"I like Panama City, Florida because it is so uncomplicated… sleep, swim, eat and do it all over again on the morrow. The beach is the best getaway from the everyday toil...." Eleanor W., Glasgow, Scotland Read more
Greater Fort Lauderdale
Shopping near Las Olas Boulevard
For generations, Greater Fort Lauderdale on Florida’s southeast coast has cultivated a charmed reputation for great beaches and sailing. But in the past decade, the destination has expanded what it has to offer and virtually reinvented itself. You should see it now.
Stunning new luxury resort hotels – including Florida’s first St. Regis, Hilton Beach Resort, Trump International and W Fort Lauderdale – are all making their debut along the beautifully redeveloped beachfront. Also on offer are many Superior Small Lodgings, quaint inns with fewer than 50 rooms, that provide personalised service guaranteed to make you feel at home. Acclaimed chefs have opened fabulous restaurants featuring south Florida’s freshest flavours, and upmarket retailers like Kate Spade and Barney’s New York have transformed the shopping experience. Fort Lauderdale town centre, with its bustling new Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District, offers world-class museums and top performance venues.
Now is the time to see one of Florida’s most exciting destinations enjoying a spectacular renaissance.
Casual sophistication
Greater Fort Lauderdale now offers sensational shopping, chic nightlife, fine restaurants and soothing spa and beach resorts. But it’s still a refreshing, casual destination. Yachting enthusiasts, shoppers and epicureans flock here to enjoy the region’s retail and entertainment opportunities. But the mood remains light-hearted, inclusive and friendly.
In the morning, pamper yourself with a hot-stone massage or aromatherapy facial at one of several superb spas in town. Then shop along breezy Las Olas Boulevard, or inside the elegant Galleria at Fort Lauderdale shopping centre. In the afternoon, admire the latest exhibit at the renowned Museum of Art|Fort Lauderdale before sipping mojitos and enjoying tuna tartare at stylish Trina restaurant, which overlooks the beachfront.
In the evening, try your luck on the gaming machines at Seminole Casinos or venture out to one of the city’s pulsing discos. The options are limited only by your imagination – and the number of hours in the day.
The sun and the sea
Fort Lauderdale is evolving, but the sun and sea have always been at the heart of this destination. Perhaps no other place in Florida is more connected with water than Greater Fort Lauderdale, where the turquoise Atlantic Ocean borders some of the cleanest, safest beaches in America (known as Blue Wave beaches). The Intracoastal Waterway and a network of picturesque canals flow through the inner city, linking upmarket residential neighbourhoods and shopping areas. This is why Fort Lauderdale has earned the nickname the ‘Venice of America’. To the west, Greater Fort Lauderdale borders one of the world’s most dynamic ecosystems, the Everglades, also known as the ‘River of Grass’.
Wherever you are in Fort Lauderdale, you’re always close to water, and you’ll find plenty of ways to enjoy it. Walk along the riverfront, take a gondola ride or sunset cruise, or dine on fresh local seafood at an open-air restaurant overlooking the ocean.
The region’s sunny, temperate climate is ideal for enjoying the great outdoors. If you crave adventure, try parasailing, sport fishing, kayaking or scuba diving. If you want to get acquainted with the local flora and fauna, explore lush botanical gardens, take a swamp safari or visit a nature reserve or butterfly park.
Greater Fort Lauderdale also offers world-class golf courses; tennis facilities; jai alai; a thoroughbred, greyhound and harness-racing track; and the BankAtlantic Center, home to the NHL Florida Panthers hockey team and top concerts like Streisand, Madonna and McCartney. Here, you can play, or watch, a range of exciting sporting activities.
Convenience and simplicity
In the carefree spirit of Fort Lauderdale, the area is easy to reach and navigate. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport lies within eight kilometres of the town centre, the beaches and Port Everglades (the world’s five-star cruise ship terminal). Interstate highways provide easy links to nearby attractions and cities, such as Miami, Palm Beach and Everglades National Park.
It’s not hard to understand how Greater Fort Lauderdale has become one of the premier vacation destinations among international travelers. It’s easy to get here, and with so much to see and do, it’s difficult to leave.
5 must-sees in Fort Lauderdale
#1: Experience Blue Wave beaches
Classic Fort Lauderdale Beach has received a stunning makeover. Stroll, bike, rollerblade or run along the beachfront promenade, dine at an outdoor café and take a dip in the azure ocean. Enjoy 37 kilometres of beach, from the pier at Deerfield Beach to the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk.
#2: Get in touch with nature
Visit Flamingo Gardens in the nearby town of Davie. Admire fragrant flowering trees, citrus trees, ancient oaks, a free-flight aviary of exotic birds, and native flamingos and alligators. Relax at Butterfly World, filled with thousands of live exotic butterflies, lorikeets and hummingbirds. Explore the Everglades ‘River of Grass’.
#3: Do the city centre
Stroll Las Olas Boulevard, a bustling thoroughfare of chic boutiques, swank restaurants and cultural attractions. It extends from the beach into the heart of Fort Lauderdale’s Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District, home of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Museum of Art|Fort Lauderdale and the Museum of Discovery and Science and Blockbuster 3D IMAX® Theater.
#4: Shop at Sawgrass Mills
Sawgrass Mills is the world’s largest designer outlet shopping centre with more than 350 brand-name stores and restaurants. The new Colonnade Outlets adjacent to Sawgrass features discounts of up to 70 per cent at stores such as Escada and Ferragamo.
#5: Take to the water
Enjoy a boating excursion at sea or along the scenic Intracoastal Waterway. Glass-bottom boats provide views of coral and marine life, and catamarans offer sailing by sunset. Take a gondola ride or a water taxi to dinner along the New River.
For more information on planning your holiday to the Greater Fort Lauderdale area, visit www.sunny.org.
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