Fort Lauderdale: A guide to short-term rentals

Many direct flights are available to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), just 4 miles from the city center, though depending on your point of origin, it may be cheaper or easier to find a direct flight into nearby Miami International Airport (MIA), about an hour away by car. Both airports are accessible via the Tri-Rail train system, though, and cabs and rideshares are abundantly available throughout the city.

Getting around Fort Lauderdale is simplest with a car, but if you want to explore the local area, the Sun Trolley is a free trolley system that can take you around the city’s major points. Water taxis can take you to various points along the shore, and bike rentals and shares are also available throughout the city, and you can almost always count on nice weather for a bike ride.

The New River bisects Fort Lauderdale between north and south, and the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District makes up the 22 blocks that stretch along the river to the coast. Here you’ll find a plethora of art galleries, boutiques, nightclubs, and museums, including the renowned NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale. The museum’s small but impressive permanent collection features a number of contemporary works, from paintings by Andy Warhol and Frida Kahlo, to ceramics by Pablo Picasso.

One of the city’s main attractions is its several miles of coastline, covered with pristine white sand beaches. The beachfront promenade, which is located between Las Olas and Sunrise Boulevards, features a wave-inspired walkway that runs along a barrier island, and is lined with shops and restaurants, as well as volleyball courts and watersports and snorkel gear rental kiosks.

If gambling’s your game, a number of casinos await you in Fort Lauderdale. The Seminole Casino is the city’s signature casino, with three locations across the region. Vegas-style slot machines and gaming tables are accompanied by local favorites, and all the casinos are open 24/7, so the night never has to end.

The Stranahan House is Fort Lauderdale’s oldest surviving structure. Built as a trading post in 1901, and has since become a historical landmark and museum. Take a guided tour to learn about the history of Fort Lauderdale and how the city’s community came to be.

Unsurprisingly, seafood reigns supreme in Fort Lauderdale, and all across the city you’ll find grilled local grouper and sea bass, fish tacos, sushi, scallops, shrimp, and even fried alligator. Take a walk down the beachfront promenade, where dozens of the local hotels house waterfront restaurants where you can catch dinner and an ocean view.

Cuba is only about 100 miles away from Florida, and while Miami is usually most associated with Cuban food in Florida, there’s plenty to explore in Fort Lauderdale too. Look for Cubano sandwiches with roast pork, Swiss cheese, and pickles; fried green plantains; and ropa vieja, a classic Cuban dish of shredded marinated beef with peppers and onions.

For a one-of-a-kind dining experience, book a dinner cruise on one of Fort Lauderdale’s many sightseeing boat lines. Sail up the New River or along the coast with dinner and a show to boot.

Fort Lauderdale is a shopper’s paradise, with plenty of retail centers to explore. The Sawgrass Mills Mall is home to hundreds of designer outlet stores and covers more than 2 million square feet, making it the second largest mall in Florida—and the eighth in the U.S. The structure of it also happens to be shaped like a giant alligator.

Translating to “the waves” in Spanish, Las Olas Boulevard is home to Fort Lauderdale’s best collection of boutique brands and designer fashion stores, not to mention the cafés, restaurants, and art galleries you can peruse between shops. The European-style boulevard is lined with palm trees and colorful awnings, and is often referred to as Fort Lauderdale’s “style mile.”

Including the Greater Fort Lauderdale area, more than 23 miles of smooth sandy beaches line the city’s coast, and they’re all worth a visit. Watching the local fishermen drag in their catch at the International Fishing Pier at Deerfield Beach, or head south to Hillsboro Beach and climb the 175 steps to the top of its historic lighthouse. Snorkel among the 18 shipwrecks at Pompano Beach, or enjoy the privacy at the relatively quiet Dania Beach. March through October is sea turtle nesting season, so keep an eye out for baby turtles waddling toward the sea.

South of central Fort Lauderdale, near Hollywood, is the ArtsPark at Young Circle, where you can take a self-guided tour of the dozens of outdoor mural walls that line the streets around the park. Each mural highlights the work of a different local artist in this vibrant outdoor arts district.

In nearby Davie is Flamingo Gardens, a 60-acre wildlife sanctuary and botanical garden that’s home to the state’s largest collection of native flora and fauna, including alligators, otters, bobcats, and of course, dozens of pink flamingos.

Fort Lauderdale is the gateway to the Florida Everglades, a wetlands preserve and National Park that covers the state’s southern tip. Take a day trip to the park, book an airboat tour of the marshy swamps, and get to know some of the local gators.

Fort Lauderdale has a reputation as a LGBTQ-friendly travel destination and it’s also a great place to settle down. The city is home to highest concentration of gay couples of any city in America, with nearly 3 percent of households made up of same-sex couples.

There may be fewer than 200,000 people who live in Fort Lauderdale, but the city regularly sees more than 13 million overnight visitors each year.

For a small city, Fort Lauderdale has more than 165 miles of waterways that run through it, which is how it’s become known as the “Venice of America,” a phrase the city has included on its official seal. In many neighborhoods, the canals flow along neighborhood streets, so almost every house can boast a waterfront view.