Miles of soft golden sand and a lively historic waterfront make Fort Lauderdale a popular vacation destination. Visitors come to enjoy the fun, sun, and those famous Fort Lauderdale beaches.
Boutique shopping is available on the famous Las Olas Street, and plenty of restaurants represent the fantastic flavors of southern-style cuisine.
A tour we think you'll love
When you are planning a beach trip, you will want to start with these top selections of the best beaches in Fort Lauderdale.
1) Fort Lauderdale Beach
Fort Lauderdale Beach is one of the most popular beaches, with a wide range of activities, plenty of restaurants, and lots of fun in the sun.
Some of the many fun activities at Fort Lauderdale beach park include:
-
Parasailing
-
Riding a bike share bike
-
Beach yoga
-
A family-friendly pirate adventure cruise
-
Create your own adventure with a private pontoon boat tour
Hop on the Fort Lauderdale water taxi and enjoy a narrated excursion with fun stories and exciting information. The water taxi makes 11 stops and passes some of Fort Lauderdale’s famous mansions and mega yachts along the waterways.
Just two miles south is the festive local scene at Las Olas Boulevard. Las Olas is 2.5 miles of unique shops, art galleries, and amazing food. There are over 60 restaurants and bars in the Fort Lauderdale Beach area, ranging from flip-flops casual to fine dining. You can relax and watch the sunset over a glass of wine or tuck into a cocktail served in a punch bowl. The choice is all yours.
2) Hollywood Beach At Fort Lauderdale
Escape to a beach that has everything you expect in a beautiful Florida beach.
Hollywood Beach is two miles of beautiful white sand and palm trees that look out across the deep blue water of the Atlantic Ocean. A brick promenade called the Broadwalk flanks the beach where beachgoers ride bikes, roller skate, and rent pedal buggies, surreys, and three-wheelers.
Beach amenities include:
-
Beach volleyball courts
-
Public restrooms
-
Free on-street parking.
-
Lifeguards between Memorial Day and Labor Day
Food and drinks are available from colorful tiki bars, seafood restaurants, and casual bistros. Many of the bars play live music.
3) Pompano Beach At Fort Lauderdale
Pompano Beach and neighboring North Ocean Park are four miles of golden sandy beach with plenty of activities to delight every age. Fishing from the pier is an especially popular activity here.
Beach amenities at Pompano’s main beach include:
-
The 1,000-foot-long Pompano fishing pier
-
An interactive water fountain
-
Water sports
-
Sand volleyball
-
Children’s playgrounds
-
Outdoor fitness equipment
-
Paved walkways
-
Picnic tables and barbecue grills
-
Covered picnic shelter
North Ocean Park is a smaller beach that appeals to visitors who are looking for a relaxing day at the beach. Watching the colorful kite surfers is a great activity here.
Beach amenities at North Ocean Park include:
-
Public restrooms
-
Showers
-
Children’s playground
-
Picnic shelters
-
Barbecue grills
4) Hillsboro Beach At Fort Lauderdale
The quaint town of Hillsboro Beach is the antidote to over-commercialized beaches. The beach is just over three miles long, with the Hillsboro Lighthouse at the inlet on the southern end.
Hillsboro sits on a peninsula between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. The beach is just over three miles long, with the Hillsboro Lighthouse at the inlet on the southern end. There is one road running through the town called the Hillsboro Mile.
Hillsboro is one of the beaches in Fort Lauderdale to get away from it all, relax, swim in the ocean, and nap on the warm golden sand.
During turtle nesting seasons, March through October, Hillsboro has the most sea turtle nests. The protected turtle species of Leatherback, loggerhead, and green sea turtles all prefer nesting at Hillsboro.
5) Dania Beach At Fort Lauderdale
Although Dania Beach is located directly next to Hollywood Beach, it is worlds away. The crowds are smaller, with more of a relaxed, kick-back vibe.
Dania Beach has earned Blue Waves Beach status, one of only 43 Florida beaches to do so. The Blue Waves Beach certificate is an environmental certification that encourages clean and healthy beaches.
Visitors will want to bring their own coolers, drinks, and snacks, as there are no quick food vendors at the beach. For a sit-down meal, the Quarterdeck Restaurant is located directly on the pier.
The Dania Pier is 964 feet long and a great place for fishing, exploring, and enjoying the amazing view.
There is plenty of parking available in the paid lot right next to the beach.
Dania Beach is home to the Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, a beachside park named for the Broward County civil rights attorney who led civil rights protests in the 1950s and 1960s. This popular state park is now a place for fishing, boating, hiking, swimming, bike riding, and picnicking.
6) Deerfield Beach
Not as busy or crowded as neighboring beaches, Deerfield Beach is one of the best beaches in Fort Lauderdale for snorkelers and divers. Highlights here include the 976-foot fishing pier and the near-shore reefs.
The Ancient Mariner, a former Coast Guard Cutter, is planted in the ocean off Deerfield Beach as an artificial reef. Broward County sank the vessel in 1991, and the site is now famous among divers.
Just north of the Deerfield Pier, Turtle Beach is a popular snorkel spot with an average depth of 5 to 10 feet. Snorkelers can spot tropical fish, lobster, octopus, and occasionally nurse sharks. The site is most famous for the Green Turtles that arrive during the summer nesting season to inhabit the offshore reefs and lay their eggs on the beach.
7) Hallandale Beach
The city of Hallandale Beach is at the southern end of Greater Fort Lauderdale, just north of Miami.
There are two main parks on the beach at Hallandale, South City Beach Park, and North City Beach Park.
South City Beach Park amenities include affordable beach-access parking, public restrooms with outdoor showers, a children’s playground, sand volleyball, and two bocce ball courts.
North City Beach Park amenities include the colorful Beach Ball Water Tower for Instagram selfies, sand volleyball, and restrooms with outdoor showers.
Pontoon Private Party Boat Cruise
Create your own adventure with 12 of your friends on a comfortable pontoon boat! Let Lagerhead Party Boats assist you with planning the perfect adventure.
Our private tours will take your small group out to Florida’s best sandbars for swimming, sunning, and partying. With an experienced captain at the helm, you’ll explore the beaches in Fort Lauderdale from the water and see some of South Florida’s most impressive homes and yachts.
Call us or go online when you are ready to plan your best day on the water. We look forward to meeting you!
Book your private party boat cruise now!
