Fort Lauderdale city guide: Spend a weekend in the Venice of America
Why go now? Say you’re off to Fort Lauderdale , and you’ll likely get more than one response along the lines of, “Oh, great! Um… Where is that again?” It isn’t too surprising; this beachside city smack bang in the centre of Florida’s Gold Coast is somewhat overshadowed by its loud, brash next-door neighbour, Miami. If it’s previously gone under the radar though, Fort Lauderdale is about to get a significant boost; British Airways has a new direct route from London Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale that launched in July. FL’s laid-back charm, year-round sun and competitive prices just got more accessible. Get your bearings Forty minutes’ drive north of Miami, Fort Lauderdale is the more demure, less expensive big sister to the blow-out party town. The city sprawls up the coast, with gold sandy beaches and the warm waters of the Atlantic separated from inland FL by a network of intracoastal canals – not for nothing is this city known as the Venice of America. The main strip is Las Olas Bo...