Image: (pixabay)
Three relaxed days in Fort Lauderdale: Wilton Drive and its bars, Sebastian Street Beach, the water taxi, and the best time to go, plus where to sleep and party.
Fort Lauderdale has been one of the more laid-back gay destinations in the US for years now. The city sits about half an hour north of Miami and takes things a lot easier than its loud neighbor. Three days is enough for a city break that pulls together the scene, the beach, and the suburban feel of Wilton Manors. For a quick rundown of neighborhoods, addresses, and events, see the Gay Fort Lauderdale Guide.
Day 1: Arriving and Wilton Manors
The heart of the queer scene isn't downtown. It's in Wilton Manors, a small city in its own right just north of the airport. Wilton Drive is lined with bars, cafés, restaurants, and shops, more than forty of them LGBTQ-owned or LGBTQ-friendly. The strip wasn't always like this. Wilton Manors reinvented Wilton Drive as an Arts and Entertainment district in 1997, and Georgie's Alibi, which opened that same spring, became the anchor that pulled the rest of the scene in.
During the day it's worth taking a first walk down the Drive to get your bearings and grab a coffee at one of the sidewalk cafés. Wilton Manors has one of the highest shares of same-sex couples anywhere in the US, and you feel it in daily life: rainbow flags are part of the streetscape here, not the exception. City hall flies them too. By 2018 the city had elected Florida's first all-LGBTQ city commission, so the politics match the postcard.
In the evening the neighborhood fills up. The venues sit so close together that you can wander from one to the next on foot without thinking about it. If you want to know which spots are drawing a crowd right now, check the overview of Gay Bars in Fort Lauderdale before you head out. Keep the first night easy. The jet lag from Europe will still be sitting in your bones.
Day 2: Beach and Day Plans
Fort Lauderdale has a long, wide stretch of sand running along the A1A beachfront. The gay scene gathers around Sebastian Street Beach, near lifeguard station 8 and a short walk north of Las Olas Boulevard. The mood is relaxed, and you can rent loungers and umbrellas on the spot. With showers and restrooms within walking distance, the beach is clean and well kept. Bars and snack stands sit across the street, so you never have far to go for a break. Parking meters along the A1A fill up by mid-morning on weekends, so an early start or a rideshare saves you the hunt.
If you don't want to spend the whole day in the sun, take the water taxi through the canal network that earned the city its nickname, the Venice of America. The boats stop at several points, and from there you can reach restaurants and the shops along Las Olas Boulevard. In the evening, dinner in Wilton Manors makes sense. You'll find a range of places to eat under Restaurants in Fort Lauderdale.
Day 3: Going Out and Nightlife
You can take the third day slow and give it over to the nightlife. The bars on Wilton Drive each have their own character, from the quiet cocktail bar to the club with a dance floor. On weeknights a lot of venues run theme nights, drag shows, and karaoke, and the weekend is busier, as you'd expect.
For a lot of visitors, Sunday is a fixture, traditionally one of the busier nights in Fort Lauderdale. Pace yourself during the day so you've got something left in the tank for the evening. If you want to add a sauna visit to your trip, it's worth a look at the list of Saunas in Fort Lauderdale. First time in a sauna and not sure of the unwritten rules? Our guide to gay sauna etiquette covers the basics.
When to Go and Pride Season
November through April is the best window, when it's warm but not too humid. Summer turns hot and sticky, though the prices drop. The one date worth planning around is June, when Wilton Manors hosts Stonewall Pride. The parade and street festival pull in tens of thousands of people and take over Wilton Drive for the day. If a Pride is the reason for your trip in the first place, our notes on planning a Pride city break help you line up the timing.
Getting There: Practical Tips
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is only a few minutes south of the city. Some flights from Europe come in direct, though more often you'll route through a US hub. From the airport you can reach downtown or Wilton Manors by taxi, rideshare, or rental car. Without your own car you're fine in Wilton Manors, since most of it is walkable. For longer trips around the region, a rental car is handy.
For where to stay, you've got a choice between beachfront hotels on the A1A and smaller places that cater specifically to gay guests, many of them in Wilton Manors itself. The overview of Gay Hotels in Fort Lauderdale shows which ones fit the bill. Three days is enough to get to know Fort Lauderdale without scheduling every minute. If you've got more time, it's an easy base for a side trip to Miami or out to the Everglades. Looking further afield, the laid-back island vibe carries on down in the Keys, and our Gay Key West in 3 Days guide makes the obvious follow-on. For more US scene listings, browse gay locations worldwide.
