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The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Fort Lauderdale

Updated 7 October 2026 · 15 things to do

Pictured: The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is a city that lives on the water. Behind its long golden beach lies a maze of canals and rivers, hundreds of miles of them, lined with palms, mansions and yachts the size of small hotels. They call it the Venice of America, and while the gondoliers are missing, the nickname is fair: here the best way to go to dinner is by boat.

It used to be famous for rowdy college spring breaks. Those days are long gone. Today's Fort Lauderdale is smarter and more relaxed, a place of beachfront promenades, pavement cafés on Las Olas Boulevard and easy days out to the Everglades. It is Miami's calmer, friendlier neighbour, and plenty of visitors end up preferring it.

Don't miss

  1. 1Fort Lauderdale Beach
  2. 2Las Olas Boulevard
  3. 3The Water Taxi
  4. 4Bonnet House Museum and Gardens
  5. 5The Everglades

The big sights

Sand, water and the boulevard that joins them.

  1. Fort Lauderdale Beach

    Beach

    Fort Lauderdale Beach on the Atlantic coast
    Photo: EgorovaSvetlana, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Miles of wide, clean sand run along the edge of the city, separated from the road by a wavy white wall and a palm-lined promenade that is made for walking, jogging and people-watching. The water is warm and usually gentle, and the bars and restaurants are just across the street.

    The stretch around Las Olas Boulevard is the liveliest. Walk north and the crowds thin out with every block.

    Tip: For a quieter patch of sand, head north towards Hugh Taylor Birch State Park.

  2. Las Olas Boulevard

    Neighbourhood

    Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale
    Photo: Infrogmation, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The city's best-loved street runs from downtown all the way to the beach. Its heart is a shady stretch of boutiques, art galleries, pavement cafés and restaurants, busy from brunch until late. Further east, the road crosses a string of finger islands where the houses come with their own docks, and their own very large boats.

    Come in the evening, when the tables spill outside and the whole street is out for dinner.

  3. The Water Taxi

    Activity

    A Water Taxi in Fort Lauderdale
    Photo: U+1F360, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Part public transport, part sightseeing cruise. The Water Taxi runs along the Intracoastal Waterway and up the New River, stopping at the beach, Las Olas, hotels and waterfront restaurants, while the crew point out the grandest mansions and yachts along the way. You hop on and off as you like.

    It is the easiest way to understand how the city fits together, and by far the most enjoyable way to get to dinner.

    Tip: Ride it late in the afternoon, when the light on the water is at its best.

  4. The Riverwalk

    Neighbourhood

    The Riverwalk along the New River in Fort Lauderdale
    Photo: Richard Mc Neil, CC BY 3.0

    A leafy brick path following the New River through downtown, past parks, restaurants and moored boats. It links the main cultural sights, from the performing arts centre and the science museum at one end to the old Stranahan House, the city's oldest surviving building, near Las Olas at the other. It makes a pleasant, shady stroll before lunch.

Gardens, parks and museums

  1. Bonnet House Museum and Gardens

    Museum

    Bonnet House in Fort Lauderdale
    Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A wonderfully eccentric winter retreat hidden between the beach and the Intracoastal. It was built in the 1920s by the artist Frederic Clay Bartlett, and the plantation-style house is still filled with his paintings, murals and collections. Around it lie acres of gardens, lagoons and one of the last patches of native coastal woodland on this shore.

    It is a glimpse of old Florida, before the towers arrived, and a soothing couple of hours for anyone who likes houses with personality.

  2. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

    Nature

    Fort Lauderdale's green lung sits right behind the beach: a long strip of tropical woodland and freshwater lagoon between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. You can walk or cycle the loop road, hire a kayak or a paddleboard, look for tortoises and wading birds, then slip through the tunnel under the road straight on to the sand.

  3. NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale

    Museum

    The exterior of the art museum in downtown Fort Lauderdale
    Photo: Wmpearl, CC0

    The city's main art museum stands at the downtown end of Las Olas in a sleek modernist building. It is known for its large holdings of the Ashcan School painter William Glackens and of the post-war CoBrA group, alongside changing exhibitions of contemporary and Latin American art. It is a good, cool hour or two when the midday sun gets too much.

  4. Museum of Discovery and Science

    Museum

    The Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale
    Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 2.0

    The family favourite downtown, at the western end of the Riverwalk. It is a thoroughly hands-on place, with exhibits on Florida's wildlife and the Everglades, aviation and space, plus a giant-screen cinema. Children can press, pull and climb on most of it. Keep it in your pocket for a rainy afternoon or a day when everyone has had enough sun.

