Fort Lauderdale is known as the Venice of America. After my visit in March, I now understand why it has that title. The beautiful canals, calm and peaceful with million-dollar homes looking over them.

Fort Lauderdale is located just 28 miles north of Miami, along the east coast of Florida. We found it slightly cheaper to fly out to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport then Miami International Airport. We also found the accommodation cheaper in Fort Lauderdale compared to Miami. Therefore, as we had a hired car, we decided to base ourselves in Fort Lauderdale and do day trips to Miami.

Accommodation

We decided to stay in Airbnb as it was a lot cheaper then a hotel and car parking was free. We had our own apartment with a shared salt-water pool and a driveway to park our car on. One thing that I love about having your own apartment, you have a kitchen. Self-catering on holiday is great if you are on a holiday budget. You can save a lot of money from not eating out for every meal. Also, one of my highlights when visiting America is experiencing their Walmart’s. I love trying all their different cereals, biscuits, sweets, desserts, etc. To me, it is part of the American experience.

The Airbnb accommodation we stayed in was called Salt Water Pool, owned by Mathew Haines. The accommodation is a 10-minute drive from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and a 30-minute drive to Fort Lauderdale Beach. The neighbourhood that it is located in is a safe, quiet neighbourhood. If we were to revisit, we would definitely consider staying at this accommodation again.

For more information about Airbnb, please visit their website: Airbnb.

Things To See and Do

Despite our accommodation been located in one of Fort Lauderdale’s neighbourhood’s, we actually only spent one day exploring Downtown Fort Lauderdale as we spent the other days exploring Miami and the Everglades National Park. There are not loads to see in Fort Lauderdale. If you are a beach lover then there is a long, lovely stretch of sand to enjoy. Other then that, there is not a lot to see and do. It would have been nice to have another day in Downtown Fort Lauderdale if we had an extra day spare just to see a little bit more.

Here are our 2 main highlights of Fort Lauderdale:

Jungle Queen Cruise

The Jungle Queen Cruise is a ‘must-do’ when visiting Fort Lauderdale. The boat tour was absolutely fantastic. They have been running since 1935, with no plans on stopping anytime soon. They take you down the beautiful canals, seeing some of the beautiful, million-dollar homes and some incredible Mega Yachts. The Jungle Queen Cruise is the best way to see ‘the Venice of America’.

There are a few different cruises you can do. We did the morning, 90-minute sightseeing tour. The tour cost us $25.15 each, which is around £20. Child tickets are slightly cheaper. All the Jungle Queen Cruises depart from the Bahia Mar Yachting Center. We booked in advance as the tours can get very busy and sell out. We arrived an hour before the boat was due to depart to get a front-row seat. There is a bar on board that sells drinks and snacks. You are not allowed to bring your own food and drinks on board.

We parked in the Bahia Mar Hotel lot for a $7 flat fee. The Bahia Mar Hotel is located next to the marina where the Jungle Queen Cruise departs from. As you enter the car park, tell the security person yours here for the Jungle Queen Cruise. If you don’t, you will get charged more for the car parking.

For more information on the different boat trips they offer, prices and departure times, please visit their website: Jungle Queen Cruises.

Fort Lauderdale Beach

Fort Lauderdale Beach is a beautiful, 23 mile-long stretch of sand that runs along the Atlantic coastline. The beach has beautiful beach huts, palm trees, and crystal blue water. A perfect place to relax, play volleyball, go for a walk or even a run.

At night, between the months of March to October, turtles use the beach for nesting their eggs. The streets lights are dimmed right down to protect them.

If you would like more information about the turtles and their nesting, please visit this website: Nesting Sea Turtles.