Fort Lauderdale Vacations

You will find rental shops on the beaches for windsurfing, kayaking, Jet skiing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. The best dive wreck is the Mercedes I, a 197-foot freighter that washed up in the back yard of a Palm Beach socialite in 1984 and was sunk for divers the following year off Pompano Beach.

Joggers enjoy running along the road by the beach in the early mornings. You can rent a bicycle or in-line skates to explore the beach along the boardwalk or other areas of the city. The Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is a 180 acre park along the beach, with nature trails, camping and picnicking areas, canoeing, and features the Terramar Visitor Center.

Florida has more golf courses than any other state with over 1,150 courses. Popular picks include: the two 18-hole courses at Turnberry Isle Resort & Club, American Golfers Club, Bonaventure Country Club, Boca Raton Municipal Golf Course, and Roken Woods Country Club.

You can go boating, sailing or take a river cruise like the Jungle Queen. There is also sport or deep sea fishing where you may catch amberjack, bonito, grouper, mackerel, mahimahi, marlin, pompano, redfish, sailfish, snapper, snook, tarpon, tuna, and wahoo. Or try Pier fishing at Commercial Blvd, Atlantic Blvd, Hillsboro Blvd, and Dania Beach. Each area has long piers.

The metropolitan area also offers the following spectator sports: the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League play at BankAtlantic Center; the Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins, the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association all play in neighboring Miami-Dade County; the Baltimore Orioles conduct spring training in the city at Fort Lauderdale Stadium; and the International Swimming Hall of Fame is located at Fort Lauderdale Beach.