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In three hundred miles from the state's southern tip to the border of the Panhandle, Florida's west coast embraces all the extremes. Buzzing, youthful towns rise behind placid fishing hamlets; mobbed holiday strips are just minutes from desolate swamplands. Surprises are plentiful, though the coast's one constant is proximity to the Gulf of Mexico - and sunset views rivaled only by those of the Florida Keys. The largest city, Tampa , has more to offer than its corporate towers initially suggest - not least the exemplary nightlife scene at Cuban Ybor City and the Busch Gardens theme park. For the mass of visitors, though, the Tampa Bay area begins and ends with the St Petersburg beaches , whose miles of sea and sand are undiluted vacation territory. South of Tampa, a string of barrier-island beaches runs the length of the Gulf, and the mainland towns that provide access to them - such as Sarasota and Fort Myers - have enough to warrant a stop. Inland, the wilderness of the Everglades National Park is explorable on simple walking trails, by canoeing, or by spending the night at backcountry campgrounds with only the gators for company.
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