Beach towns along the coast

  1. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

    Beach

    The beach and pier at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
    Photo: Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0

    A few minutes north, this small seaside town has kept its buildings low and its pace slow. The centre is a couple of blocks of cafés and bars beside a fishing pier, and the beach is known for something rare in Florida: a coral reef close enough to swim to from the shore. Bring a mask and snorkel.

  2. Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

    Beach

    Hollywood Beach in Hollywood, Florida
    Photo: Tamanoeconomico, CC BY-SA 4.0

    South of the airport, Hollywood has a broad, brick-paved promenade running for more than two miles right along the sand, with no cars in sight. Cyclists, skaters and families share it happily, and the landward side is a line of cafés, ice-cream shops and little hotels. It has a cheerful, old-fashioned seaside feel and is particularly good with children.

    Tip: Hire bikes or a pedal-powered surrey and ride the whole length.

Eat, drink and shop

  1. Stone crab and fresh seafood

    Food

    South Florida's great delicacy is the stone crab claw, served chilled with mustard sauce and cracked at the table. It is seasonal, in the cooler months from autumn to spring. The rest of the year there is always grouper, snapper and mahi-mahi straight off the boats, best eaten at a waterside table with a view of the yachts. Finish with Key lime pie.

  2. Sawgrass Mills

    Activity

    One of the largest outlet malls in the United States, out in the western suburb of Sunrise on the edge of the Everglades. Hundreds of shops sell big American and designer brands at reduced prices, and many British visitors plan a whole day around it. Wear comfortable shoes and leave room in your suitcase.

Day trips

  1. The Everglades

    Day trip

    An airboat skimming across the Florida Everglades
    Photo: Garytroutt, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The great wetland of South Florida begins where the western suburbs end. This is a slow, shallow river of sawgrass stretching to the horizon, home to alligators, turtles and clouds of wading birds. The classic way in is an airboat ride, skimming across the water behind a giant fan.

    It is flat, strange and unforgettable, and close enough to do in half a day.

    Tip: Bring insect repellent, a hat and sun cream. There is no shade on the water.

  2. Flamingo Gardens

    Wildlife

    Flamingos and ibises at Flamingo Gardens
    Photo: Dtobias, CC BY-SA 3.0

    A botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary in Davie, west of the city, set in one of the oldest gardens in South Florida. Paths wind beneath enormous old trees and through tropical plantings, and the sanctuary cares for injured native Florida animals that cannot return to the wild, including, as you would hope, flamingos. It is an easy, shady outing with younger children.

  3. Miami and South Beach

    Day trip

    Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive in South Beach, Miami
    Photo: Robbschultz69, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Miami is under an hour to the south, and makes an easy day out. Head for South Beach to see the pastel Art Deco hotels along Ocean Drive, then cross the bay for the street murals of Wynwood or Cuban coffee and sandwiches in Little Havana. Then come back to Fort Lauderdale and enjoy how much quieter it is.

    Tip: The Brightline train links downtown Fort Lauderdale with downtown Miami and saves you the traffic.

Where to stay in Fort Lauderdale

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Fort Lauderdale →

Getting around

Stay by the beach or Las Olas and you can manage on foot, by Water Taxi and with the odd cab. For the Everglades, Sawgrass Mills and the beach towns up and down the coast, a hire car is the simplest option. The airport is only a few miles from the beach.

When to go

Winter and spring are the high season: warm, dry and sunny. Summer is hot and humid with frequent afternoon downpours, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, so travel insurance is sensible then. The sea is warm enough to swim in all year.

Questions about visiting Fort Lauderdale

What is Fort Lauderdale best known for?
Its long sandy beach, its network of canals and waterways (hence the nickname the Venice of America), yachts, Las Olas Boulevard and its cruise port, Port Everglades.
Is Fort Lauderdale worth visiting?
Yes. It has a first-rate beach, a relaxed and walkable centre around Las Olas, and easy day trips to the Everglades and Miami. Many visitors find it calmer and friendlier than its bigger neighbour.
What is there to do in Fort Lauderdale with kids?
The beach, the Museum of Discovery and Science, cycling the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, kayaking in Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Flamingo Gardens and an airboat ride in the Everglades.
How many days do you need in Fort Lauderdale?
Three or four days is enough for the beach, Las Olas, a Water Taxi trip and a day out to the Everglades or Miami. It also works well for a couple of nights before or after a cruise.
Do you need a car in Fort Lauderdale?
Not if you stay near the beach or Las Olas, where the Water Taxi and taxis cover most needs. A car is useful for the Everglades, the outlet shopping and the other beach towns.

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