The beach in Fort Lauderdale is great. It's a large beach, several miles long, and most is fully accessible to the public. The buildings are on the West side of A1A, which means the resorts can't make most of the beaches private.

The wild and woolly days of spring break are mostly gone, but I understand it can still get rowdy sometimes, especially The Elbo Room on A1A/Las Olas.

The sand is a fine gray and the beach is very clean and well maintained. They started raking the beach recently, and got all the old bottle caps, etc out.

Lots of restaurants are right across A1A.

Beach rules are posted in several spots. Alcohol, dogs and fires are not allowed on the beach in most areas. See the picture of the sign.

There is public parking at the curb, or if you get there late, there is pay parking also.

The South beach area offers great picnic, playground and recreation areas. Be sure to look at the sea turtle conservation area at the North end of South beach.

There are trolleys that will take you to or from the beach.

There are public and private underpasses/overpasses to the beach so you don't have to cross A1A, but traffic is usually light, crossing is no problem.

It's not unusual to see Ferraris or Lamborghinis cruising down A1A.

There are Waverunners avail for rent, about $100/hr.

Lifeguard towers are stationed every couple of blocks.

The beachfront in Fort Lauderdale is really hard to beat. First the beach is wide and welcoming and the stretch is very long. Second, most is fully accessible to the public (several miles) which is rare and in many areas, there aren't any buildings right up along the beach rather they are across the street. These are mostly hotels and restaurants which makes this a great location for vacationers. Every conceivable type of lodging is there - budget, B&B, inn, motel, hotel, and super luxury resort. Third, there are lifeguards looking out for your safety which I think I think is essential for a tourist area.

Gone are the wild days of "Spring Break" although there are still some partiers in March and April. This is a great place to relax with Friends, family or go by yourself. Lots of good people watching and the active port brings a lot of cruise ships in and out which are fun to follow from the shore as well. The sand is fine and the beach is very clean and well maintained. Several areas have chairs and umbrellas for rent for reasonable rates if you prefer not to drag items with you.

The ocean is cool to cold in the winter but warms up in April and the surf is perfect for body or boogie boarding. Lots of restaurants are right in the area and cater to beach goers and you can get take out for a perfect beach picnic. Alcohol, dogs and fires are not allowed on the beach in most areas.

Parking can be a little tricky and most likely you will have to pay but for a great day in the sun it's worth it. If you want a place to unwind, catch some rays and "check out" for the day, when in South Florida, Fort Lauderdale beach is a good choice.

I was at the end of my rope, job stress, burn out you name it and I needed an escape. The answer was Ft Lauderdale Beach. I had never been to Florida before and always found beaches and/or any body of water very holistic and soothing.

I was seated at one of the outdoor tables of Pusser's Restaurant with a gentle breeze blowing through my hair. The restaurant's waterfall was to my left, waiters and waitresses to my right ready to accomodate my needs and straight ahead was the lanquid, endless aqua colored water, beneath a perfectly blue sky, its waves gently kissing the shore almost to a rhythmic beat.

I sat there mesmerized and enraptured by the beauty that lay before me and soothed by the tranquility of the time and place. I felt like I'd come home. Sadly it wasn't home but I had already made a mental note to return to that exact location as soon as possible.