It isn’t any secret that Fort Lauderdale is considered one of one of the best locations to go to in Florida, aka the attractive Sunshine State. Fort Lauderdale’s popularity comes from many components. One is its scenic canal system, which you’ll discover by gondola and shortly see why Fort Lauderdale is commonly nicknamed the ‘Venice of America’.
The canals all hyperlink up to New River, a tidal estuary. They are good for water sports activities or a guided tour by gondola. Greater Fort Lauderdale is a complete metropolis, too, with a few of the finest eating places in Florida and tons of extra formal sights. And that’s not to point out the seashores.
Visiting Fort Lauderdale is a complete deal with, and its heat Florida climate is simply the cherry on high. In brief, there are tens of millions of fantastic issues to do in Fort Lauderdale.
Fun Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale
The Fort Lauderdale space is filled with issues to do, whether or not you need to relax on Fort Lauderdale Beach, watch performing arts, or head to an outside science park. The choices are beneficiant, and that’s earlier than you even begin to issue in day journeys (which we’ll squeeze a number of of into this information). So, let’s begin – what are one of the best issues to do in Fort Lauderdale? Well, these are the particular ones we managed to whittle it down to.
1. Fort Lauderdale Beach
Visiting the seaside is likely one of the hottest issues to do in Fort Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale Beach is well one of many finest seashores in Fort Lauderdale – spreading 7 miles down the Atlantic Ocean shoreline. Fort Lauderdale Beach is backed by an enormous promenade stuffed with eating places to eat at and bars to sip at, in addition to a mixture of impartial and chain outlets. It has an upscale and typical ‘Florida vibe’. The spacious sands are perfect on a sunny day, with loads of room to discover a spot for a towel and sunbathe.
Fort Lauderdale Beach is roughly 20 minutes by bus from the town middle. It’s positioned on a barrier island and ideally mixed with a go to to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, which is close by.
2. Las Olas Boulevard
Las Olas interprets as ‘the waves’ in Spanish, and this heaving thoroughfare makes waves. It is the place you’ll discover the principle hive of motion in Fort Lauderdale, with buying, all one of the best eating places, and cute cafes. Authentic and action-packed, Las Olas Boulevard is a superb place to head for café hopping and people-watching. It is basically the guts of Fort Lauderdale. It stretches a – walkable – 2.5 miles and is lined with pedestrian-friendly sidewalks.
Las Olas Boulevard simply had to be on this record. It is ideal for unwinding and embracing the tradition of Fort Lauderdale.
3. Bonnet House
Bonnet House Museum and Gardens is a step again into Twentieth-century frontier America. The home is an ode to native household historical past, whereas open air, its gardens have been remodeled into an attractive botanical gardens advanced. If you need to mix historical past and pure magnificence, Bonnet House Museum and Gardens is the best alternative. Bonnet House celebrates the Bartletts. The husband was an artist, and each had been artwork collectors, creating a beautiful non-public artwork gallery that may now be considered inside the home right this moment.
Bonnet House Museum and Gardens is likely one of the main issues to do in Fort Lauderdale if you’d like a extra typical attraction, like a gallery or museum. It can be perfect for a day of unhealthy climate – not lots of Fort Lauderdale’s sights are indoors, so preserve Bonnet House in thoughts.
4. Dania Beach
Dania Beach is a coastal metropolis simply south of Fort Lauderdale. It has a quieter, extra pure vibe. Dania Beach is a superb choice to your Greater Fort Lauderdale itinerary if you’d like a simple half-day journey. The mangroves are gorgeous, with a lot of alternatives to expertise them from the water – you could possibly even rent a kayak to serenely expertise the mangroves for your self.
Dania Beach can be simply subsequent to Dr Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, so it’s the proper mixture. Dania Beach is sort of a little coastal escape from busier Fort Lauderdale. We’d extremely advocate a detour when you have greater than a few days in the town.
