Fort Lauderdale is called the Venice of America for a reason, and it is not because you must travel by gondola. There is a maze of small canals from the intracoastal waterway and homes with canal access from Downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Boat is the easiest way of transportation for some great restaurants, including my favorite Southport Raw Bar or Shooters for brunch. On land, there are the areas of Las Olas and Riverwalk for great shopping, eating, drinking and partying, but know that this area is not oceanfront. Instead, head to Ft. Lauderdale Beach, the strip that runs from Birch State Park to the Elbow Room beach bar. Lots of touristy bars, clubs, restaurants and shopping, but this area can also be fun when it is not packed to capacity during Spring Break or New Year’s Eve.
Fort Lauderdale Airport & Seaport
Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL) is the closest option with Allegiant, JetBlue, Spirit and Southwest Airlines all with hubs at this airport. I didn’t realize it was all budget carriers! I love Southwest and am thrilled they partnered with Icelandair, but I swore off Spirit years ago and went so far as to delete their app. Thankfully there are two other airports near Fort Lauderdale, Miami (MIA) and West Palm Beach (PBI), both within an hour of Ft. Lauderdale. Miami is an international airport and is a hub for American airlines, so it is a very busy airport. International carriers like Iberia, World Atlantic and Avianca have hubs here as well as Frontier… which I tried to swear off too, but they are the only option for nonstop flights from Denver to visit my family in Philadelphia. I have actually been happy with them for the past 4 flights I’ve gone on, so I’ll keep crossing my fingers on their flights. My favorite airport out of the bunch is Palm Beach, but only convenient if you are spending time in the northern areas of Fort Lauderdale. It is the smallest airport, with only 1 terminal and so easy to park or drive to at any time of day. It is technically international, because Bahamasair has daily flights, but otherwise American Airlines, Southwest, United, Delta, Jet Blue, Spirit, and Frontier all service this airport, but there aren’t any hubs.
In addition to Fort Lauderdale being a hot spot for travelers seeking a sunny beach to enjoy, especially around Spring Break, this area is also a cruise mecca. Between Miami & Fort Lauderdale cruise ports, Fort Lauderdale is often the airport of choice. All experienced cruisers know that you should always fly in the night before a cruise and book a hotel for at least one night. Many choose to see the port city before going on the cruise to lengthen their trip, but at least one night is recommended to avoid flight delays from ruining your cruise vacation. In a sea of typical airport hotels like Hampton Inn, Courtyard, Hilton Garden Inn and the infamous Holiday Inn Express I found two airport/seaport hotels that stand out, the Hyatt brand of family hotels. The Hyatt Place is the easiest for a short stay with Hyatt House being their extended stay brand with 5 hotels near the airport, in downtown off Las Olas Blvd, South in Dania Beach (closer to the cruise port) and one out west in Plantation Florida (not a good option unless you have family out there like we do). Choose Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale airport & cruise port or Hyatt House Fort Lauderdale airport & cruise port for the convenience of the shuttle services.
Those considering a stay in downtown Fort Lauderdale or want to avoid the prices of the beach front properties, Hyatt Centric Las Olas is slightly more expensive, but a more luxury option and in a better location, that is still very close to the airport and seaport. If you are tacking on a few days in Fort Lauderdale before a cruise this would be a great option. Finally, the Hyatt Place cruise port and convention center is a little north of the airport and better if you are traveling on business. It’s located just off Las Olas near a great shopping center that has our favorite Mexican restaurant called La Bamba and a Publix supermarket for any forgotten items (or their amazing cookies & bakery items). This hotel was VERY busy and the breakfast was packed, but I’m sure it typically is on big departure and arrival days. The cruise companies pick up passengers in shuttles from this location, when we were there it was Celebrity. They also have an airport shuttle and undergoing a complete remodel in the next year. I might skip it on our next trip, but I’ll check it out again after the remodel.
Beachfront Hotel Zone
Hubby was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale and has been playing beach volleyball on these beaches since the 70’s and says it has expanded SO much over the past 50 years. It’s unrecognizable…except for the corner with the Elbow Room. That dive bar has been there forever and what divides the gritty side that’s always been there with the luxury resorts that have popped up on the northern part of the beach. The Northern section of Fort Lauderdale Beach is at Birch State Park off Sunrise Blvd. The Sun Tower Hotel and Suites is the hotel on the beachfront up in the area, but south on A1A from Sunrise is a more central beach area with many luxury resorts. The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach, the W, the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach (which is currently undergoing a complete renovation currently), the Four Seasons, Conrad, Paramount and The Atlantic all have prime real estate, great beach access with drinks and loungers and tons of restaurants to enjoy. The Southern part of Fort Lauderdale Beach includes some mid-range hotels like the Marriott, Bahia Mar (a Hilton property), the B Ocean Resort (looks like a boat and used to be called the Yankee Clipper) and a new area to hangout called Marina Village with food stalls and beach bars that resemble a Greek location by the sea. Pier 66 Resort with a circular rooftop restaurant is located at the Harbor, where tons of boats are docked and Fort Lauderdale Beach turns into its Southern neighbor, Dania Beach.
