@visitlauderdale
Yachting
The ultimate adventure awaits those journeying to Greater Fort Lauderdale by yacht. The “Yachting Capital of the World” is a vibrant boating community and a top sailing destination thanks to its ideal weather, calm and clear water, thriving marine industry, and supportive yachting lifestyle and culture. If not arriving by yacht, you'll find plenty of choices for chartering your own floating palace during your stay. Scroll down on this page to explore your options.
Fort Lauderdale has a strong tradition as a marine community. Beginning with early settlements and boatyards along the New River, to hosting the world’s largest in-water boat show – the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show – in the fall with more than 1,300 boats, 1,000 exhibitors and more than 100,000 visitors from 52 countries. Options abound in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding Greater Fort Lauderdale (Broward County) area with places to stay, refuel, restock and enjoy plenty of landside dining, hotels, shopping and entertainment.
Those who don’t arrive by yacht enjoy the beautiful backdrop provided by thousands of motor and sailing yachts moored in picturesque marinas throughout the region.
Find out more about the new partnership between Bermuda and Visit Lauderdale promoting the yachting lifestyle
Local Marine Industry
Greater Fort Lauderdale's marine industry is comprised of world-class shipyards, marinas, manufacturing, wholesale and retail marine products, brokers, dockage, and every conceivable type of marine service, all supported by more than 149,000 jobs regionally – 121,000 in Broward County alone. This thriving industry contributes an annual economic impact of $9.7 billion in Broward County and $12.5 billion regionally.
The marine industry is the second largest business sector in Greater Fort Lauderdale following tourism. Approximately 2,000 superyachts (vessels measuring 80 feet or more) visit the destination each year. The destination also has more than 50,000 registered yachts and more than 100 marinas.
International and domestic crew on any size vessel can earn both regulatory and non-regulatory qualifications, from entry-level through senior management positions, from Greater Fort Lauderdale’s many maritime training options.
The Greater Fort Lauderdale area offers to yacht, sailing and motorboat enthusiasts an array of dockage, bunkering, maintenance, and provision services. And when on land, our visitors – whether they arrive by land, air or sea – can experience the advantages of the destination’s luxurious yet laid-back lifestyle, which includes world-class hotels, restaurants, golf, fishing, diving, running and biking trails, attractions, and shopping from luxury retailers and boutiques to the world’s largest single-story outlet mall. And, of course, spectacular year-round weather.
Discover Greater Fort Lauderdale
The lush and tropical Greater Fort Lauderdale area features 300+ miles of navigable waterways, 24 miles of pristine beaches and soft ocean breezes, beckoning you for your next port-of-call.
The Intracoastal Waterway is lined with marinas, waterfront restaurants, and nightspots, and the world's largest in-water boat show is also held every year in the fall in Fort Lauderdale.
The reasons to visit are as abundant as the sun and palm trees. Our 24-mile span of golden beaches await you. There are 300+ days of sunshine a year in this South Florida destination, which gives visitors plenty of opportunities to enjoy boating, nature, diverse neighborhoods, events, attractions, and unique only-here specialness that helps define Greater Fort Lauderdale.
It’s easy to spend a day at the beach, with soft sands, beachfront promenades and beachfront shopping and dining. Or explore below the surface with 76 artificial reefs on the ocean floor as magnets for fish and reef life and the largest collection of warm-water wrecks in the Western world. It is also the only place in the continental USA where you can snorkel and dive on a living coral reef straight off the beach.
Greater Fort Lauderdale is one of the few areas in the world where both fresh water and salt water fishing are within 20 minutes of the angler. In addition to more than 200 freshwater species that can be caught in the numerous lakes and canals, there are deep sea fishing fleets located in Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Dania Beach and Hollywood. There are also four municipal piers stretching out into the Atlantic.
You’ll find plenty of thrills back on land, but it’s not necessarily “dry.” You can get a taste of the 50+ craft breweries along the Greater Fort Lauderdale Ale Trail. Enjoy the impressive “wine and dine” scene with more than 4,000 eateries, offering a mix of flavors spiced by native cuisines of the area’s diverse population, with plenty of local favorites and chef-centric genius. Many restaurants offer a dock and dine experience where you can dock your boat, yacht, jet ski or paddleboard and experience both fine and casual dining with spectacular waterfront views.
The destination also boasts luxury hotels, museums, nightlife, shopping, casinos, speakeasies, jazz clubs, wine lounges, walkable mural districts, beach music festivals and more. Days out and about. Nights out on the town. Explore the local way of life that welcomes one and all. Everyone under the sun.
For seafarers departing from or headed to Fort Lauderdale by yacht, Bermuda is a welcoming port-o-call for vessels in transition to and from the Mediterranean.
Go where the yachts go:
