Area description continued:
St. Petersburg area was discovered and explored by Panfilo de Narvaez in 1528, 36 years after Columbus arrived in the Caribbean and 37 years before the founding of St. Augustine. Narvaez and 400 soldiers, probably the first Europeans in this area, came looking for gold and silver. Instead they found the Tocobagan Indians, an agricultural tribe that had occupied the peninsula for hundreds of years. The Spanish ransacked their huts, and pillaged their ceremonial mounds, but found no treasure. Fierce battles ensued and the Indians never forgot the white man's atrocities.

Today with tourism expanding along with an influx of immigration and migration the Tampa Bay Area has a diverse and affluent economy.

The St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport offers a wide variety of affordable and convenient ground transportation services. Whether it's the famous white, sandy Gulf beaches or a business appointment at one of the major businesses headquartered in the Tampa Bay region, we'll get you there fast. Yellow Cab and Yellow Shuttle service are the premiere on-site provider of taxi and limo service.
Tampa International Airport (TPA) is located just seven miles southeast of downtown Tampa. It is served by no less than 26 national airlines, services more than 560 flights daily, and welcomes almost 16 million passengers annually. International & Domestic Carriers: Air Canada, AirTran, America West, American, British Airways, Cayman Airways, Condor, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Jet Blue, Midwest Express, Northwest/KLM, Southwest, Spirit, United/Lufthansa, and US Airways. http://www.tampaairport.com