The Ultimate Greater Fort Lauderdale Gift Guide for Every Type of Traveler

With its expansive coastline, Greater Fort Lauderdale is a haven for your beach-loving friends. Take a trip along A1A and explore our region’s iconic piers. Start with Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier, a 976-foot-long landmark ideal for sightseeing and fishing. Next, visit the Fisher Family Pier in Pompano Beach, where you'll find vibrant paintings of local marine life, black-and-white photos of the pier in the 1960s, and glow-in-the-dark tiles. From above, you’ll notice the pier is shaped like a pompano fish! End your day at the Dania Beach Pier, where you can reel in your dinner—it doesn’t get fresher than that. 

All the piers are located in vibrant areas filled with restaurants, bars, and water activities to elevate your day. 

If your friends can’t make it to our shores, give them the gift of a virtual escape by sharing  live beach cams showcasing Greater Fort Lauderdale’s stunning coastline. From the iconic white wave wall along the Fort Lauderdale beachfront promenade to Hollywood’s Broadwalk and Deerfield Beach, these cams bring the beauty of the shoreline right to their screens.

There’s no shortage of delicious cuisine in Greater Fort Lauderdale. Las Olas Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale offers everything from vegetarian dishes at Planta Queen to Indian specialties at Bombay Darbar and Italian-American favorites at Louie Bossi and Timpano Las Olas.

Book a tour with Craft Food Tours to hit several spots in a short amount of time. Guides will take you on a three-hour excursion along Las Olas Boulevard or Fort Lauderdale beach, featuring eight tastings, two alcoholic beverages, opportunities to meet restaurant staff and chefs, and insider knowledge of the area. Other fantastic dining spots include the newly reopened MAI-KAI, Sistrunk Marketplace, Block 40 Food Hall, Bite Eatery, and Marina Village.

If the foodie in your life loves a good brew, take them on the Visit Lauderdale Ale Trail to explore local breweries. Stops include Funky Buddha in Oakland Park, The Cove in Deerfield Beach, and LauderAle and Gulf Stream Brewing Company in Fort Lauderdale, among others. With an Ale Trail passport, visitors can enjoy special discounts and deals.

For those who like to get their heart pumping, look no further than Broward College’s Tigertail Lake Recreation Center. Here, adventurers can participate in scuba diving, a ropes course, kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, and an aqua glide course. For a unique underwater adventure, rent a SEABOB and explore Greater Fort Lauderdale’s crystal-clear waters while gliding effortlessly like a dolphin. For a truly breathtaking view, take to the skies with Keen Fly on a helicopter tour and enjoy a bird's-eye view of Greater Fort Lauderdale’s beaches, waterways, and cityscapes.

Greater Fort Lauderdale is teeming with arts and culture, from art museums and galleries to theaters and art walks. Starting in Fort Lauderdale, spend time at the NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale (free admission for all on the first Thursday of the month) or the Museum of Discovery & Science for the latest exhibits and ongoing experiences. For live theater, there’s the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, home to Broadway productions, or The Parker for a more intimate show.

Out in Sunrise, the Amerant Arena is the place to be for concerts by some of the biggest acts, from artists ruling the airwaves to throwback bands. For smaller-scale productions, head to Wilton Manors for Plays of Wilton, a collection of black box and intimate theaters showcasing local talent in LGBTQ-themed plays.

The Coral Springs Museum of Art is another must-visit cultural institution in Greater Fort Lauderdale, offering exhibits, ongoing classes, special events, and workshops for art lovers of all ages. Mad Arts in Dania Beach is a unique arts space, featuring immersive and experiential exhibits that utilize light, sound, and visuals—including projection mapping, robotics, and 3D scanning.

The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise is a must-visit destination for luxury lovers. Located within the largest single-story outlet mall in the United States, this row of haute couture fashion houses features 70 brands at discounted prices. That includes Balenciaga, Carolina Herrera, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Lanvin, Prada, and Zegna, to name a few.

There’s also a litany of luxury hotels within Greater Fort Lauderdale, such as The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale, Four Seasons Hotel & Residences Fort Lauderdale, Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach, and W Fort Lauderdale, all along Fort Lauderdale beach. Each has its own fine dining offerings—from MAASS at the Four Seasons to Takato at the Conrad—as well as spas for a relaxing getaway. New to the area is the reimagined Pier Sixty-Six Resort, a harkening to the days of Old Florida with modern amenities and an impressive pier.

Greater Fort Lauderdale takes pride in being an LGBT+-friendly destination. The most iconic “gayborhood” is Wilton Manors, home to the annual Stonewall Pride celebration and Plays of Wilton, a collection of theater troupes performing LGBT+-themed plays. 

Another highlight is the Pride Center at Equality Park, which offers a robust calendar of support groups and social meetups for all ages and attracts 35,000 visitors annually. The center also serves as an HIV testing site and hosts popular events like Equality Park After Dark and the Rainbow 5K.

In nearby Fort Lauderdale, the Stonewall National Museum & Archives features the largest collection of LGBT+ ephemera from the Equality Movement and beyond. Within the same building, the World AIDS Museum chronicles the fight for a cure and the stigma surrounding the disease, offering a powerful and educational experience.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Sebastian Beach—at A1A and Sebastian Street on Fort Lauderdale beach—is a must-visit. Located near many gay resorts, this vibrant stretch of sand is a popular gathering spot for LGBTQ+ visitors. Nearby accommodations include The Grand Resort & Spa, Pineapple Point, Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa, and more.