5. Enjoy the Fort Lauderdale Spas
As nice as Fort Lauderdale’s seashores are, there’s one thing further particular about its spa scene. Nothing fairly appears like stress-free in a sauna or getting a full physique therapeutic massage. Fort Lauderdale has loads of spa choices, and it’s a little cheaper than spa experiences in Miami or different main cities. You may try Allure Day Spa, Camilla Day Spa, or The Spa at Harbor Beach. After an extended flight or drive, and even in unhealthy climate or simply for self-care, Fort Lauderdale’s spa scene is fabulous.
6. Florida Everglades
Who has but to hear of the Florida Everglades? This stunning nationwide park is famed for its underwater surroundings and, whereas it might not be one of many issues to do in Fort Lauderdale, it’s an absolute steal of a day journey. The pure park is famed for every part crocs, manatee, and birdlife associated, and you may tour the Everglades by boat with rangers to get a extra immersive and academic expertise.
What are the Everglades precisely? Essentially, they’re only a flooded grassland. However, because the nationwide park covers over 2,300 sq. miles of land in southern Florida, it dramatically impacts the state’s setting. It can be the biggest Everglades in the world. You may even spot the Florida panther there, so preserve your eyes peeled and produce binoculars.
7. Flamingo Gardens
As you will have guessed, Flamingo Gardens are 60 acres of pure gardens. This attraction acts as a botanical backyard and wildlife sanctuary. You can spot attractive flora and tropical flora and get face-to-face with some gorgeous animals. Most famously, you possibly can meet the attraction’s namesake flamingos. Adorable, proper?
Flamingo Gardens give a everlasting house for wildlife which have both obtained long-term accidents that make them not possible to ethically launch or different non-releasable traits. There’s every part from hawks to otters. It is the biggest moral assortment of Florida’s native wildlife.
The humble attraction began out as a citrus orchard and simply stored rising. Founders Floyd and Jane Wray took benefit of getting a lot land to advocate for native wildlife. It is a superb place to go to for anybody keen about nature and conservation. Grab your Skip-the-line ticket right here earlier than you go.
8. Stranahan House
The historic Stranahan House Museum is a former 1901 buying and selling submit transformed into a personal residence – a house for a neighborhood businessman and his household. Because of its historical past, it provides a singular perception into its buying and selling submit and societal perform, in addition to a glance behind closed doorways into the household lifetime of the interval.
It is the oldest standing construction in Broward County and an actual slice of perception for youths and adults alike. Its spectacular vary of everlasting reveals is showcased on guided excursions from Tuesdays to Saturdays, and we’d actually advocate it for a little bit of historical past when visiting Greater Fort Lauderdale.
9. Lauderdale By The Sea
It could also be controversial, however among the finest issues to do in Fort Lauderdale is to depart and go to Lauderdale by the ocean. This little seaside city is only a brief distance from the town, round half-hour by bus or quarter-hour by automobile. Its profitable issue is its completely totally different vibe, although.
The city has a a lot sleepier vibe, colourful seaside furnishings, and a surfer and scuba diving tradition. Lauderdale by the Sea is nicknamed the seaside diving capital of Florida, as there are such a lot of scuba diving alternatives simply offshore. In reality, some reefs begin as shut as 100 yards off the beachfront.
Of course, this additionally signifies that in case you don’t scuba dive however are a assured swimmer, snorkeling is on the playing cards, too. Lauderdale by the Sea provides a superb base to get nearer to Florida’s underwater world.
10. Butterfly World
Butterfly World is well one of the crucial enjoyable issues to do in Fort Lauderdale, particularly when you have children. It can be the world’s largest butterfly park – so that you’ll get some severe bragging rights and an acceptable ‘wow’ expertise.
There are over 20,000 butterflies that decision Butterfly World house, and you may wander via open enclosures to stand up shut to them in moral encounters. The enclosure options every part from waterfalls to botanic gardens and is like moving into an entire new world. The scale and high quality of the expertise means we simply had to embrace it.
11. Millionaires Row
Millionaire’s Row is a small stretch of opulence alongside the financial institution of the New River in Fort Lauderdale. It is a well-liked place to go to through boat journey, the place a information will inform you in regards to the homes and historical past when you take pleasure in waterfront views. The properties are significantly gorgeous, and if you’d like to re-enact your finest Selling Sunset impression, touring Millionaire’s Row is likely one of the finest Fort Lauderdale issues to do.
