7-Day Western Caribbean from Tampa

Do you like fish? Not necessarily to eat. Just to look at. Because if you do, you’re going to love Cozumel, Mexico,where sheltered coral reefs make this one of the best snorkeling areas in the world. Abundant and colorful marine life turn the sea into a visual fantasy.

Of course, you might even love it if all you like are beautiful secluded beaches, great shopping, and authentic Mexican cuisine. That’s the deal with Cozumel; there’s a lot to like.

Tampa, (tàm´pe) city (1990 pop. 280,015; met. area 2,067,959), seat of Hillsborough co., W Fla., a port on Tampa Bay; inc. 1855. A highly industrialized city, it is the center of a metropolitan area that includes Clearwater and St. Petersburg. It is a resort and processing and shipping hub for the area’s products, particularly phosphates. It has a shrimp fleet, breweries, and a famous cigar industry, centered in its colorful Ybor City section. Nearby Busch Gardens, a theme park
with an African zoo and tropical gardens, is a well-known tourist attraction. The Spanish explored the area in 1528, but European settlement began only in 1823. Tampa was an important military base in the Spanish-American War.