Day Trippin' › Florida › From Tampa › Shark Valley
The drive from Tampa to Shark Valley takes about 3 hr 40 min (southeast of Tampa), by real roads from ZIP 33602. Along the way we found 59 stops within a short detour: 10 coffee shops, 2 bakeries, 10 ice cream and treats and 22 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: Everglades National Park Photo, Public domain
National park
Bike or take a tram along a 15-mile paved loop with gators everywhere, and climb the observation tower at the halfway point.
Heads-up: Parking often fills by 10 a.m. in season. Pets only in the parking lot. Only snacks for sale. Children under 16 need helmets.
First third Middle third Last third Shark Valley
About 3 hr 40 min by road, heading southeast from the middle of ZIP 33602. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Starbucks (Ellenton), Hershey's Ice Cream (Fullers Earth), Woody's River Roo Pub & Grill (Ellenton), Popi's Plce on the Ranch (Eastgate) and Menchie's (Eastgate). The page lists 29 in all, in driving order.
Starbucks in Ellenton, Popi's Plce on the Ranch in Eastgate, Root and Seed - Coffee & Gluten Free Bakery in The Meadows and Rendes-Vouz French Bakery in Bee Ridge. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
Woody's River Roo Pub & Grill in Ellenton, Joey D's in Sarasota, Bamboo Wok in Verona Walk and Z's Music Kitchen Restaurant in Winding Cypress.
Founder's 50 Monument in The Meadows, Observation Mound in Tatum, Urban Gardening area in Orange Harbor Mobile Home Park and Community Garden area in Orange Harbor Mobile Home Park.
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.