Tampa photography: Sunshine Skyway Bridge

Head to Fort de Soto Park to capture photos with the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the background. (Photo: Alamy)

Tampa

Oh Snap! Take Unforgettable Selfies at These Striking Tampa Spots

Selfies show the world, or rather, your friends and followers, all the cool things you’re doing and seeing. Head to the best picture locations in Tampa offering the city’s top views with amazing backdrops and activities. Snap your Tampa photography shot, share it, then put that phone away so you can fully experience the city.

As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.

See the Bridge from the Best Beach

From the fishing piers on both ends of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, you can view the bridge from below, and the angle makes for cool, artistic pictures. If you want your picture have the entire span in the background, head to Fort De Soto Park, a group of five interconnected islands.

For the best bridge shot during your Tampa sightseeing excursion, once you’re in the park, take a left on Anderson Boulevard and follow it past East Beach to the park’s easternmost tip.

Don’t leave Fort De Soto without hitting the beach, a nesting site for loggerhead turtles between April and September. It’s previously been named the country’s best beach by “Dr. Beach.”

Pose with a Gator

Take a picture with one of the resident gators at Lettuce Lake Park. (Kidding. Don’t get that close.) A better bet is to snap away from the top of the park’s three-story observation tower, which offers views of the lake and Hillsborough River.

If you don’t like heights, pick a sunny spot along the 3,500-foot boardwalk that cuts through Lettuce Lake Park and leads to the tower. Bring your bike or hike the nature trail, or rent a canoe or kayak. Keep your eyes open for turtles, birds and, of course, gators.

Take a Selfie with the Skyline

For a Tampa skyline backdrop, stand at the edge of Plant Park, right on the wall overlooking the Hillsborough River. Position yourself here and you’ll be pictured with Tampa’s iconic Rivergate Tower, the cylindrical high-rise with the “Sykes” sign on top.

Angle the photo right and you can also include the landmark Kennedy Boulevard Bridge. At night, as part of the city’s Agua Luces program, the bridge is illuminated by lights that change color every 30 seconds.

Take the Trolley

Get a shot of yourself riding the trolley along the bay in downtown St. Petersburg. Park at the Beach Drive lot, along the approach to St. Petersburg Pier, and jump on the free shuttle to Beach Drive, where you can explore shops, bars and restaurants. Stops along this trolley’s loop include Museum of Fine Arts and Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club.

The Vinoy’s front veranda is a popular St. Petersburg spot for sipping cocktails. Sit at the bar, or snag a rocking chair with a view of the marina and Tampa Bay. Grab a Florida vodka mojito and pose away.