On a recent Fort Lauderdale beach trip, I experienced one of the two times I’ve been organically swimming with manatees. We had gone way out in the water and been hanging out on a sandbar when I headed back to shore with my daughter on my back. As we swam back, I saw a huge, dark mass in the water close enough to touch us and I would’ve bumped into it if I hadn’t seen the giant manatee in the water! I pointed it out to my daughter, and she panicked at first, thinking it was a huge whale or shark. As I explained to her they are herbivores and sweet, gentle animals she realized how fortunate we were to get to interact with the manatee. This encounter reminded me of the first year my husband and I were dating, the boys were young and digging in the sand at the shoreline at Naples beach in Florida. We were swimming in the warm ocean, watching the boys build sandcastles, our backs to the ocean. Suddenly, we had a crowd of beach goers trying to get our attention saying, “There’s something behind you!” We turned around, afraid of a giant shark… until we saw a bunch of bubbles and a whiskered face emerge from the water and we immediately relaxed and enjoyed the experience with this sweet sea cow. Both east and west coasts of Florida have great opportunities to see wildlife in the oceans and possibly even swim with manatees.
Kimpton Shorebreak Hotel
This 1950’s themed hotel is a great spot, located just a block back from the beach, right on the intracoastal. This hotel was originally opened in 1949, called the Escape Hotel, the first year-round hotel with a swimming pool in Florida, well before this area became the spring break capital. Today, it has been updated and remodeled, yet the time period is still reflected in its design and architecture.The best feature is the rooftop pool and Escape pool bar, with amazing views of the intracoastal. The area is located on top of the hotel’s central tower with views of the beach in the distance and an infinity edge, glass view of the boat traffic going in and out of the inlet. There is another pool, located on the ground floor in the courtyard and overlooked by the restaurant La Fuga serving coastal Italian food with European ambience. Stay in for a relaxing day in the sun or evening at the romantic restaurant, or go out to enjoy Fort Lauderdale beach’s buzzing social scene.
Their rooms are situated on the east and west of the main building & accommodations, in a two story building with open walkways and a courtyard of amenities. The courtyard has a putting green, hammock, fire pit with seating, on a small sandy area to tie the beachy vibe throughout. Inside the rooms the beachy vibe continued with white and blue colors and a thoughtful beachy area by the door: to hang wet towels, swimsuits and keep the beach bag the hotel supplies in each room. The room itself is not large, but big enough for 2 queen beds, a vintage looking chair and cute vintage minifridge and phone. The closet area is large and open with a full length mirror. The bathroom is beautiful, with a huge walk-in shower and waterfall shower head. When you are parents traveling with children, a great shower can make or break your hotel stay… hint hint.
There are two different Kimpton Shorebreak properties, the other is in Huntington Beach California and offers a west coast version of the Fort Lauderdale resort. These properties are beachy Kimpton Hotels, which is part of the IHG company and can be booked with IHG points. I first heard about the Kimpton properties because of the popularity of their Cayman Islands & Roatan properties in the points and miles world; families love these Caribbean locations! There are also Kimpton hotels in Riviera Maya, Tulum and in Turks & Caicos and their first all-inclusive is opening soon called Tres Rios. I noticed a Kimpton on our last trip to Amsterdam, right in my favorite part of the city. They also have city hotels in Paris, Barcelona, 4 in the UK and a Lisbon location coming soon. Kimpton’s are located in cities in Australia and 8 in Asia as well as domestically. I was excited to see two in my hometown of Denver, a new one opening soon has beautiful views of the mountains. One of the best parts of the Kimpton brand is that their boutique hotels are themed and styles to match their unique locations.
North of Fort Lauderdale
North of Fort Lauderdale Beach is a neighborhood called Lauderdale-By-Sea and is located on the beachfront with a great fishing pier. This town is small and wants to stay that way, calling itself a “flip-flop kind of town”. The low-rise hotels and vacation rentals are literally on the sand with lots of mid-century modern architecture for their beachy identity. There are good restaurants and some typical seashore shopping with great Florida citrus gift baskets and souvenirs. Try to go on a weeknight or during the day since it gets very busy with minimal parking on the weekend evenings.
Even further north, Deerfield Beach gives off beachy, coastal town vibes and boasts its own fishing pier. I got to live just a block back from the ocean in Deerfield Beach for a couple years, before moving to Germany. You can’t ask for a better place to take daily walks or be able to party and walk home after a night of drinking mojitos. Amante’s Italian and pizza or the Whale’s Rib are both great for casual meals and Oceans 234 or JB’s on the Beach have amazing views and seafood menus, but need a reservation most of the time, especially on the weekends. The Cove (with boat access) or Patio Bar are great places for happy hour and partying into the late night with warm ocean breezes. Ken and I have made this little spot on the beach a romantic getaway spot, using points for one of the hotels and spending two days eating and drinking on the beach!
