Beach At Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

This beach is about a mile and a half south of where I live. Whenever I want to show off my home to friends or visiting relatives, this is where we come. The Anglin’s pier costs two dollars to get on (if you’re sight-​seeing and not fishing), but it’s well-​maintained and offers a spectacular view. It’s surrounded by grassy beach dunes, and the area has been recently upgraded, repainted, and generally made even more adorable than before. There are giant community games of jenga, connect four, and a sandbag toss for kids (or adults!) to play.
There are a variety of restaurants that range in pricing — Aruba and Anglin’s Beach café are standard tourist spots, but they also have a Burger-​Fi right across the street, and the Village Pump, which has great sushi happy hour deals from 4−7PM.
On most weekends during season, they have live music, and there are Farmer’s markets right up the street on most weekends. They have seasonal craft fairs as well (it just happened this past weekend). As a local, I always look forward to the amazing seasonal events, like their Christmas parade. During the holidays, the surrounding restaurants go all out with lights and decorations, and there’s a humongous Christmas tree.
The crowd is a bit older — mostly snow birds and family groups — if you’re looking for the wild Fort Lauderdale or Miami scene, this isn’t it. Think small-​town cute quaint beach community.

I absolutely love this beach. Clean and always friendly people. Easy access from condos and homes.

I’m not really a ‘beach’ person, but when I do have the urge, Lauderdale by the Sea is a perfect fit.
It’s a more quiet beach, compared to the hustle of Fort Lauderdale beach a mere 10 minutes south.
So the beach is the beach… Lots of sand and beautiful salty ocean… It is kept pretty clean.
They have a really cute seating area before walking on the beach. It’s a great place to relax if you don’t feel like getting sand between your toes. There’s a lovely walking area with a few restaurants, Kilwins, Ocean 101, Aruba… A few more steps away is Burgerfi (the first one of the local mini chain). If you are there for the sunrise, hit up Rhino doughnuts for a treat and coffee.
Another idea… As you are driving down Commercial Blvd, why not stop at Publix or Laspada’s for a sub to bring with you to the beach. They are the best.
They often have live music in the streets on the weekend evenings and a farmers market every Sunday during the winter/​spring months.
There are meter lots and metered street parking, $ 2.00 an hour. Usually, not too hard to find parking, unless there are special events like 4^th of July.
Overall, this is a nice family beach with a laid back vibe. Don’t forget to bring your sunscreen. :)

Wish they had public restrooms and didn’t charge to walk onto the pier. Otherwise, a beautiful beach with lots of parking nearby and a lot of fun treat stores and nice restaurants.

There are things about this beach that I like very much. It’s got a lot of shopping and dining around and isn’t as crowded as other beaches in the area. There is a big pavilion with benches at the beach entry, in case you just want to hang out and enjoy the beach, without enjoying the sun. There is a lovely pier with a nice café.
That being said, this is not my favorite beach. While there are picnic tables, you have to pay to go out on the pier in order to use them. There are no small pavilions for get togethers and no grills for cookouts.
I’ve been told that the reason for the nominal charge (I think it’s $ 3 per person) at most of the local piers is for maintenance of the pier, restrooms, pavilions, etc. This beach has the pier, but none of the others, not even a restroom. Apparently, if you need a restroom, you’re supposed to go into one of the adjacent restaurants. Personally, I don’t like going into an establishment where I’m not planning on adding to their income, and just use the restroom that they have to maintain.
There are also no lifeguard towers at this beach, so water conditions are somewhat ambiguous. My daughter did see a sign about possible rip currents, but she thought that it was probably there every day. With the number of people in the water, including a lot of children, it just doesn’t seem like a good idea to not have lifeguard services.
Parking here is pretty limited, too. If you’re going here, you may have to do a lot of driving around, especially during snowbird season. So while I am a fan of this beach, like all of our beautiful beaches, it isn’t as «user friendly» as other beaches that are only a short distance away.

This is a great place to go to the beach. I was able to find a great spot to camp under some palms. It can be busy on Sunday with the weather cooling off. I love the convience of having restaurants and bars near. It seems to be clean and has some of the softest sand. I have been a local here for about 10yrs., and have never thought of coming to this part of the beach. Glad I did. Just make sure you pay enough money for parking or you will be ticketed!

Great beach! Never super packed; I’m always able to find the perfect spot on the sand. I also love that there are restaurants and shops within walking distance. I especially love going to Kilwin’s and Burgerfi.
Parking can be a bit of an issue. During the summer, expect to drive around for 30 minutes looking for a spot. Besides that, I love this beach!

