Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 5-minute drive (1 mile)

Dog Friendly: Yes, certain parts are dog friendly. 

Things to Do

This public beach is by far the easiest one to get to from Casitas Coral Ridge, and its enormous size makes it a great place to explore! We recommend any of the following activities!

• Visit the Bonnet House Museum and Gardens
• Rent Jet Skis at the many rental locations
• Enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants near the shore here! Oceans Grille, Cafe Seville, and Bohemian Latin Grill all come to mind!
• Adore some art at the North Beach Gallery.

Beach Rules

If you have any questions about the specific rules of the beach, please check out the city of Fort Lauderdale's website.

Beach Parking

Keep in mind that you’ll need to pay for parking if you are a non-resident visitor of Fort Lauderdale. The parking fees are about $4/hour. While this isn’t a lot for one beach visit, it can quickly add up, so keep this in mind. Alternatively, you can take the Broward County Transit to and from Lauderdale Beach, or you can walk.

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 15-minute drive (5 miles)

Dog Friendly: Yes, but only on a leash

Things to Do

This beach rests on a tiny sliver of land, and as such, it makes a perfect fishing location for those searching for something to do. These are a few of the fishing charters in the area you may want to investigate:

• Foxsea Sport Fishing Charters
• Flamingo Deep Sea Fishing
• Fort Lauderdale Sport Fishing Charters
• Around a dozen total!

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 8-minute drive (2.5 miles)

Dog Friendly: Yes, but only on a leash

Things to Do

After a long day of relaxing on the beach, you may want to get up and do something. Fishing is no doubt one of the best activities you can do on the Fort Lauderdale seas. However, some people don’t like fishing charters because they get motion sick easily (plus it costs a lot of money).

If you want to go fishing and have your own equipment, but don’t want to pay for a full-fledged fishing charter, the Anglin Fishing Pier should work wonders for you!

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 12-minute drive (4 miles)

Dog Friendly: Yes

Things to Do

Just a little further south, you’ll find this quaint beach on a tiny peninsula. Here you’ll be able to try the cuisine at a few of the local restaurants, rent sports from Splash Water Sports or Jet Ski Rental Fort Lauderdale, or you can just chill on the beach for an afternoon.

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 30-minute drive (14 miles)

Dog Friendly: Yes

Things to Do

Dania Beach has a small portion of the beach to call its own. While you are able to go fishing at the beach pier, there are a few other interesting things you can do!

Go paddle boarding at Paddle Board Park to see wildlife. You can also tour the Dania Beach Research Center to learn more about local wildlife. A ton of fun!

Address: 3200 N Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 0.5 miles (2-minute drive)

Pet-Friendly: Yes, on a leash

Hours: 9AM - 8PM

Just down the street from Casitas Coral Ridge, you’ll find the Coral Ridge Mall. This shopping center has many clothing and home decor stores that people are used to in America. Great if you need to buy food at Target in a pinch.

Stores

• Marshall’s
• Old Navy
• Publix
• Homegoods
• Target

Restaurants

• Jamba Juice
  

Address: 12801 W Sunrise Blvd, Sunrise, FL

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 14 miles (30-minute drive)

Pet-Friendly: Yes, on a leash

Hours: 10AM - 9PM

This is no doubt the biggest shopping mall in Fort Lauderdale. People come to our area of town explicitly because they want to see this legendary mall. With hundreds of stores and a dozen or so restaurants to explore, we can’t delve into them all here, but we highly recommend this mall to our guests.



Click below for a thorough list of everything they offer, or just show up at the mall’s doors to explore everything firsthand!

Address: 2900 W Sample Rd, Pompano Beach, FL

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 10 miles (25-minute drive)

Pet-Friendly: Yes, on a leash

Hours: 10AM - 5PM

This adorable mall houses fashion accessories and clothing for all age groups. While there are other stores featuring tech and other specialty items, the vast majority are for beauty and wellness. Altogether, there are about 200 shops here. A must-visit for vacations with the girls!

Address: 2414 E Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 3 miles (10-minute drive)

Pet-Friendly: Yes, but on a leash or in a carrier

Hours: 11AM - 8PM

This upscale shopping experience contains a bunch of high-quality American stores like Dillard’s and Hollister, while adding in stores from across the world. Additionally, the dining options are top-notch—no McDonald’s here!

Restaurants

• Capital Grille
• Cooper’s Hawk Winery
• PF Chang’s
• Season 52
  

Address: 3291 W Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 6.5 miles (20-minute drive)

Pet-Friendly: Yes, on a leash

Hours: 9AM - 5PM

If you want to experience a store with a more casual atmosphere where you’ll find hidden treasures, you should visit the local swap shop! This is a daily flea market where vendors change regularly. 

As such, you won’t find the standard clothing brands here, but instead a myriad of smaller shops that are set up for a few days or weeks—sometimes even one day! Perfect for those who like to discover while shopping. No restaurants here, unfortunately!

Address: 2262 Wilton Dr, Wilton Manors, FL

Distance from Casitas Coral Ridge: 2.5 miles (10-minute drive)

Pet-Friendly: Yes, on a leash

Hours: 11AM - 2AM

In the middle of Wilton Manors, there is a shopping center with local businesses and clubs right off Wilton Drive. It’s really close to Casitas Coral Ridge and stays open late, so it may be a great option at the end of a long day. It also has a lot of restaurants.

Stores

• Cool Bryan Comics
• Ball Beachwear
• Ocean Liquor and Fine Wine
• To the Moon Candy Store

Restaurants

• Shawn and Nick’s Courtyard Cafe
• Sushi Song
• Java Boys
• Georgie’s Alibi Monkey Bar
• Tee Jay Thai Sushi
  

Local Favorites