© Lonely Planet Publications 403 Tampa Bay & Southwest Florida If southwest Florida was a restaurant, it would specialize in tapas. Covering just 225 miles of coastline from Tampa to Naples, this region may be compact, but is far from lacking for diversity. Pearly sand dipped into turquoise-flecked seas, fiery red sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico, alligators, amusement parks, cigars, art and more than 100 barrier islands are just a few dishes on this eclectic menu. If you’ve come for the beach, you’re in luck. There are plenty of choices. Venice trumps in the laid-back department. Here life involves kicking back at the shrimp shack and sipping a frozen cocktail in the sand. If you need posh, you need Naples. Considered one of the best beaches in the US, streets are strewn with million-dollar mansions, fine restaurants and chic shops. For a good party, pay Fort Myers or St Pete Beach a visit. The college crowd adores both. To get back to nature, go to Sanibel Island; a haven for birders, reclusive millionaires TAMPA BAY & SOUTHWEST and shell collectors. Don’t fill up entirely on beaches, though, because the menu here extends well beyond FLORIDA surf and sand. Ride an adrenaline-pumping roller coaster at Busch Gardens. Roll your own cigars in Tampa’s historic and happening Ybor City. Discover Dali’s surreal world in slightly gritty St Petersburg, which competes with Ybor City for the best bar scene. Go cultural in artsy Sarasota, the original circus town, where you can learn the story behind the ‘Greatest Show on Earth.’ Or take a boat out to Cabbage Key to grab a cheeseburger in paradise, just as Jimmy Buffet did. Who knows? Perhaps this region will inspire you to pen a classic tune as well. HIGHLIGHTS Look for alligators as you canoe down the river at Myakka River State Park ( p442 ) Take in the casual south-Florida beach-town vibe at Venice ( p441 ), which boasts great sand, pretty water and front-row seats to those famous ruby- Ybor City red gulf sunsets Roll your own cigars in Ybor City ( p407 ), a historic Tampa neighborhood that also hosts the Myakka River State Park city’s best bar scene Mingle with the rich and famous in picture-per- Venice fect and posh Naples ( p454 ), the chicest beach Cayo Costa town around State Park Camp out in Cayo Costa State Park ( p450 ) – this gulf-island jewel is accessible only by boat, Naples has pristine beaches, and frequent manatee- sightings offshore 404 TAMPA BAY & SOUTHWEST FLORIDA •• History lonelyplanet.com TAMPA BAY & SOUTHWESTᝲᝲ Fort Myers became a nationally recognized 0 50 km winter resort after the 1898 construction of FLORIDA 0 30 miles O the Royal Palm Hotel. The rich, famous and To Tallahassee To Gainesville c Lake k (130mi) 121 (27mi); I-10 l George legendary were quick to snap up surrounding a 40 (50mi) w Ocala a Cedar 41 ha Ocala property – Thomas Edison and Henry Ford Key 200ᝲᝲR National cooche i la R v Forest ith iv 75 e both spent winter in private mansions here. W er r Tsala 441 Today, the money has moved down the road Crystal River Apopka 27 19 Lake 44 Florida's to neighboring Naples. This wealthy town Homosassa Springs Tavares State Wildlife Park Inverness features multimillion-dollar mansions, luxury ᝲᝲTurn Homosassa Springs pike shopping and more Rolls Royces and Ferraris 98 (toll) than Honda on its palm-lined streets. Weeki Wachee Brooksville 50 On August 13, 2004 the region, with Fort Springs 50 To Orlando (18mi) Myers and Sanibel taking especially hard hits, 19 41 To Orlando was damaged heavily by Hurricane Charley, a Dade City (20mi) Hudson 52 33 Category 4 storm that made landfall just north Land O' Lakes 39 98 of Fort Myers. Hurricane Wilma clobbered the 4 area the following year, with the majority of the Tarpon Springs 582 Hillsborough Dunedin Lakeland damage centered on Naples this time. Honeymoon River State Tampa Park Island State Clearwater Park ὈὈὈὈ 19 275 Alafia 60 Lake Climate Clearwater R i Wales Beach v Tampa e It’s hard to complain. Like the rest of South St Petersburg r Bay St Pete Beach Florida, west-coast temperatures hover 75 Fort 17 around the 65°F in the winter (November to r DeSoto Park e v March). Summertime (June to September) is Man i Anna Maria ate R e r Bradenton Lake e downright steamy, the mercury pegs about v i Zolfo Manatree 70 R Springs State Park 90°F and there’s a high probability of after- Longboat Key r ve e Sarasota i c noon thunderstorms but the ocean breezes Lido Key R a a e Siesta Key k P k Arcadia help. Spring and fall, perfectly pleasant, lie a FLORIDA FLORIDA 41 y Myakka River M State Park To Lake somewhere in between. Okeechobee Venice (67mi); 17 Fort Pierce (100mi) Port Charlotte National, State & Regional Parks TAMPA BAY & SOUTHWEST TAMPA BAY & SOUTHWEST ὈὈPunta Gorda 31 The Bay Area and southwest Florida do not To Lake Okeechobee lack green space. Camping and canoeing are Cayo Costa Charlotte 41 (74mi) prime at the Hillsborough River State Park Island Harbour North Pine Fort Myers 75 ( p417 ), near Tampa, while the enormous Island Fort Myers 82 Myakka River State Park ( p442 ), near Sarasota, Captiva Matlacha Island ὅὅ Fort Myers Koreshan excels in hiking and river-boat touring. Beach State Sanibel Park Southwest Florida supports a rich ecosys- Island Bonitaὅὅ Springs tem which in turn supports vibrant and var- Corkscrew Swamp ied bird species. They’re best appreciated at ὅὅSanctuary Sanibel’s JN ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Naples G U L F ὅὅ Refuge ( p452 ), while the Chassahowitzka O F To Everglades (35mi); National Wildlife Refuge ( p460 ) supports a Miami (100mi); M E X I C O Fort Lauderdale ὅὅ(122mi) sweet colony of endangered manatees. These Marco gentle creatures also gather at Lee County Island ὅὅ Manatee Park ( p451 ). For great state-run, natural beach parks, History Lover’s Key ( p447 ), Caladesi Island ( p430 ) This area’s modern history began in the mid- and Cayo Costa Island ( p450 ) are definitely 1800s with the construction of the region’s a tough trio to top. first highway, the Tamiami Trail, running be- tween Tampa and Miami. During this time Information towns began to grow exponentially as the new The tourist industry is well oiled. Each town highway brought in more settlers, and pushed has an active chamber of commerce and a more American Indians off their land. visible visitors bureau; details can be found .