Palma Ceia is a South Tampa neighborhood inside the city of Tampa, about 3 miles southwest of downtown, spread along both sides of Dale Mabry Highway around Bay to Bay Boulevard and MacDill Avenue. Established in the early 1920s, it is known for red brick streets shaded by large oaks, Spanish street names, the shops and cafes of the Palma Ceia Design District, and its location beside the Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club.
Living in Palma Ceia
This page combines three sections the City of Tampa maps separately:
- Palma Ceia itself, east of Dale Mabry Highway.
- Palma Ceia West, from Dale Mabry west to Lois Avenue, below Morrison Avenue.
- Palma Ceia Pines, a separate pocket north of Swann Avenue between Himes and Armenia avenues.
The city dates the neighborhood to the early 1920s and describes its antique red brick roads under large oaks. Its Spanish street names are generally traced to a map of old Havana that Angel Cuesta, president of Cuesta-Rey cigars, shared with developer Thomas Palmer. The origin of the name Palma Ceia is less certain. One explanation ties it to the Spanish "palma silla," the seat or base of the palm.
Shopping, dining and recreation in Palma Ceia
The Palma Ceia Design District, centered on MacDill Avenue and Bay to Bay Boulevard, is a cluster of specialty boutiques and cafes. It was formally marked in 2010 with a ribbon cutting and a sculpture by local artist Marc DeWaele. Farther south on MacDill Avenue, between Bayview and Wallcraft avenues, another small group of cafes, bars and shops sits in neighboring Bayshore Beautiful. Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club, a private club founded in 1916, sits in neighboring Golfview and has hosted the amateur Gasparilla Invitational since 1956. Bayshore Boulevard and its waterfront sidewalk are about half a mile east. Friendship Park, on Bay to Bay Boulevard in Virginia Park, has picnic shelters and sports courts. Hyde Park Village and SoHo are less than 2 miles northeast.
Homes in Palma Ceia
Palma Ceia mixes historic homes, renovated bungalows and new custom construction, and the city notes a range of housing styles. The brick streets and mature oaks are part of what defines its blocks, and the Palma Ceia Pines section north of Swann Avenue sits less than a mile west of South Howard Avenue.
Getting around Palma Ceia
Dale Mabry Highway runs through the neighborhood. North, it reaches Kennedy Boulevard, Westshore and Tampa International Airport, about 5 miles away. South, it reaches Gandy Boulevard, the Gandy Bridge to St. Petersburg, and the start of the Selmon Expressway. Bay to Bay Boulevard crosses east to Bayshore Boulevard, the waterfront route to downtown Tampa, about 3 to 4 miles by car.
