Day Trippin' › Florida › From Tampa › Castillo de San Marcos
The drive from Tampa to Castillo de San Marcos takes about 2 hr 59 min (northeast of Tampa), by real roads from ZIP 33602. Along the way we found 69 stops within a short detour: 16 coffee shops, 4 bakeries, 11 ice cream and treats and 24 places to eat.
The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Tampa) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.
Photo: Schwerdf, CC BY 4.0
Historic site
The oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S., guarding St. Augustine's bay since the 1600s.
Heads-up: Crowded on weekends and holidays. Little shade on the walls.
First third Middle third Last third Castillo de San Marcos
About 2 hr 59 min by road, heading northeast from the middle of ZIP 33602. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: The Patio (Dover), Dinosaur World (Plant City), Sakura King (Plant City), Toufayan Bakeries (Youmans) and Starbucks (Lakeland). The page lists 28 in all, in driving order.
The Patio in Dover, Toufayan Bakeries in Youmans, Starbucks in Lakeland and Mosaic Cafe in Polk City. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
Sakura King in Plant City, 4 Corners Tavern in ChampionsGate, Rum Largo Poolside Bar & Cafe in Buena Vista and Covington Mill in Buena Vista.
Dinosaur World in Plant City, Orlando Balloon Rides in ChampionsGate, Ripley's Believe It or Not! in Orlando and Sleuths Mystery Dinner Show in Orlando.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.