Fort Lauderdale, the “Venice of America”

Por Cristina Abel. Photos: agencies | 06 de December de 2023

The seventh-largest city in Florida, located between Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, Fort Lauderdale is known as the “Venice of America” because of its extensive and intricate canal system. This unique feature has helped make it one of the most appealing tourist destinations in the United States.

From Port Everglades, the main cruise terminal and home to Baleària Caribbean services to The Bahamas, more than 10 million annual visitors can enjoy a wide range of cultural, nature-based, sporting, gastronomic, leisure and adventure activities in this hidden corner of Florida.

1: Boat trip along the canals

Fort Lauderdale is famous for its intricate network of interconnected canals running through the city and surrounding areas. One of the most enjoyable activities is a boat trip, offering a unique perspective on the luxury architecture and surrounding nature. As the boat makes its way through the canals, visitors are surrounded by impressive homes and mansions, many belonging to celebrities and influential figures, with beautiful gardens lining the waterways. It is not just about the architecture, however: the trip also reveals the natural beauty surrounding the canals.

2: Beach and water sports

Another essential activity is visiting the city’s beautiful beaches, which are perfect for relaxing but also offer a wide range of water sports, including snorkelling, diving, paddleboarding o el jet skiing. The jewel in the crown is famous Fort Lauderdale Beach, a golden strip of sand stretching for several kilometres. Its clear waters are a paradise for snorkelling and diving enthusiasts, with nearby reefs where visitors can explore a fascinating underwater world of tropical fish and colourful coral.

Fort Lauderdale Beach stretches for several kilometres

3: Las Olas Boulevard: a walk through elegance

Las Olas Boulevard is much more than a street: it is a destination in its own right. With its unique mix of high-end shops, art galleries, restaurants and charming bars, this area is the cultural and culinary heart of the city. A stroll along this iconic street immerses visitors in a vibrant, sophisticated atmosphere combining elegance, creativity and excellent food. It is also a paradise for shoppers. From exclusive fashion boutiques to interior-design shops and distinctive jewellery stores, there is a wide range of options for every taste. Art lovers will also find the galleries an exceptional opportunity to admire work by recognised and local artists.

4: Bonnet House Museum and Gardens

Once the home of artists, Bonnet House has become a museum celebrated for its striking architecture, fascinating collections and beautiful gardens. This historic house dates back to the 1920s. Owned by artist Frederic Clay Bartlett and his wife Helen, it was designed as a creative space amid Florida’s lush natural surroundings. The couple transformed the residence into an artistic and cultural oasis reflecting their passion for art and community life.

This former mansion, combining Colonial, Mediterranean and Caribbean elements, offers a unique experience bringing together regional history, art and the beauty of its gardens. It houses an eclectic collection of artworks and objects telling the story of the region and the Bartlett family. From paintings and sculptures to decorative objects, every corner reveals part of the family’s history and artistic legacy. Alongside the permanent collection, Bonnet House also hosts temporary exhibitions exploring cultural and artistic themes.

Bonnet House

5: Everglades airboat safari

With Fort Lauderdale so close to the Everglades, another must-do activity is an airboat trip through the wetlands to observe its unique wildlife. American crocodiles are among the most exciting sights. Nature and wildlife enthusiasts can see these prehistoric reptiles in their natural habitat. This natural paradise is also home to a wide variety of native and exotic birds, from herons and ospreys to the majestic bald eagle.

The Everglades, which can be explored by airboat, are home to crocodiles

6: Explore Riverwalk, the heart of the city

With its combination of parks, charming shops and welcoming restaurants,
Riverwalk offers a unique experience bringing together local life, scenic beauty and community spirit in one place. Along Riverwalk, visitors find an eclectic mix of shops, boutiques and restaurants reflecting the diversity of the local scene. It also hosts events and activities throughout the year, from concerts and festivals to farmers’ markets and outdoor film screenings.

Riverwalk is home to the city’s main concentration of shops and restaurants

7: Museum of Art: a feast for the senses

This is an essential destination for anyone looking to immerse themselves in a wide range of masterpieces. One of the art centre’s defining features is its commitment to local artists. Alongside work by internationally renowned creators, the museum also provides a platform for emerging and established talent from the region. It is equally committed to education and community participation, offering educational programmes and creative workshops that let visitors explore art from an interactive, hands-on perspective.

8: A feast of beauty at Butterfly World botanical gardens

As the world’s largest butterfly habitat, Butterfly World offers curious visitors a distinctive sensory and visual experience, creating a close connection with nature. The site is home to hundreds of species, and visitors can observe butterflies with striking colour patterns, transparent wings and unique forms.

Every corner of the gardens is a reminder of the remarkable biodiversity found in the world of Lepidoptera.

9: Museum of Discovery and Science

From exciting exhibits and live demonstrations to hands-on activities, this museum offers an immersive experience that makes science and innovation engaging and participatory. Every corner invites visitors to touch, explore and learn by doing. The museum also has a planetarium, whose projections offer a journey through the heavens, exploring distant galaxies and uncovering the mysteries of the cosmos.