Definitely my go-​to beach when I am in Broward County. I know it isn’t the most popular or happening or even the cleanest (PLEASE PEOPLE PICK UP YOUR TRASH), but I have always found this beach to be relatively ideal in terms of how many people are usually present, the level of noise, the view of the pier, the aquatic life to be encountered, and of course, my favorite beach pastime, sea glass hunting. I have been coming this beach for years and always have enjoyed the vibes here. If you are looking to get away from the crazy crowds of Hollywood or Fort Lauderdale and are willing to go a bit further north, this is no doubt, a nice hidden gem.

Love this beach! Very beautiful area with lots of shopping and dinning. fish off the pier or float in the water, either way you cant go wrong taking in the awesome view and relaxing in the nice clear blue water. Snorkeling for small fish is always fun and you may be surprised by other types that you probably wouldn’t expect to see. Metered parking fill the area for all beach goers, pay hourly or all day.
A great place to relax, unwind and catch a sunrise or sunset!

I love this beach! It’s the perfect little nook away from a lot of people, kids and foolishness.
I used to come by on weekday afternoons and chill out with my concealed mixed drink, a book and my iPod.
There’s nothing like it. It’s a gorgeous and tranquil spot.
Other notes:
Pay by the hour parking lot.
Clear waters.
Publix and other stores are down the street.
A lovely nearby corner of outdoor cafes and shops.

This is a beautiful and calm beach. It’s got a metered parking lot that’s $ 1.50 per hour and the beach is just a walk away. It’s super clean, has showers and right next to some great, shops, restaurants and the pier.

While this beach is nice and sandy, its very dirty. Those of you who don’t mind littering in something so beautiful really tick me off! Keep your cigarette butts and straws out of the sand! Pack in and pack out, it really isn’t that hard!
I didn’t really get into the water as it just didn’t look extremely inviting. I’m use to caribbean waters so this place was just okay.

This is my favorite part of Fort Lauderdale, and in fairness I am not a fan of Fort Lauderdale. I was introduced to this location years ago while demoing a new surfboard for a California company. This is a great little spot if you like peace and quiet and friendly people.
The weekends can get a little crazy but during the week it is amazing. There is usually available parking ($ 1.50/hr or $ 10.00/ per day) and the meters accept cash, coins and credit.
The beach staff is extremely friendly and helpful as are most of the residents. The beach isn’t as packed as other South Florida beaches but you’re also not in the middle of nowhere. Right off of A1A/​Galt Ocean Drive and about 1 mile from I-​95. It’s easily accessible from the highway or local roads. The beach itself is very clean. The sand is a bit darker than beaches you’ll find further south and the water is a bit darker also, because it is deeper and the sand is darker but this beach is very well maintained. It is not full of tourists or trash, which is a huge plus for me.
The pier is a nice way to change up the scenery and provides a nice shaded area to escape from the sun. There is also a small play area for kids and some umbrellas and chairs, along with two covered pavilions that welcome beachgoers to take a seat in the shade.
If you’re a diver, the reef is easily within swimming distance from the shore with lots to see under the water. If you’re a surfer or kiteboarder, all you need is a little wind.
This is a great spot and one of the few places you’ll find me in Fort Lauderdale.

YES! Finally a beach that is clean, quiet and BEAUTIFUL.
Being a resident of Hollywood, I frequent Hollywood beach but I have to be honest and say that Hollywood beach is losing its appeal. I’m so happy that I chose this beach — I will be coming back next time I venture to the beach. It was a hike, but well worth it.
Desperate for a beach day, I decided to come here because I had never been here and came here with Leanna J. We parked in one of the lots north of Commercial and decided to pay just $ 10.00 to park all day which I would suggest to anyone coming here, you don’t have to worry about feeding the meter again which is such a relief.
We came here at 10AM, and walking onto the beach the sand glistened against the sun, the water was clear and it was just GORGEOUS! We sat on the sand all day and for a Saturday afternoon, it did not get packed at all. It was so quiet and serene, I had to ask Leanna «Are we really in South Florida?». This is what a true Florida beach is.
Once the skies got a little dark we put our bags back in the car, then walked over to the restaurants on Commercial and just enjoyed the day. All in all, this beach has to be one of the best beaches in Broward — it is clean, intimate and relaxing. I would suggest this beach to EVERYONE! You will be glad you came!

