Fort Lauderdale Holidays

Florida’s no stranger to a standout swathe, and the beaches here all sing from the same hymn sheet. The leading lady of the line up is its namesake beach, which is fitted with eight miles of non-stop sand. City breaks here muster up more than just sunbathing though. Fort Lauderdale’s a big player on the state’s art and culture scene, with events like jazz festivals, street art showcases, and Broadway-style theatre shows filling its diary each month.

They don’t do things by halves in the sunshine state’s super-sized city. For starters there are mega-buck mansions sprawling across lengths and lengths of its riverbanks. It’s also home to a huge haul of yachts, many of which could be mistaken for luxury liners. They’re the thing that’s led to the city being dubbed the yachting capital of the world. And, with over 50,000 yachts registered here, you probably can’t argue with that. Checking out Fort Lauderdale’s love for living large is an activity in itself. You can go big-house hunting while cruising along the river in a water taxi. Or, if super-yacht spotting is more up your street, grab a seat in a harbourside bar, you might just get a glance of the odd celeb, too.

Its name on the yacht scene is not the only thing that’s given Fort Lauderdale a nickname. The criss-cross of boating canals lends this place the super-glam title of the Venice of America. 300 miles of inland waterways snake through Greater Fort Lauderdale, with over half of them running through the city itself. This nickname is given some extra backing by the gondolas that do trips up and down the New River, too. They’re not the only thing winding up and down the water though – water taxis are a big deal here. They offer up a great way to see the city at speed, or hop from beach to beach.

When it comes to exploring beyond the city’s borders, there are plenty of marks on the map that fit the bill for fun days out. But for a trip that ticks all the boxes, we reckon Miami’s up there. It’s around a 40-minute drive along the coast, local buses link up with the city in just over an hour, too. No mention of Miami goes without a nod to South Beach. Its seven-mile stretch offers up a lively twist on Fort Lauderdale’s cut of coast, with a string of sand-edged bars and nightclubs right the way along it. Things get livelier after dark, when big-name DJs take to the decks in top clubs across the downtown district. It’s not all go-go-go though, its Art Deco scene is well worth pressing pause for.