Discover All Tampa Bay Has To Offer Your Clients

An outdoorsy city with a buccaneering tradition, Tampa Bay is more than a great hub from which families can explore Florida's mid-Gulf Coast region and nearby Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. It also has its own fascinating attractions spread throughout a colorful realm of waterways and neighborhoods. Read on to learn more.

Tampa Bay's famous waterfront is bordered by a 2.6-mile path known as the Tampa Riverwalk. Families can enjoy a simple stroll or bike ride along this walkway, where they can stop for a picnic in sprawling green spaces or cool off in a splash park. A selection of family-friendly restaurants, museums and performance venues can be found here as well. Meanwhile, the Hillsborough River itself brims with activity, and families are welcome to take to the water on kayaks, paddleboards or water bikes.

Whisking travelers to various points along the Riverwalk is the Pirate Water Taxi, staffed by characters who will entertain young and old alike with tales of the area's swashbuckling history. Families yearning for more rollicking fun will want to visit Tampa Bay during Gasparilla Season (late January - March), when pirate-themed parades, food events and music, art and film festivals take center stage.

Various venues along the Riverwalk bring the fun indoors for kids: The Florida Aquarium beckons with its shell-shaped glass architecture, and its spacious, natural light-filled display areas are perfect for families with active youngsters, who can move about easily as they take in the wonders of the sea. Also not to be missed is the Glazer Children's Museum, with its hands-on, interactive exhibits that encourage learning and imaginative play.

Older children have even more fun-filled educational opportunities to explore in Tampa Bay, where museums immerse visitors in baseball or railroad history or in the lives of the people who gave the city its rich legacy - including the indigenous Seminoles, Spanish conquistadores, pirates and immigrants from around the world.

Children will be entertained by the chickens that freely roam the neighborhood of Ybor City - just one of many reasons why walking around this part of town during the day can be lots of fun. Built around the cigar industry in the 1880s, Ybor City emanates a Cuban/Latin American vibe with its architecture and eateries, which is enhanced by the colorful street art. Ybor City Museum State Park focuses on the area's history and cultural heritage and contains several cigar workers' casitas (small houses) and a garden, and visitors can enjoy a tour of the neighborhood by hopping on a free, vintage streetcar. Families will also find places to play arcade games and enjoy treats, from coffee to gourmet ice pops to a host of bakery delights.

A full day can be spent exploring Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park, which is widely considered to have one of the most beautiful tropical zoological settings in the world. It is home to 2,000 animals, including African painted dogs, pygmy hippos, Bornean orangutans, African elephants, two-toed sloths - as well as river otters, American bald eagles, Florida panthers and more. The park is also loaded with activities for families, such as a guided safari tour, daily shows that allow for interaction with some of the animals and attractions like splash rides, bumper boats, a rollercoaster and a water play area.

At night, the river shimmers with a light show (Agua Luces, or "water lights"), making the Riverwalk a great place to return to at the end of the day for families looking to wind down.

Tampa Bay has a whole roster of accommodations and restaurants perfect for families, along with transportation options that make the city easy to navigate. Learn all about this destination - along with itinerary suggestions for families, couples/groups of friends and LGBTQ+ travelers - in the Visit Tampa Bay Specialist program at TravelAgentAcademy.com.