When you’re hunting for activities off the beaten path in Tampa Bay, don’t miss these fun things to do. From powdery white beaches to the cultural corridor of Ybor City, these sights and sounds are quintessentially Tampa but receive less fanfare than the theme parks and museums.
Cuba by Way of Ybor City
There’s an easy way to get to Cuba—within Tampa’s . In the 19th century, this district with its cigar factories drew a number of Cuban immigrants and led to a one-of-a-kind park. Jose Marti Park (aka Parque Amigos de José Martí, at 1303 E. 8th Ave.), was given to the Cuban government to celebrate the “Apostle of Cuban Independence” with a statue in the center and soil from each province. (Martí once had sought refuge at a boarding house at the site after an assassination attempt. It's compact—0.14 acres in total—but a unique thing to see.)