Fort Lauderdale Beach is one of many fine Florida Beaches. The main part of the beach runs from the south on A1A (take the 17th Street Causeway over from the city) to north of Sunrise Boulevard, about 5 miles. Here, you will enjoy the sand and beautiful Atlantic Ocean. There are busy times of the year when the beach is crowded.

Across the street from the beach are numerous restaurants, bars, and shops. There are no buildings on the beach in this area. As you move south and north of this area, you will find many hotels "on the beach." The beach is free. More parking can be found at the southern end than the northern area.

Just north of Sunrise Boulevard, across the street from the beach, is Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, http://www.floridastateparks.org/FindaPark-Proc.cfm. This is a nice area to have a picnic in the shade. There is an underground tunnel that connects the park to the beach.

It is a very clean beach, one of my personal favorites. The water here was prettier than in Daytona. The beach has free lounge chairs. The hotel was less than a 100 yards from the beach.

The beach sand is soft and clean. It's the texture of sugar. There were none of the usual beach nuisances like seagulls begging for food or green-head flies biting at us. We were able to relax and enjoy the sun and the surf! The water was just the right temperature and the waves were fun!

This is a family beach with lovely palm trees and lifeguards. There is plenty of parking ($1.00 per hour) and it is a clean and nice beach with small waves --great for kids and families.