Produced by Virtuoso with Visit Lauderdale

September 1, 2026

Fifty shades of blue: Fort Lauderdale Beach separates the Atlantic Ocean and the city’s Intracoastal Waterway.Visit Lauderdale

Intracoastal excursions, beachfront diversions, and everything in between.

In Fort Lauderdale, life revolves around the water. Fort Lauderdale Beach’s palm-lined promenade, sugar-soft sand, and aquamarine waters draw sunseekers year-round, while its Intracoastal Waterway and network of canals are lined with restaurants, mansions, and yacht-packed marinas. (Greater Fort Lauderdale has more marinas than any other destination in Florida.)

“Fort Lauderdale offers the perfect blend of laid-back coastal charm and vibrant urban energy,” says Virtuoso travel advisor Geneva “Raye” Hayden of the South Florida city that’s just a 40-minute drive north of Miami, but with its own international airport. “It’s a great destination for both relaxation and adventure.”

Beyond its 24-mile stretch of beaches, Greater Fort Lauderdale packs getaways with pleasant bike rides around picturesque neighborhoods, spree-worthy shopping on Las Olas Boulevard, and memorable seafood dinners. It’s the type of place that easily pairs barefoot mornings with polished nights – here’s how to make the most out of your next stay.

The New River winds through the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale.Visit Lauderdale

Coastal Diversions

Sunbathers, paddleboarders, and snorkelers convene at Fort Lauderdale Beach, which stretches for three miles along the east side of Florida’s A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway. Beyond the paved promenade (a popular spot for morning walkers and runners), the beach’s warm Atlantic waters are a prized attraction any month of the year. 

Just across the A1A, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park’s freshwater lagoon cuts through 180 acres of tropical hammock – a dense forest growing on raised land and one of the last of its kind in Broward County – where visitors can canoe past mangroves and spot endangered gopher tortoises. Farther inland, on Greater Fort Lauderdale’s western edge, the Florida Everglades begin in earnest; Virtuoso advisors can arrange airboat excursions into the sawgrass marsh, where passengers glide past the alligators and long-legged wading birds who call the 1.5-million-acre ecosystem home.

To explore the city’s 165 miles of navigable canals, do as the locals do: Hop between waterfront restaurants, bars, and hotel docks by private boat or water taxi. “Fort Lauderdale’s boating lifestyle makes its ‘Venice of America’ nickname fitting,” says Virtuoso advisor Rob Clabbers. Narrated boat tours up the New River (a tidal estuary that flows directly through downtown Fort Lauderdale) pass by the neighborhoods that gave the city its start in the nineteenth century. 

For those travelers who’d rather keep their toes tucked in the sand, staff at the 290-room Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach deliver cocktails and light bites, including tuna crispy rice and Wagyu sliders, straight to its collection of umbrella-shaded lounge chairs on the beach. A five-minute drive south, at the mouth of the Intracoastal Waterway, the 325-room Pier Sixty-Six is home to a private superyacht marina with dockage for vessels up to 400 feet; guests can charter a yacht for a half day of deep-sea fishing, snorkeling, or a sunset run past the mansions lining the waterway.

Pier Sixty-Six, a Fort Lauderdale icon since the 1950s.Visit Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale’s Best Restaurants

The city’s dining scene does caviar-topped seafood towers just as well as it does fried-shrimp baskets on the beach. At Daniel’s, a Florida Steakhouse in the Rio Vista neighborhood, the signature “Wagyu & Pearls” lands first – a spoonful of Kaluga caviar and black garlic aioli over Florida Arrowhead Wagyu tartare, served with toasted slow-fermented sourdough. Bartenders lean into the state’s abundance of citrus and sunny days with a Canyon Margarita: Patrón Reposado, Patrón Citrónge, prickly pear, and fresh lime, finished with a rim of habanero pineapple salt.

The New River’s Rooftop @1WLO turns cocktail hour into a see-and-be-seen event. Resident mixologists shake drinks such as the Hottie (Patrón Reposado, ghost pepper tequila, ancho chili liqueur, Cointreau, and pineapple), to be enjoyed alongside chef-driven small plates. On Las Olas Boulevard, diners settle into communal tables at Casa Sensei, which pairs Pan-Asian and Latin flavors with views of gondolas gliding through the canal outside. Regulars order the Korean grilled steak chimichurri over jasmine rice or a plate of lobster guacamole. 

At the Conrad, chef Anthony Vitolo’s eponymous Vitolo turns out handcrafted pizzas, fresh pasta, and other Italian favorites, built on ingredients from his family farm in Sarno, Italy. The venue offers three distinct dining experiences: the open-kitchen Cucina, supper club Sala Arco, or the alfresco Terrazza, reminiscent of a classic trattoria.

Peak chilled-out Florida beach vibes can be found at Coconuts, home to a coastal-comfort-food menu of conch fritters, smoked fish dip, New England-style lobster rolls, and giant ice cream sandwiches. And at Pier Sixty-Six, the food takes inspiration from the marina’s international guest list: Calusso’s beautifully plated, bold plates share a French and Italian Riviera twist; Sotogrande spreads southern Spanish and eastern Mediterranean shareables across long communal tables; and 17 floors up in the hotel’s spire, Pier Top lounge rotates slowly through a 360-degree view of the Greater Fort Lauderdale skyline and the yachts moored below.

Fort Lauderdale’s NSU Art Museum and its bold mural, designed by Miami-born artist Jen Stark. Visit Lauderdale

Fine Art and Beloved Shopping

Travelers can (and should) fill their days by the water, but be sure to save time for Fort Lauderdale’s cultural attractions beyond the beach. Downtown’s NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale holds the world’s largest collection of works from American painter William Glackens, alongside pieces from the significant post-World War II CoBrA art movement and contemporary Latin American works. In the Central Beach neighborhood, the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens preserves a 1920 Caribbean-style plantation home built by two art collectors, Frederic Clay Bartlett and Helen Louise Birch. Guided tours lead visitors through the house and its orchid gardens, swan-filled pond, and lush courtyard.

Las Olas Boulevard – Fort Lauderdale’s unofficial “Style Mile” – rewards those who wander. Lilly Pulitzer’s boutique leans hard into its tropical prints; Green and Serene stocks bohemian resortwear often spotted on women leisurely lunching along the boulevard; and a stop at Hoffman’s Chocolates rounds out an afternoon that’s as sweet as it is sartorially pleasing. For travelers chasing a bigger haul, Sawgrass Mills – the country’s largest outlet mall, a 30-minute drive from Las Olas – contains over 350 shops, including designer outlets such as Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, and Gucci.