We love our beach! Lots of great restaurants and bars, The Village Pump is our fav. Beach is clean and perfect for sunning, surfing, diving or people watching. Theres a great fishing pier too. Come down and soak up some sun!

Wonderful beach with so much life all around. Lots of restaurants, some stores, lots of people, and totally a happy beach world here. Bright and colorful all over with beach chairs everywhere so people can just relax and take in the awesome atmosphere.
Parking for this beach is on the street. Take your time, and check out where the people are leaving. Often times, people have money left on their ticket. Maybe see if you can give them money for it.
There are restaurants all over. We went to Aruba Beach Café and it has a view of the beach.
The beach itself is nice, and I was able to see some sea animals in there like crabs, and jelly fish so just watch out.
The water was perfect for an end of December Day, so make sure to enjoy this lovely beach.

Lauderdale by the Sea is a beautiful beach. The water is bluegreen, and the sand is nice and soft. It’s not as crowded weekday mornings, but the crowds start rolling in around 11 am. There’s something for everyone. There’s lots of little tourist shops, eateries, and giant outdoor games like connect 4 and checkers. A great new ice cream place called Sloan just opened up this past Sunday. They also sell fudge and candy. It’s very cute. Clean restrooms are located at Aruba’s, and parking is $ 10. Don’t let them fool you that parking is $ 20 for the whole day during the week. We only paid $ 10 for the whole day Sunday. Doesn’t make sense to pay over that on weekdays, but I could be wrong. I’m just a tourist!

I’ve enjoyed this little touristy section of Fort Lauderdale since my arrival in South Florida some 17 years ago. I always make it back here, whether it’s with friends, family, or my weekend jogs. This area always makes me feel like I’m on vacation.
The beaches are well taken care of, and there are a lot of places to eat, drink and socialize. I noticed, too, that they have a weekend Green Market next to the parking lot where I park my car (two blocks north of Commercial).
I like to jog here, too. I’ll start in a northerly direction toward Atlantic Avenue, and then I turn around and head back. It’s about 7 miles in all. But, it’s a great jog, and very scenic. I typically start off by snapping pictures of the awesome sunrises. Absolute beautiful.

Without question one of the very best beaches in all of South Florida. Here are a few of the things that set it apart from other beaches and make it the very special beach that it is:
1. It usually isn’t overly crowded or packed with people climbing over one another, kicking sand around, loud or annoying.
2. It has good parking facilities.
3. Unlike the other nearby beaches of Fort Lauderdale, there isn’t any major highway such as A1A between where you park and the beach so there is very little need to worry about getting run down on your way to or from the beach.
4. There are plenty of nearby restaurants and stores where Commercial Boulevard ends at the edge of the Ocean along a beach area commonly known as Aruba Beach, which is easily located by a fishing pier that juts out into the ocean.
5. The water and aquatic life. This beach has more of it than any other in the area. It’s well known as home to Florida’s spiny lobster, grouper, rust-​colored barrel sponges, living corals, sea fans and a variety of colorful tropical fish.
6. The REEF!!! This is actually the only spot that I know of in the entire United States with a coral reef, an actual living coral reef (locally known as the «First Reef»), that you can swim out to, sometimes wade out to, as it is located within approximately 300 feet from the shoreline.

Now THIS is one of my favorite places on the entire east coast… seriously…and I’ve been up and down the coast a lot. The Outer Banks has it’s own feel, same for the Jersey Shore, Nantucket, Block Island, and even Key West; but there’s something about Lauderdale by the Sea that always makes me feel like I’m coming home again. Growing up I spent many a summer visiting family in Ft. Lauderdale and Oakland Park, but Lauderdale by the Sea was where the family would get together for beach days and shopping nights. At the very least when my brother and I were much younger, this was where our parents would take us for frozen yogurt and to buy little souvenirs and trinkets to bring home for our best friends from our vacation to Florida.
My more recent visits to family in my later 20s have left me wanting a quiet piece of beach where I could read without the chaos of the Jersey Shore; where I could get a decent beachside beer and seafood lunch. The new construction at Commercial Blvd and Ocean Ave. leading to Anglin’s Pier and the entrance to the beach is allowing all of that to happen. Lots of new eateries have popped up in the last few years as well as shops and ample parking. If the sun is a little too much for you, beautiful new gazebos with oversized Adirondack chairs allow for a retreat; if the sun and surf is what you’re looking for though this beach is for you. Though I don’t typically go to Florida much during the hot summer months, the late October weather and quiet beaches offer the exact relaxation that I am constantly craving. Locals, I hope you realize exactly how great you have it :)