with gentle gulf breezes. The average annual temperature in Tampa is a comfortable 72 degrees. Although the Tampa Bay area witnesses frequent thunderstorms rolling in from the Gulf of Mexico and is known as the "Lightning Capital of North America" its location on the central west coast of the Florida peninsula generally spares the bay area from direct hits by hurricanes.

Beaches
Tampa Bay has an abundance of fine beaches along the Gulf Coast including Clearwater Beach, Belleair Beach, Belleair Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Redington Shores, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, Madeira Beach, Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach. The beaches are located on a series of 10 barrier islands connected by a stretch of road called Gulf Boulevard with bridges leading from one barrier island to the next.
The beaches and adjoining network of waterways are lined with modern condominiums and are popular with vacationers from all over the world. It is not unusual to hear foreign accents and languages on Tampa Bay beaches which are as popular with foreign tourists as any beach resort area in South Florida. Clearwater Beach is perhaps the most popular of all the Tampa Bay beaches with large crowds year round.

History
   The first known settlement in Tampa was an Indian fishing village. Native Americans called the village "Tanpa," meaning "sticks of fire." Early explorers, changes the spelling on their maps to "Tampa." In 1521, Ponce de Leon began his search for the fountain of youth just south of Tampa Bay and in 1539 Hernando de Soto sailed into Tampa Bay area in search of gold. After that, the area was largely untouched by Europeans for the next 200 years.
   In 1886, Vicente Martinez Ybor, a Cuban cigar manufacturer, moved his cigar factory from from Key West to Tampa in 1886. Over time more Spanish cigar manufacturers moved their factories and workers to Tampa. The Spanish and Cuban workers who settled in Tampa to work in the cigar industry created a community known as Ybor City. Throughout the 20th century, migrants and seasonal "snowbirds" from the Northern states began settling in the Tampa Bay area helping to make Tampa Bay the vibrant, diverse community it is today.
   Clearwater's name is a literal translation from the from the native American language originally spoken in the Tampa Bay area. The area was named for the fresh springs once found along the shore. American colonists began settling in the Tampa Bay area in the 1830s. Clearwater is located on the highest coastal bluffs in all of Florida, a great advantage over low lying areas along most of Florida's coasts. The colonists also had easy access to the area through the protective bay waters. By the 1890s, Clearwater was gaining a reputation as a resort community.
   Saint Petersburg was first settled in 1873 as a small farming community. Saint Petersburg was soon named by Peter Demens, a Russian immigrant who built railroads in Central Florida to serve the growing citrus industry in the late 1800's. Demens had come to Tampa Bay to begin building a railroad that would connect his railroads in the center of the state around Lake Apopka to the Gulf Coast. He named the new town St. Petersburg, after the most beautiful city in his native Russia.
In 1883 phosphate was discovered in an area southeast of Tampa Bay. Phosphate is a mineral vital to the prouction of fertilizers. Soon large quantities of the important mineral were being shipped out of Tampa Bay. Phosphate mining and shipping greatly boosted the local economy. Even today, Tampa is one of the world's leading exporters of phosphate.

Attractions
Central Florida is the tourist attraction capital of the world. Before Disney came to the Orlando area, Tampa and Saint Petersburg already had attractions well known to the vacationing public. Here are a few of the many tourist attractions in the Tampa Bay area.

Busch Gardens Africa amusement park, a good distance from downtown, in northern Tampa, is owned and operated by Busch Entertainment Corporation, a division of Anheuser-Busch. The 335-acre theme park is one of America's largest zoological parks with nearly 3000 exotic animals. It opened in 1959, admission free, as a promotion for the Tampa Anheuser-Busch brewery on the grounds. Visitors could watch animals in a tropical setting and were offered free Busch beer to drink on the premises.
After the brewery closed, Busch Gardens began focusing on its collection of exotic animals, thrill rides, roller coasters and various amusements to draw visitors. Busch Gardens also greatly improved the exotic landscaping and today is known as one of the most attractive theme parks in all of Florida with rich lush landscaping well matured since first opening in 1959. Busch Gardens began charging admission as the complex grew.
Today, Busch Gardens is known as having some of the premier roller coaster rides in the country in addition to its large collection of exotic animals.

The Florida Aquarium in Tampa features aquatic exhibits related to Florida's natural habitats. Exhibits include the Florida Wetlands Gallery, the Florida Bays and Beaches Gallery and the Coral Reefs Gallery. Aquatic creatures from alligators to sharks to otters are represented in the Florida Aquarium.

The Sunken Gardens in downtown St. Petersburg is a 100 year old living museum of over 50,000 tropical plants from around the world. The gardens include meandering paths, waterfalls, a butterfly garden and are home to some of the oldest tropical plants in all of Florida. Located in the center of a busy modern city, the Sunken Gardens of Saint Petersburg is a lush urban retreat with a long history of pleasing tourists and locals alike.

The American Victory Mariners Memorial & Ship Museum in downtown Tampa is a world class museum dedicated to the merchant marine and its contributions to America from World War Two, Korea and Vietnam. The museum includes maritime artifacts and exhibits depicting life at sea in the merchant marine as well as the role of Tampa Bay's maritime industry in worldwide commerce.

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo is considered by many experts to be the premier family friendly zoo in America. The zoo features more than 1700 animals on 56 acres of habitats. Exhibits include Primate World, the Manatee and Aquatic Center, the Wallaroo Station Children's Zoo and a Native Florida Wildlife Center. Many exhibits include interaction between visitors and the animals such as feeding and animal rides.

The Henry B. Plant Museum located in Tampa's historic 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel is now a National Historic Landmark and home to The University of Tampa. The hotel was built by railroad magnate Henry Bradley Plant who brought the railroad to Tampa in 1884. The museum interprets the Tampa Bay Hotel at the turn of the century and the Victorian era.

Ybor City is a National Historic Landmark District near downtown Tampa. It was once a thriving immigrant community, founded in 1886 by Vicente Martinez Ybor. It became the center of cigar production in the United States by 1900 with factories manned by Cuban cigar makers. The cigar factories were all closed and moved abroad by the early 1950s. The old cigar factories and warehouses were renovated in the 1990s and now house a complex of restaurants, nightclubs and restaurants.

Airports Serviced:

Tampa International Airport (TPA) - is a public airport located in Tampa, Florida.

St Petersburg - Clearwater International Airport (PIE) - is located on the west shoreline of Tampa Bay north of Saint Petersburg, the birthplace of commercial air transportation.

Sarasota - Brandenton Airport (SRQ) - is an airport located in Sarasota, Florida and south of Bradenton, Florida.