12. Hollywood Beach
The golden sandy shores of Hollywood Beach are identified for his or her ‘Old Florida’ attraction. It has one of many solely boardwalks in this space, which is lined with skaters, cyclists, and pedestrians. The swaying palm bushes and open sands are idyllic, and Hollywood Beach’s group presence makes it much more interesting.
It is lower than a 20-minute drive from Fort Lauderdale to Hollywood Beach, so it makes an ideal half-day exercise to your itinerary.
13. Watch the Florida Panthers
Although the Florida Panthers may be a Miami group, their stadium is far additional inland and north, so you possibly can simply watch a sport. But first, for individuals who don’t know, who’re the Panthers? The Florida Panthers are a well-known ice hockey group that competes in the National Hockey League, which runs from early October to early April every year. Their house stadium is Amerant Bank Arena, which is positioned virtually parallel to Fort Lauderdale and only a 20-minute drive away.
If you’ve by no means watched an ice hockey sport earlier than or are already a die-hard sports activities fan, we’d advocate the expertise.
14. Pompano Beach
Pompano Beach is a top-tier day journey alternative for Fort Lauderdale issues to do. You can simply go to this coastal metropolis, only a 12-minute experience on the Tri-Rail from Fort Lauderdale metropolis middle. Pompano Beach is famed for its North Ocean Park and Pompano Beach Fisher Family Pier. It’s an attractive place to go to, with a large seaside tradition and even offshore shipwrecks for snorkeling and diving excursions.
15. Take a Boat Tour
Greater Fort Lauderdale is the place to be when it comes to boat excursions. You can tour the canal system, go on fishing excursions, or take common sightseeing excursions from the water. Our high advice is reserving an all-day water taxi move. This offers you limitless entry to all of the Fort Lauderdale water methods and an opportunity to discover independently.
16. Broward Center for the Performing Arts
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is an attractive theater and a spot to go for all of your leisure wants. The theater has musicals, comedians, and even visitor audio system – you possibly can simply try their schedule on-line and see what coincides along with your journey.
It is regularly ranked amongst the world’s finest theaters and has over 700 performances yearly, so it’s secure to say you’re in good arms. It sits overlooking the New River in iconic Downtown Fort Lauderdale. It is a perfect factor to do in the night.
17. Tour the Inland Waterways by Kayak
If a ship tour appears too passive to your liking and also you particularly need to see Fort Lauderdale’s inland waterways, we propose a kayaking or paddle boarding expertise. You can rent your individual kayak or paddleboard a the Fort Lauderdale Marina or buy a guided tour. But you’ll have a extra genuine and sluggish expertise than you’ll on a – boat tour, plus you’ll get an energetic expertise, which is improbable for outside exercise fans.
18. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, which spans 180 acres, was named after a neighborhood legend, Hugh Taylor Birch, who initially owned the land and resided in the park till his dying in 1943. The pure state park is famed for its coastal surroundings. It has an attractive freshwater lagoon the place guests can take pleasure in fishing and a community of climbing trails. It is well one of many high actions and locations to go to in Fort Lauderdale for nature and outside exercise lovers.
19. Museum of Discovery and Science
The Museum of Discovery and Science is a agency favourite in the Greater Fort Lauderdale museum scene. It has tons of unbelievable services and options, together with an eco-center and IMAX theater. The museum emphasizes ‘immersion’ and provides hands-on experiences for nearly each exhibit. It is appropriate for adults and fascinating sufficient for youths. And with 300 reveals on supply, it’s straightforward to see why we added it to this information.
20. Water Sports
Just having water sports activities as a advice for issues to do in fabulous Fort Lauderdale might sound a little bit too common. However, Fort Lauderdale is an absolute treasure trove for water sports activities. You can discover distinctive actions, together with having fun with aqua flights. The complete expertise is simply wow when it comes to water actions in Fort Lauderdale. You ought to carve out time in your itinerary to see what’s on supply – aqua flights, snorkeling, or diving excursions.
