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Ready to visit Fort Lauderdale?
You’re going to LOVE the pristine beaches, the warm water, and all the fun stuff to do here! Pour yourself a drink with a fancy little umbrella on it, press “PLAY” on the video above, and start planning your trip!
Where to stay
Fort Lauderdale is gorgeous, but trust me – you don’t want to stay everywhere. My personal favourites are around Hollywood Beach, Central Beach, and if you want an even quieter place I’d recommend where I stayed in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.
It’s an adorable little beachfront village full of restaurants, ice cream parlours, and of course, tacky gift shops.
The beach
No surprise, the beach is the biggest draw here!
I love that the beach here is well cared for, the sand is groomed in the morning to comb out the icky stuff.
Snorkeling
If you want to swim with the fishes there’s 2 places to easily snorkel for free right off the shore, one at Hollywood North Beach Park (A1A at Sheridan Street) and the other near the Pompano Beach Club Recreation Center (100 Briny Avenue, directly off of the Recreation Center).
Why are the streetlights so dim near the beach?
If you drive along the beach at night between April and October, you’ll find some street lighting is pretty dim. This is to help save the endangered sea turtles, because almost 90% of their nesting in the U.S. occurs in Florida.
The sea turtles hatchlings are attracted to the light, so if they see it they’ll “go towards the light” as they say instead of heading toward the water like they should. In fact, 1 in 3 turtle hatchlings will follow the light, so that’s why dimming the lighting along the coast helps save this endangered species.
Beautiful things that fly
If you like pretty things that fly, you’ll want to check out these next two.
Flamingo Gardens is a non-profit wildlife sanctuary and botanical garden, and Butterfly World is the largest butterfly garden in the world!
Las Olas Boulevard
I’m not normally big on shopping so I hadn’t planned on going to Las Olas Boulevard thinking it was going to be a big mall. We stumbled across it by accident, and I’m super glad we did! This adorable shopping district is laced with waterways, cute boutiques, and coffee houses. It’s definitely worth seeing no matter where you stand on the shopping spectrum.
Bonnet House & Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Right near Central Beach you’ll find historical Bonnet House and the subtropical paradise Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. I didn’t get to them as they were mainly closed for restoration work due to the hurricane, so they’re on my list for next time!
Boats boats boats!
Word on the street is that Fort Lauderdale is known as “The Venice of America” – and it’s no wonder why! There are more than 300 miles of canals, so you can walk straight out of your mansion and onto your yacht. It’s like driving through an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
Hollywood Beach Broadwalk
Over 2.5 miles long, you can walk, run, ride… whatever you want along the ocean’s edge. Have $5? Rent a bike and pedal along the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk!
What we didn’t realize when we went midday is this is more of an evening or night spot (if you’re looking to do more jab just hit the beach). There are a TON of cute little spots for dinner and drinks – but they’re definitely more for nightlife!
Lighthouse
The Hillsboro lighthouse first lit up back in 1907. It’s stood the test of time, wild weather, and you can take a guided tour to learn some of the secrets of Fort Lauderdale history. Bring your close-toed shoes to climb the 175 stairs for the best view of the Bay.
Museum of Discovery and Science
Florida gets some wild storms so it’s good to have a backup plan of indoor activities because if you’re here for any length of time, you’ll encounter one. Some are quick, but others? You’ve got to stay in all day. 👍
You could go shopping, but I’d probably hit up the Museum of Discovery and Science. I’m not the only one, as it has the most visitors of any museum in Florida!
This one is also supposed to be great if you have kids. Or if you’re just a big kid… like me. 🙂 ❤️
Bon voyage!
I hope you have an amazing trip to Fort Lauderdale! Let me know what you’re planning to do in the comments. You might even give me inspiration for next time!
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Have an amazing trip! What are you looking forward to most? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you! 🙂
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