Fort Lauderdale - Florida

Fort Lauderdale Florida

 23 miles (37 kms) north of Miami

Fort Lauderdale, with a population of 155 000, lies at the center of 23 miles (37 km) of popular beachfront and 300 miles (480 km) of navigable waterways, hence the title of "The Venice of America".

The area between Fort Lauderdale and the town of Jupiter to the north, comprises a beautiful Atlantic shoreline known as the Gold Coast (not to be confused with Australia's famous Gold Coast), a reference to the gold salvaged from the Spanish treasure ships that foundered along this coastline during the 1500's and 1600's.

Fort Lauderdale has beautiful wide beaches lined with up-market shops, restaurants and a variety of lodgings trying to entice the multitudes who flock to these beaches each year.

Amidst the shopping malls, hotels, condominiums and resorts is a landscape of beaches, parks, golf courses and tennis courts. The rejuvenated town center has a village atmosphere with trendy boutiques, cafes and jazz bands.

As development of Fort Lauderdale progresses, so to does that of its near neighbors. Hallandale Beach, once a small, oceanfront town just north of Aventura, now has a skyline dominated by accommodation in the form of condominiums and resort developments.

Just to the north of Hallandale is the fast developing Hollywood, now a area of 1.5 million people comprising many ethnic backgrounds. 

Cruise liners berth in Port Everglades, Florida's deepest harbor,  located near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on the outskirts of Hollywood. Port Everglades is second only to Miami for the number of cruise passengers passing through the port terminal. The majority of cruises from this port are bound for destinations in the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico and Latin America. 

Getting There And Getting Around

The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport services the area with carriers such as Air Canada, Air Tran, American Airlines, Continental and Delta. Several budget carriers also operate from this airport.

Amtrak has stations at Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.

Tri Rail is a south Florida commuter train service that connects all the major centers from Miami to North Palm Beach. 

  Fort Lauderdale vacation highlights :: suggestions for your Fort Lauderdale vacation