Fort Lauderdale travel guide

 

 

 

N of Miami is the more relaxed and less crowded Fort Lauderdale, a southern playground in the Broward County. It is not as sophisticated and cosmopolitan as Miami, but its residents pride themselves with its characteristics: slower pace, visitor friendly, easygoing and a great outdoor destination. They see these characteristics as more important than Miami’s and don’t seem to mind being a bit far from the center of things.

This does not mean it lacks beaches it actually has 23 miles of golden beachfront, weather that is the envy of most of the world and 300 miles of navigable waterways, but unlike other settlements Lauderdale has great deal more to offer than beaches. There are a variety of museums dedicated to fine art, fishing, Native American heritage and even swimming while the outdoors feature few landscapes that can measure up to the one we find here with hundreds of parks, and plenty of opportunities and facilities to play golf and tennis.

It wasn’t always like this; in the past there weren’t all these facilities, all you could see was flat land and scrubby palmetto. The place has undergone a major transformation developing quite fast due to a continuing influx of people of all ages and cultures and with diverse outlooks on life. Things have changed to such an extent that now it is hard to see areas without residents as the entire county has become one sprawling megalopolis and you can’t say where the villages end and towns begin, where the town ends and where the city begins, it’s a place without frontier stretching from the northern border of Miami to the southern border of Palm Beach and beyond. Now the region is one of the most vibrant in all of South Florida.

With all the expansion and change, the communities in Fort Lauderdale have succeeded to maintain their own identity honoring their history and also appreciating its diversity.

Because of the numerous opportunities to get out on the water, Fort Lauderdale is called the "yachting capital of the world”. As a visitor you needn’t worry that you don’t own a craft, you can either rent one from your hotel or from Aloha Watersports. If you don’t have a license that can be arranged, too as Aloha Watersports provides Coast Guard classes for you to obtain your Florida Boaters License. So nothing can stop you from having fun on the water. As a visitor you take it as a way to have fun and exercise their hobby, but for the locals is a necessity, a lifestyle and a routine as Fort Lauderdale is full of navigable waterways and canals- that’s probably the reason why it is also called Venice of America. The easiest way to get around is by boat that you can either rent, or you can get on one of the many sleek, 70-passenger "water buses" with indoor and outdoor seating that confers it a romantic atmosphere and water lovers consider it one of the greatest innovations.

Another option you shouldn’t miss is getting on older port boats that entertain visitors as they cruise through the "Venice of America”. For a more private cruise get a moderately priced and practical water taxi that operates on demand. You don’t usually need to wait long for one and they can take you wherever you want: restaurants, bars, and attractions on or near the waterfront. If you are new in town don’t be afraid to board the taxi as the one of the personable captains can point you the main attractions.

If you want more than visiting, there are plenty of charter boats which offer deep sea fishing at reasonable prices, but you can “catch your fish” at one of the restaurants and it will still be as fresh as if you caught it.

With its well-known strip of beaches, restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops, this area is now attracting a more affluent, better-behaved yachting crowd that can have a lot of fun at night too as the quality of nightlife throughout the city has vastly improved.