All about Tampa, FL
Things to do
Visiting Tampa is like getting acquainted with the Teenager of America. The city is growing up and there are tons of quirky/awkward things to do.
Taking a water taxi to Sparkman’s Warf
A lot of our vacation home swaps sit in the Soho or Hyde Park neighborhoods. There’s a cute little yellow Taxi that brings you from these neighborhoods right to Sparksman’s Warf. From there you can enjoy tons of pop-up restaurants, clothing boutiques, and gyms.
If you venture a little off the beaten Warf path, you’ll find a wonderful Vietnamese Restaurant:
Bamboozle Channelside on 109 N 12th St, Tampa, FL 33602
Go Stand Up Paddle Boarding
One of the best gems in the Tampa Bay area is stand up paddle boarding, or ‘SUPping’ as they call it here. There are tons of mangroves to explore, open waters to venture down, and creatures to discover. A few of our favorite places to SUP are:
Fort De Soto Park on 3500 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde, FL 33715
Urban Kai on 13090 Gandy Blvd N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702
Party in Ybor
If your lucky get a home swap Ybor, you’ve hit the jackpot. If not, don’t worry. You can also book short term rentals with points in the area.
The free trolly from Channelside will take you straight to Ybor. Once you’re in Ybor, you’ve got the best of any world: bikers showing off their wheels at nights, woo girls celebrating a bachelorette party, military bars, crystal shops, great Colombian Restaurants…you name it. Oh! And how could we forget: cigar shops! Ybor was once filled with cigar factories.
We all have to eat…
Here’s the real deal: food in Tampa isn’t great. It’s slowly catching up as people from all over move in, but it’s not a foodie town yet. Here are the good spots:
Ichicoro Ramen - 5229 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33603
On Swann - 1501 W Swann Ave, Tampa, FL 33606
Brunch at Hotel Haya - 1412 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Hit up a dive bar
Part dive, part on-trend, Velvet Gypsy is the hot spot to go. Put your name in for Ichicoro Ramen and pop across the street to grab a killer martini.
Places to stay
Channelside
Contemporary, convenient, and comfortable. The building has an amazing pool that's warm year-round and is surrounded by great views of Tampa.
Swap for this home
Seminole Heights
Beautiful and modern eclectic 3 bedroom bungalow in a quiet neighborhood.
Swap for this home
Hillsborough A perfect waterfront setting on the Hillsborough River! The views are amazing and gorgeous. Swap for this home