Fort Lauderdale is one of Florida’s coastal cities, found on the Southeastern coast of the State. It borders Miami to the north with the two cities being only thirty miles apart. Fort Lauderdale has a number of beaches that are beautiful and broad in nature. The city has its similarities with Miami, except for the fact it is not as congested as Miami, despite its smaller size. However, when it comes to tourist attractions, the city gets its fair share of tourist visits with the numerous attractions that many will find here.

Fort Lauderdale can sometimes be referred to as the “Venice of America”. This is attribute stems mainly from the fact that The Intracoastal Waterway divides its beaches into several areas starting from the downtown region of the city. As a result, several man made canals have been carved along the city downtown, bordered by homes that are lavishly built in the neighborhoods, hence its nick name.

There is a port on the city coast, known as Port Everglades which has a harbor that can comfortable handle commercial ships. As such, cruise ships that dock here contribute to the influx of tourists into the city. These ships vary from the smaller cruise ships to the larger liners that extend their services beyond country borders.

The other great attraction to the city comes from the vast approachable beaches. These beaches lie mainly on the eastern part of the Intracoastal Waterway. They are broad in nature and normally stand out for their powdery sand and palm trees. There are also various hotels found along the beachfront. The hotels tend to offer more affordable accommodation rates than the rates offered in Miami, and perhaps that is the reason why many people will opt for Fort Lauderdale as a travel destination, especially families on vocations. Another feature of these beaches is the fact that they are easily accessible since they are broad in nature and have parking spaces. There are also restaurants, shops, motels and other social outlets just across the avenue, on the opposite side of the beaches. Many students usually find Fort Lauderdale a favorite reveling zone especially during the spring break.

For travelers who want to experience a new dimension in shopping, then Fort Lauderdale might offer that chance. There are some upscale shopping facilities, ranging from the galleries, to boutiques and shops. These shopping areas are mainly concentrated along Las Ollas Boulevard. However, there are also some more shopping shops in the neighboring Riverfront Center, the Sawgrass Mill Mall for discounted shopping and the prestigious and more expensive Galleria Mall.

Lastly, it is not possible to leave out the wetland Everglades when talking about Fort Lauderdale. This extensive wetland covers the large areas of Southern Florida, and therefore parts of Fort Lauderdale are also included. They include the west and southwest parts of the city. Visitors can get fantastic views of the Everglades when using the “alligator highway” or Rote 75 as commonly known.