If you travel even more north, into Palm Beach County you start to hit the bougie areas of Boca Raton or Delray Beach. Mizner Park is a shopping and eating promenade and a great spot to eat and shop in unique businesses and galleries. It has an amphitheater for concerts and a fantastic ice cream shop. My suggestion is to get ice cream, then find a bench to enjoy it by the valet. You are bound to see some of the most expensive and beautiful cars in this area! Delray Beach is a bit further north and on the beachfront. Head up there to spend the morning on the beach, select an amazing restaurant for lunch and walk Delray Beach Boulevard in the afternoon for some steps and shopping. Alternatively, this is a great area for date nights too or spend your whole trip if you’d rather avoid the Miami & Fort Lauderdale nightlife, but have just as good dinner and drinking options. Have a drink at the Blue Anchor Pub before walking down to the beach. Wear shoes you can easily take off to be able to enjoy beach access and then arrive at a restaurant you have reserved in the evening.
South of Fort Lauderdale
South of Fort Lauderdale is Hollywood Beach and the downtown area. This town is known for its “Old Florida” feel and beautiful beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. The Hollywood Beach Boardwalk is a promenade area that locals walk, run, cycle, skate and ride foot-pedal buggies along. It is lined with seafood restaurants, hotels and motels, tiki bars and a bandshell with free concerts. The Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort and the Hollywood Beach Resort are both located in this eclectic neighborhood. Hollywood Beach has a fun beach area and the downtown spot of Young’s Circle, centrally located for a perfect date night atmosphere with their bars, restaurants and even a wine bar where you can taste all the wines. Further west you’ll find the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood shaped like a large guitar without the strings. On our last trip it was a topic of conversation in our group, there should be strings. It could be with lights or lasers, but it needs the shape of the strings to complete the look.
I prefer Hallandale Beach in the south of Ft. Lauderdale where you can park in one of the small lots or even in the Walmart parking lot and walk over the bridge for local access. For visitors, the Diplomat Beach Resort is my favorite in the south by far! This resort is the best of the best with 5-star accommodations for tourists in both Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, yet is unique with a luxury beach vibe. This is the type of place you come and stay at a resort the whole time you are in town to enjoy the amazing food, pools, beach and activities. I got to enjoy this resort for two days with my daughter while hubby was on a work trip and it did not disappoint! This resort is as close to Miami as I like to get, unless I’m flying out of their airport.
The weather at the beach vs. inland is always a topic of conversation. There can be crazy storms and dark clouds inland and they often will stop at the intracoastal. I know it sounds strange, but often friends would not come out to the beach because of the weather inland and we spent the whole day in the sun on the beach. It does storm most afternoons in the wet season/hurricane season, it’s called the tropics for a reason, but even these quick drenching rains skip the beach half the time. All the tourists see dark clouds and run for the car, leaving the beach much quieter. But the weather does bring up a good travel tip, always get the insurance for a Florida or Caribbean trip or cruise during hurricane season (June to November). We’ve lived through hurricanes, boarded up because of hurricanes, rebuilt after hurricanes and fled home before hurricanes, the storms are unpredictable. Hurricanes are unpredictable, our hearts go out to those in Florida and the Southeast who have been impacted by this active hurricane season. You never know which season will be active, get the insurance.
What Not to Miss Around Fort Lauderdale
Many think of Fort Lauderdale as a place to enjoy the beach, boating and delicious seafood and that is all true, but there is so much more to do in the area. Attractions around Ft. Lauderdale include:
•Water Taxi
•Gumbo Limbo Nature Center
•Museum of Discovery and Science
•Butterfly World
•Morikami Japanese Garden
•Flamingo Gardens
•Everglades Holiday Park (gator boat rides)
•Half day and whole day fishing trips, deep sea fishing options too
•Snorkel and sailing excursions
•Jet ski tours
•Kayak and paddle board tours (intracoastal or mangroves)
•Jungle Queen Riverboat cruise
•Sunset cruise
•Ft. Lauderdale Segway tour
•Golf (courses are everywhere, but I recommend the Diplomat)
•Bahamas ferry day trip to Bimini
•Upper Keys day trips (Key Largo & Islamorada)
Head inland to experience a simple, but delicious crab meal at Rustic Inn Crab Shack. This is not a dressy restaurant, mostly outside on the large deck and you will get messy, but the work fighting for your crabmeat is worth it. It is a great location for birthdays and parties or just a family meal to teach your kids how to eat crab. Even further west in Ft. Lauderdale is the Young at Art Museum at the Broward Mall which has moved to a huge new space. So many malls lay vacant in recent years, but this former mall space has been used to ignite the young artists in children. Try Landlubbers Raw Bar and Restaurant in Plantation for lunch before heading back out east or take the pilgrimage to the Sawgrass Mills Mall for some outlet shopping.
Fort Lauderdale has called me back to its beautiful beaches, boating culture and delicious seafood and international cuisines numerous times over my life and it is easy to see why in the dead of winter. It’s a little harder to see Fort Lauderdale’s beauty when it’s over 100 degrees with 300% humidity or during hurricane season. For those longing for a sunny beach lounger, feeling the sand between their toes while listening to the crashing waves, Fort Lauderdale is the perfect spot…avoid Spring Break of course!
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