Your guide to Tampa Bay, Florida’s sports and entertainment capital

Lifestyle | Travel | Worldwide Holidays
At a glance: endless entertainment in Tampa Bay
Where: The city of Tampa on Florida’s west coast, and its surrounding neighbourhoods
Best for: High-octane attractions and championship sporting events
Don’t miss: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, the area’s flagship theme park
Road trip highlight: A day out on the spectacular sands of nearby St.

Pete-Clearwater
Nature fix: Kayaking in Hillsborough River State Park
Getting started: Fly direct to Tampa with British Airways
From powdery beaches and vast national parks to culture-packed metropolises, there are endless reasons to visit Florida.

But if there’s one thing the Sunshine State is best-known for, it’s entertainment – from high-energy, large-scale theme parks to major sporting competitions.

Whether you’re visiting before or after a cruise, or using Tampa International Airport as a gateway for a bigger Florida itinerary with British Airways, Tampa Bay is the perfect place to get a dose of the action.

Ready to get stuck in?

Here’s what Tampa Bay has to offer thrill-seekers and sports spectators...

World-class roller coasters and thrill rides
Board the legendary Sheikra, kicking off with a 135-foot drop that triggers a full three seconds of weightlessness before leaning into one of the world’s largest vertical loops.

Or muster up the courage for a go on the Serengeti Flyer, main image, where you’ll enjoy multiple negative-G moments.

It’s the tallest, and fastest, coaster of its kind on the planet.

While even the most hardened adrenaline junkies will get their highs at Busch Gardens, there’s plenty here to satiate more moderate appetites, too.

For example, the whole family can take a turn on gentle rides like the carousel or SkyRide cable car.

Big-league sport and championship events
Baseball, ice hockey or American football – in Tampa Bay, there’s something for sports fans to see whatever time of year.

There’s plenty of opportunity to get involved in the local sport action, too: more than 10 golf courses are here, all suitable for play 12 months of the year, thanks to the balmy Florida climate.

In a less competitive space, other high-energy pursuits come in the form of kayaking on Class II River rapids in Hillsborough River State Park, or ziplining across creeks and lush grasslands at the Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve.

Tampa’s exciting events, nightlife and festivals
The city of Tampa has a brimming annual calendar of events, from Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which features huge parades of floats and marching bands, to Tampa Riverfest, which includes live music performances, craft workshops and food markets.

With so much of Florida right on your doorstep here (the spectacular beaches of St.

Pete-Clearwater are just a 30-minute drive away, for example), Tampa Bay is a brilliant springboard for exploring more of the state as well as a being a great location to tag onto a longer trip in its own right.

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