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Ybor City, Tampa, FL

Photo: Peter K Burian, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffFreeFoodie Favorite

Ybor City

Centered on E 7th Ave, northeast of downtown Tampa · Tampa, FL

Why you should go…

Cigar manufacturer Vicente Martinez Ybor founded this neighborhood in 1885, and Cuban, Spanish and Italian immigrants made it a cigar-making center that turned out 500 million cigars in 1929. Today it is a National Historic Landmark District centered on 7th Avenue, where you can browse cigar shops and watch independent rollers at work. Chickens roam freely through the streets, and the Columbia Restaurant is the oldest restaurant in Florida. The TECO Line Streetcar links Ybor to downtown Tampa.

  • #historic district
  • #cigar shops
  • #nightlife
  • #cuban heritage
  • #streetcar

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Ybor City, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    The Florida Aquarium

    $25–$50

    See a 500,000-gallon coral reef tank, loggerhead sea turtles, moon jellies, lemurs and stingrays in downtown Tampa.

    1.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    ZooTampa at Lowry Park

    $50+

    Meet manatees, elephants, giraffes and rhinos across a 63-acre zoo that also runs a hospital for injured manatees.

    3.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

    $50+

    Ride coasters like Iron Gwazi and SheiKra, then see giraffes and zebras on the Serengeti Plain.

    5.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Museums
    Iconic

    The Dalí Museum

    $25–$50

    See Salvador Dalí's paintings and drawings in a waterfront museum entered beside a 75-foot glass spiral.

    18 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Attractions
    Family Favorite

    Clearwater Marine Aquarium

    $25–$50

    See rescued dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, sharks and sea lions at a working marine animal hospital.

    23 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Sunshine Skyway Bridge

    Under $25

    Drive over Tampa Bay on a four-mile cable-stayed bridge, or view the whole span from the old-bridge fishing piers.

    27 mi awayMore like this