Fort Lauderdale Florida is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of South Florida, averaging over 10 million visitors each year. If beach combing is your gig, there is plenty of that to go around along the 23 miles of non-stop beaches. Many of the area's best hotels, shopping and restaurants are located within walking distance of the salty surf as well.

Surf and Swim - Miles of Coastline

Deerfield Beach is quite a magnificent sight to see at sunrise and is Fort Lauderdale's award-winning, cove-style beach. Deerfield is home to one of America's first cable water skiing systems, or if you'd rather, you can just spend a lazy afternoon fishing and then top the evening off at one of the many local open-air restaurants.

Hillsboro Beach is known as the 'Quiet Escape' and is best for those wishing to just relax and let them time float along like the sea. With breathtaking ocean views available from the Hillsboro Lighthouse, it is also a prime retreat for those wishing to catch a glimpse of the turtles who come to the area to nest.

Pompano Beach is the 'Sports of all Sorts' beach and is so named for the fish that is exclusive to these parts. Known for several of the annual festivals held on the beach, such as the Pompano Seafood Festival and Fishing Rodeo, the water at Pompano is some of the clearest water in all of Florida's oceans.

Fort Lauderdale Beach is probably one of the best-known beaches for the spring breaker and younger college crowds. Volleyball, boating, fishing and water sports abound at this very busy, very chic beach year round.

Dining

As for the dining experience in Fort Lauderdale, it doesn't disappoint. With over 4,000 local restaurants, ranging from the quaint bistro to the world's best seafood and steakhouses, there is something for every taste bud out there. From right out of the sea fish to locally grown fruits and vegetables, fresh is key when it comes to cooking in Fort Lauderdale.

Got the kiddies along this trip? You can take them to any of the exciting just for kids places in the area such as Buehler's Planetarium, Butterfly World, Broward County Parks and Recreation, Boomers Greater Fort Lauderdale, DB Smith Park or the Dania Beach Hurricane. For the experience of a lifetime, and for the kid in all of us, you can head to Dolphin Swim, which offers two different swim-with-the-dolphins packages.