10: Escape to Grand Bahama: a gateway to paradise

Baleària Caribbean (the shipping group’s subsidiary in the region) also offers the chance to discover this Caribbean paradise, only a few hours from Miami. Bimini, known as the Island of Inspiration, and Freeport on Grand Bahama are two jewels of the archipelago, dream destinations where water-sports enthusiasts can enjoy crystal-clear seas, explore colourful depths filled with coral reefs and tropical fish, and even swim and dive alongside dolphins, sharks and turtles.

Bimini (Bahamas)

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Formentera, the Mediterranean's last paradise

Floating above the calm waters of the Mediterranean, almost as if suspended in mid-air, lies Formentera. This Balearic island has been described as “the Mediterranean's last paradise” because its sea-only access creates an almost “Brechtian” distance from the noise of everyday life, helping to preserve it from mass tourism. Formentera begins the day with a captivating sunrise over the cliffs at La Mola lighthouse and ends it with spectacular sunsets from its other lighthouse, Cap de Barbaria. Throughout the day, the magical Mediterranean light illuminates its 69 kilometres of coastline. The island offers beaches for every taste. To the north, wild and secluded Cavall d'en Borràs leads towards Ses Illetes, regularly ranked among the world's finest beaches. It lies on a narrow strip of land —the Es Trucadors peninsula— occupying the western side, with Llevant beach on the opposite coast. On the west coast, between low cliffs, lies Cala Saona. To the north are Es Pujols, Sa Roqueta and Ses Platjetes. And to the south is Migjorn, a five-kilometre stretch of sandy beaches and coves interspersed with rocky areas. Its villages are the finest expression of the island's character and local traditions. La Savina is its maritime gateway, with both a fishing harbour and marina. Sant Francesc, the capital, boasts a genuine historic centre dominated by its 18th-century fortified church. Sant Ferran retains its bohemian atmosphere. Es Pujols concentrates most of the island's hotel and leisure offering. Es Caló de Sant Agustí preserves its photogenic fishing-port character, complete with old slipways. And El Pilar de la Mola hosts the island's best-known craft market. Nature, history and the local economy come together at Ses Salines, a salt-related natural park that has been a World Heritage Site since 1999. The park also includes two lagoons (Estany Pudent and Estany des Peix), an interpretation centre (Can Marroig) and a rocky area with unusual formations, Sa Pedrera, a former quarry. But when it comes to nature, the island's underwater treasure deserves special attention: Posidonia oceanica. This plant, around 100,000 years old, grows on shallow sandy seabeds. Another option is to lose yourself along its walking trails. Around one hundred kilometres of interconnected paths make Formentera the perfect place to walk or cycle while discovering its landscapes. Highlights include the Es Caló-El Pilar de la Mola route, which follows the Camí de Sa Pujada and includes a spectacular viewpoint; or the Es Cap-Torrent de s'Alga route, which reveals one of the island's lesser-known areas, with well-preserved slipways and juniper trees where “peix sec”, one of Formentera's most typical culinary products, is hung out to dry. Its historical heritage should not be overlooked either. Travel back in time through three key archaeological sites: Ca na Costa, a megalithic tomb dating back to the Bronze Age beside Estany Pudent; Cap de Barbaria I, II and III, three of around twenty archaeological sites; and Can Blai, the remains of a fortified Roman structure near Es Caló. Jumping several centuries forward, you will encounter five historic defensive towers. Circular in plan with a truncated-cone structure, they were built in the 18th century to watch for pirate raids. And to end the day, there is nothing better than heading to Cap de Barbaria in the south-west. In the middle of an almost lunar landscape, the imposing cliffs become natural viewing galleries at sunset, from which to watch the sun settle on the Mediterranean horizon before disappearing and leaving the sky glowing with a reddish trail.

Historias del mar

Anaís Morilla: “We want to make every passenger happy before they even travel”

Ibiza is one of our most popular destinations throughout the year. Its port handles hundreds of people and vehicles every day, along with thousands of lane metres of freight from mainland Spain supplying the island's shops and residents. Being aware of how essential our service is matters just as much as giving passengers the best possible customer care. To talk about this, we interviewed Anaís Morilla, a passenger services agent at Ibiza Botafoc. Q. Where does your passion for the sea come from? When I was little and spent my holidays with my grandmother in Ibiza, we would sit in the port where the fishing boats used to moor and eat ice cream with her friends and their grandchildren. What wonderful memories and moments! Q. How would you describe life as a passenger services agent at Ibiza Botafoc? It is a daily challenge to satisfy customers and make them want to come back. It also means knowing how to organise yourself and being prepared because there are always things outside our control. We want to make lots of people happy before they even travel, so they leave with what they expect from the company and always remember us with a smile… I love it when customers arrive asking for me. Q. How different are operations in the low and high seasons? Summer is a little more stressful because of the high number of passengers. Both at the ticket desk and in the car park, it is a huge challenge. At the ticket office we do many things at once: customer service, immediate departures, sales, phone enquiries, passenger questions and requests. During boarding, we also try to share plenty of warmth and good humour with passengers, because they are sometimes a little nervous and want to start their trip in the best possible way. Handling an operation with 300 cars bound for Dénia is a major job and takes a huge effort to make sure everything is always a success. Winter is calmer, with fewer tourists and lots of island residents, familiar faces and regular customers… We already know each other and there is trust... those customers are worth their weight in gold! Q. What is one major lesson you have learned at Baleària? To be patient, to understand passengers and to know that working in a well-established team is the best thing.

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