Intracoastal Waterway

«A cheap thrill to see very expensive waterfront real estate»
Fort Lauderdale (and Miami) is home to extremely expensive waterfront property belonging to the rich, the famous and the infamous. Most of those properties are located along the Intracoastal Waterway. The Intracoastal is a series of wide, connected waterways, starting in Miami and extending all the way up to Jacksonville in North Florida, where it pretty much continues on north along the east coast of the United States. It does not accommodate cruise ships (those large oceangoing vessels are housed in the Port Everglades at the mouth of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic in Fort Lauderdale off of the SE 17^th Street Causeway) but it does boast thousands of ridiculously huge and luxuriously appointed yachts. The biggest Boat Shows are held in Fort Lauderdale every year. These big yachts, and smaller yachts and all kinds of boats and ships all make their way along the Intracoastal Waterway. The Intracoastal Waterway is spanned by many drawbridges that connect Fort Lauderdale Beach and A1A to the mainland. Manatees have been seen lolling around in the Intracoastal. I have even seen some wayward alligators in there (but they are usually really, really lost when they make their way to the ICW, so don’t count on seeing one during your visit). The vistas along the ICW are boggling and eye goggling. I think the whole national debt could be wiped out by the cost of the yachts and homes along the waterways in just Broward County alone. Despite the extravagances you will see, it is still absolutely fascinating and very interesting to motor down the ICW (or kayak, paddleboard, jetski, canoe) and look at all of it. There are plenty of waterfront dining you can dock at to have a meal or a drink. You can ride on one of the two water taxi services (Water Taxi and River Taxi) and get a narrated tour along with the ability to hop on and off at any water taxi spot all day long (you have to pay for your ticket). I recommend you check it out at least once during your visit to Fort Lauderdale.

It’s the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway or less technically stated Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) that makes Fort Lauderdale what it is: The Venice of America, Yachting Capital of the World and Drawbridge City which are just a few of the nicknames by which it is recognized and known. Though Fort Lauderdale isn’t alone on this, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is the lifeblood and major economic resource of the majority of Atlantic coastal cities, towns and resorts as it stems all the way from New Jersey to Key West, it is the one, singular and most outstanding feature that sets it apart from all others.
Having a controlled depth of not less than at 6 feet, though Federal Law mandates 12 feet, at mean low water for its entire thousand mile plus length, it provides a safe toll free water highway for recreational boaters.
Without the Intracoastal Waterway Fort Lauderdale would be a nothing as would the rest of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Their vast network of canals probably wouldn’t have been created and even if they had would either be useless or lead nowhere. Fort Lauderdale along with its neighboring cities and beach towns wouldn’t have internationally famous boat parades, marinas or any of the myriad of waterfront restaurants, bars and recreational resorts that depend upon for their existence.
Being an avid boater myself and having boated a vast number of waterways within the United States, areas of Scandinavia, Europe and Asia, take my word for it that none can even begin to compare with the Intracoastal Waterway for overall recreation.
Though constructed and maintained by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Jacksonville District, day to day life and enforcement of navigational rules is primarily vested in the United States Coast Guard, more specifically for the areas of Fort Lauderdale, the Coast Guard Station located in Dania Beach. Hence, for the purposes of Unilocal and with the waterway being a matter of «Local Flavor,» I’ve taken the liberty of listing that Coast Guard Station as being the «Location of the Business Owner» of Intracoastal Waterway which to me stands out as being the biggest, best and truest gem of the area.