TAMPA BAY & SOUTHWEST 403 Naples Ybor City State Park Venice Cayo Costa ( p450 ) – ( p407 ), a ( p442 ) ( p442 ) Ybor City ( p454 ), the chicest ), the chicest beach p454 ( Naples Cayo Costa State Park Park Costa State Cayo ( p441 ), which boasts great sand, pretty sand, pretty ), which boasts great p441 ( Venice water and front-row seats to those famous ruby- and front-row water gulf sunsets red town around fect and posh fect historic Tampa neighborhood that also hosts the the neighborhood that also hosts historic Tampa city’s best bar scene this gulf-island jewel is accessible only by boat, manatee- has pristine , and frequent sightings offshore at Myakka River State Park Park State Myakka River

out in Camp Mingle with the rich and famous in picture-per- Roll your own cigars in in the casual south-Florida beach-town vibe Take at Look for alligators as you canoe down the river

„ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS „ Don’t fill up entirely on beaches, though, because the menu here extends well beyond extends beaches, though, because the menu here on Don’t fill up entirely If you’ve come for the beach, you’re in luck. There are plenty of choices. Venice trumps in Venice plenty of choices. are in luck. There you’re come for the beach, If you’ve

tune as well. just as Jimmy Buffet did. Who knows? Perhaps this region will inspire you to pen a classic will inspire this region Perhaps did. Who knows? just as Jimmy Buffet Show on Earth.’ in paradise, Key Or take to grab a cheeseburger a boat out to Cabbage artsy Sarasota, the original circus town, where you can learn the story behind the ‘Greatest ‘Greatest you can learn the story behind the artsy circus town, where Sarasota, the original gritty St Petersburg, which competes with Ybor City for the best bar scene. Go cultural in City for the best bar scene. with Ybor which competes gritty St Petersburg, cigars in Tampa’s historic and happening Ybor City. Discover Dali’s surreal world in slightly surreal Dali’s Discover historic and happening Ybor City. cigars in Tampa’s surf Roll your own at Busch Gardens. and sand. Ride an adrenaline-pumping roller coaster and shell collectors. both. To get back to nature, go to Sanibel Island; a haven for birders, reclusive millionaires millionaires for birders, reclusive Island; a haven go to Sanibel both. To get back to nature, shops. For a good party, pay Fort Myers or St Pete Beach a visit. The college crowd adores college crowd adores Beach a visit. The For a good party,shops. pay Fort Myers or St Pete beaches in the US, streets are strewn with million-dollar mansions, fine restaurants and chic mansions, fine restaurants with million-dollar strewn are beaches in the US, streets frozen cocktail in the sand. If you need posh, you need Naples. Considered one of the best Considered posh, you need Naples. cocktail in the sand. If you need frozen the laid-back department. Here life involves kicking involves the laid-back department. life shrimp shack and sipping a back at the Here a few dishes on this eclectic dishes on this menu. a few Mexico, alligators, amusement parks, cigars, art and more than 100 barrier islands are just parks, cigars, artMexico, alligators, amusement islands are than 100 barrier more and diversity. Pearly sand dipped into turquoise-flecked seas, fiery red sunsets over the Gulf of the Gulf sand dipped into turquoise-flecked sunsets over seas, fiery red Pearly diversity. of coastline from Tampa to Naples, this region may be compact, but is far from lacking for to Naples, this region of coastline from Tampa If southwest Florida was a restaurant, it would specialize in tapas. Covering just 225 miles Covering in tapas. it would specialize a restaurant, southwest Florida was If Southwest Florida Tampa Bay & © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © TAMPA BAY & SOUTHWEST FLORIDA more AmericanIndians off their land. inmore brought highway andpushed settlers, towns begantogrow exponentiallyasthenew Tampatween andMiami. Duringthistime first theTamiami highway, ,runningbe- 1800s withtheconstructionof theregion’s This area’s modernhistorybeganinthemid- 404 History Honeymoon Island State To Tallahassee Clearwater Tarpon Springs Homosassa Springs FLORIDA TAMPA BAY&SOUTHWEST State WildlifePark St PeteBeach DeSoto Park Park Key Cedar Beach Anna Maria Dunedin St Petersburg (130mi) Fort AP A OTWS LRD • Hsoy TAMPA BAY &SOUTHWESTFLORIDA••History Longboat Key Weeki Wachee Hudson M EXICO Crystal River Homosassa G ULF ὈὈ ὈὈὈ Lido Key Springs Bradenton Siesta Key Clearwater O F W 19 Springs

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