21. Nightlife
Fort Lauderdale has a vibrant nightlife that kicks off with out fail by early night, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. The major nightlife hotspots are undoubtedly Central Beach, the downtown space, and the close by hub of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Get your self down there for golf equipment and bar hopping.
If you need a extra organized expertise or are touring alone or in a small group, take into account a guided pub crawl. It’s a improbable method to meet new individuals and ensures an amazing evening out.
22. Road Trip Intracoastal Waterway
Day journey alert: the Intracoastal Waterway is likely one of the prettiest areas close to Fort Lauderdale. When we are saying street journey to the Intracoastal Waterway, we aren’t speaking a couple of single street. What we are literally referencing is the large channel of water that sits between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. If you fancy a road-tripping day, simply drive to the Dania Beach space after which stick to the North Ocean Drive. This route takes round 1 hour and 20 minutes to go a technique. Eventually, you find yourself in Miami Beach – subsequent to the Intracoastal Waterway.
You can cease off at seashores like Hollywood and Hallandale alongside the way in which. And, in fact, enable no less than a few hours for South Miami Beach. It is a full-day exercise, however completely unmissable, particularly when you have a rental automobile. You’ll be experiencing one of the best of Miami and Fort Lauderdale on the identical journey.
23. Sawgrass Mills
If you bag the only a few unhealthy days of climate Fort Lauderdale experiences every year, Sawgrass Mills is the place to head. This can be among the finest locations to go to and issues to do for anybody who’s a self-claimed shopaholic – Sawgrass Mills is an outlet buying middle.
This means you possibly can snag offers of no less than 70% off, bagging some actual bargains. More than 350 shops are in the middle, which means you could have tons to select from, together with Nike, Michael Kors, and Gucci. There are additionally a staggering 16 eating places on-site, so there’s no probability of you getting burned out from buying.
Best Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale: FAQs
It is straightforward to see why so many individuals flock to Fort Lauderdale for wonderful Florida getaways. The metropolis is a goldmine for something water-related, and its Venice-twinning canal system provides it a robust sense of character. Besides its canals, Greater Fort Lauderdale has a seaside tradition to impress even probably the most reluctant of beachgoers and a wealthy array of museums and historical past.
Remember these particulars earlier than reserving your excursions and planning an itinerary, although. These frequent FAQs will save the day when deciding on these last particulars.
What is Fort Lauderdale finest identified for?
In a number of phrases, Fort Lauderdale is understood for its canals, seashores, and historical past. Fort Lauderdale has over 4,000 years of indigenous and colonial historical past. Its canal system is so stunning that it earned the town the nickname ‘Venice of America’. Finally, it has easy accessibility to an extended shoreline of various seashores. When heading to Fort Lauderdale, canals, seashores, and historical past are the vibe.
What is the one greatest vacationer attraction in Fort Lauderdale?
The canal system is well Fort Lauderdale’s most well-known and well-liked attraction. The most sought-after method to expertise it’s by gondola, a conventional low-lying boat mostly related to Venice.
How to spend a day in Ft Lauderdale?
Start your day with breakfast and a stroll alongside the enduring Olas Boulevard. Then, take a late morning boat tour via the canals earlier than heading for lunch at Louie Bossi. Spend a lazy afternoon on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Either head out for a proper meal in the night or seize some takeaway dishes to put together for an evening of partying in Fort Lauderdale.
Does Ft Lauderdale have a boardwalk?
One of the Fort Lauderdale seashores, Hollywood Beach, has its personal boardwalk.
Why We Love Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale makes inspiration straightforward. There are many unbelievable issues to do in Fort Lauderdale, whether or not you head memento buying at locally-owned outlets, gamble on the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, or take a water taxi via its canals. There’s additionally its botanical gardens, Butterfly Garden, and a lot greenery and gorgeous seashores.
It could also be often called a storm middle, too, however its climate is classy. Fort Lauderdale’s sunshine simply hits completely in another way. All the pure magnificence and water actions make it the proper place to take pleasure in some Florida sunshine.