12 Guests
10 Guests
Bahia Mar Yachting Center
Pier Sixty-Six Marina
Lauderdale Marina
Hall of Fame Marina
Las Olas Municipal Marina
Cruise the New River by water taxi
Shop and dine along Las Olas Boulevard
Explore Himmarshee Village’s restaurants and bars
Tour the International Swimming Hall of Fame
Attend the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
Bonnet House Museum & Gardens
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Riverwalk Arts District
Port Everglades
Las Olas Isles
December through April brings the driest, most settled weather and the lightest humidity, making it the peak charter season along this stretch of Florida. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, held each autumn, is also a popular window for owners and brokers to combine business with a short cruise. Summer remains warm and sailable but carries a higher chance of afternoon thunderstorms and tropical activity, so most charter guests favour the cooler months.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) sits only a few minutes from the main yacht basins, making it one of the most convenient embarkation points in Florida. Private aviation is equally well served, with several fixed-base operators handling charter and jet traffic. Guests flying in from Europe typically connect through Miami International, roughly 30 minutes south by car, though direct FLL routings from many US cities make same-day boarding straightforward.
Fort Lauderdale is built around dockage rather than open anchoring, with marina basins like Bahia Mar, Pier Sixty-Six and Lauderdale Marina offering full concierge service, deep-water berths and direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway. Port Everglades handles the largest yachts, thanks to its natural deep-water channel. Most itineraries begin at one of these marinas before heading out through the inlet toward the Bahamas or up the coast.
Two or three days is enough to enjoy the city itself: Las Olas Boulevard, the New River by water taxi and a night at anchor off the beach. Most guests treat Fort Lauderdale as the starting and finishing point of a longer Bahamas charter, since Bimini and the Abacos lie only a few hours away across the Gulf Stream. A week to ten days allows time for both the city and a proper island run.
Yes. Held every autumn along the New River and Port Everglades, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is the largest in-water boat show in the world, spanning several marinas and drawing brokers, builders and buyers from across the industry. It is not the best week to expect a quiet cruise from the city, but it is an excellent reason to time a visit around it if seeing the newest yachts on the water firsthand appeals.
