Fort Lauderdale Travelers Recommend

TheThe Atlantic port of Fort Lauderdale takes in a Venetian network of canals dotted with yachts and lined with marinas. Budding swimmers can paddle safely at the International Swimming Hall of Fame on the Fort Lauderdale beach, with an on-site museum and swim school aquatic complex. Browse the world’s largest indoor and outdoor trash and treasure market, complete with funfair rides and drive-in movies, at the 14-screen Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop and outdoor theatre. View the area’s over-the-top millionaires’ mansions from the water on a sightseeing cruise of the port and yacht marina. If there’s one must-do in Fort Lauderdale it’s a dinner cruise aboard the fun and fabulous Jungle Queen Riverboat, for revue entertainment and a nonstop. Make the most of Miami, just down the road, with the Go Miami Card, packed with Miami, Everglades and Fort Lauderdale tours, attractions and museums. Swamp safaris to visit the traditional home of the Seminole Indians.

For magnificent subtropical wilderness and lots of it, take time out to explore the Florida Everglades. The 100-mile, 60-mile-wide (160 by 96 km) “river of grass” is protected by the third-largest national park in the US, and a huge restoration program is currently under way to restore the unique habitat with its incredibly varied biodiversity. The source of the Everglades wetlands is the Kissimmee River near Orlando, whose overflow creeps across the land to reach Florida Bay. Sawgrass marshlands are a particular feature of the Everglades, along with cypress swamps, estuarine mangrove and tropical hardwood forests. This lovely natural area is a haven for kayaking, canoeing, boating and hiking, but there are some must-dos to bone up on before you visit: bring plenty of insect repellent, don’t provoke the alligators, and wear long thick socks and lace-up boots if you’re hiking.