Fort Lauderdale, where life’s a beach all year long

The majestic pelican gracefully glided across the shore, skimming the water’s surface just inches away. Suddenly, spotting a fish, it banked and dived headfirst for its prey, eagerly watched by a trio of other birds hoping for some tasty left over morsels.

This, believe it or not, is the beach at Fort Lauderdale, just a half hour from the teeming high rise madness of Miami, but honestly, it could be a million miles. FL is fast becoming the go-to resort on Florida’s east coast. It’s got the clubs, the restaurants and the shopping of Miami, but it’s also got a lot less crowds, some impressive beach front space and of course, the Intracoastal Waterway just behind. No wonder FL is called the Venice of America, where many of the districts including downtown, contain more canals than streets and probably more yachts than buses. The Intracoastal is a man made waterway system that stretches all the way up the eastern seaboard to New Jersey, but its network of canals all around FL and the upscale properties along each side provide the perfect setting for a glimpse into the world of the wealthy. In fact many of the scenes from Miami Vice were actually shot here, along with other scenes from Hollywood movies that are passed off as Miami too.

But it’s the beach that’s really the jewel in the FL crown. All 23 miles of it. It’s clean and safe, with life guards all along the stretch; the perfect place to catch the sun, watch the wildlife and perhaps even take part in some beach sports if you’re feeling energetic. There’s no disguising the beach culture here, lots of cafes and bars with the kind of laid back atmosphere that is so lacking in Miami. You know the drill, pick a café, grab a seat and just people watch and you won’t be disappointed.

Venture downtown however, and you’ll find a thriving commercial centre, plenty of fine dining, a lively club scene and more than enough shopping to satisfy the hungriest of shopaholics.

What to do in and around Fort Lauderdale

Scuba Diving and Snorkelling

With such an abundance of water everywhere you look, it should come as no surprise that there are numerous opportunities to dive and snorkel. Pro Dive International based right by the beach on Seabreeze Boulevard are the people who actually teach the teachers at their renowned training facility, so you couldn’t be in better hands. They operate a range of daily trips where you generally get to do two dives, one to a wreck and the other on a shallow natural reef and there are other options too like night dives and even chartering your own boat and crew. You can also get your PADI certification over a 2 day course, providing you have completed the online theory test first. I dived 75 feet down to Hog Heaven, an upside down sunken barge. The visibility was excellent, and there were plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. Half day dives are around $115 including all equipment.

Grab a water taxi

Fort Lauderdale is a big place like any American city but here you get an alternate form of transport. Forget the car and cab option, and travel on water instead. A water taxi gives you the opportunity to grab a leisurely cruise around the waterways and still get to where you want to go. Using the 11 taxi docks around the city you get unlimited boarding for your $13 ticket so go to the beach, do some shopping and then pull up at a waterside restaurant and have meal, Floridians call it ‘dock and dine’ – how good is that?

See The Everglades

Fort Lauderdale has a lot going on, but if you feel the urge to explore further afield, its proximity to The Everglades offers a unique opportunity to experience sub tropical wetlands up close and personal. The Everglades has several eco systems going on around you, but the primary feature is the saw grass and mangrove marshland, the shallow waters that provide the routes for the famous fan powered airboats we’ve always wanted to ride.

Billie Swamp Safari, down Alligator Alley about a 45 minute car ride away from FL is an Everglades experience worth a visit, primarily because you get to experience Seminole Indian culture first hand on their Big Cypress Reservation. The safari takes you on a swamp buggy and air boat tour around their 2,000 acre wetlands where you’ll get to meet bison, water buffalo, eagles, hogs and of course some alligators.

Go shopping in the World’s biggest outlet

Go a few miles down I-595 and enter shopping heaven at Sawgrass Mills. Just about every name in retail is here at factory outlet prices. It is ridiculously large, so you’ll need to put aside a full day here if you can stand it or stand up long enough! It’s at the junction of West Sunrise Blvd and Flamingo.

Where to stay in Fort Lauderdale

The Pillars at New River Sound

Forget faceless high rise hotel chains, The Pillars is an absolute delight. Privately owned and nestling right next to the Intracoastal Waterway, only a 5 minute walk to the beach, this charming hotel is a discreet and sophisticated oasis. It’s a two level plantation house with 22 luxuriously appointed rooms and the kind of whispered service that you dream about having but never quite get. There’s a pool surrounded by comfortable overstuffed loungers with iced tea on tap, and you take breakfast whenever you decide to call them and order it, either in your room, or on their private deck/dock right by the water’s edge. They have an elegant restaurant too that’s only open to hotel guests. A truly delightful place.

Where to eat in Fort Lauderdale

With over 4,000 restaurants in Fort Lauderdale to pick from, you might well feel spoilt for choice. Do you go for waterfront or downtown, fish or meat? Well, here are a few of my recommendations:

‘Floribbean’ cuisine is the trend right now, a mixture of Caribbean and Florida favourites, and one of the best at this particular genre is the restaurant Johnny V. Right on Fort Lauderdale's trendy Las Olas Boulevard you’ll get a heady mixture of tropical flavours and seafood.

Morten’s

This restaurant chain has been an American institution for donkey’s years. It’s a bit like Holiday Inn, you just know exactly what you’re going to get each time, from the verbal menu demonstration to the gorgeous hot onion bread, it’s always a home banker. Great steaks and outstanding service.

Best burger

Le Tub is rated by the locals as home to the best burger in the States. Whether it is or it isn’t is not really important, because it just has to be good enough!

It’s sat right on the Intracoastal and you’ll find a table amongst the bath tubs and sinks, just make sure you try and get a burger all in your mouth in one bite…..

When to go to Fort Lauderdale?

The busiest time of the year is December through to March when the weather is perfect but the prices are peaking. If you really want luxury for less, think about the summer months July and August. It is hot and humid and you might get a few thunder storms, but you will get sunshine and the prices are very attractive.