Today it was all about getting out and explore Hollywood. That is exploring Hollywood Beach which is located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the Intercoastal waterway. Going to Hollywood Beach is rather easy from my hotel with a short walk and a ride on the Water Taxi.
Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi
The Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi is one of the easiest ways to get to Hollywood Beach. There are three ticket options for adults, two which give all day access and one that just covers the evening. An all day pass to visit all stops is $25, An evening pass (valid after 5 pm) is $15, and a pass for Hollywood stops only is $15. UPDATED: These prices are accurate as of March 2017 and in USD.
Water Taxi Experience
It is a beautiful trip down the Intercoastal on the Water Taxi; a full round trip takes around two hours. The stop I planned to visit takes about 45 minutes to get to. However, there is more than enough to keep you interested and watch along the way, from cruise ships to wildlife.
Hollywood Beach
Most of the time in Hollywood Beach was spent walking along the beach. It is a very nice walk and the day was near to perfect for getting out and walking. There is a two-mile stretch of the beach with a boardwalk which makes it much easier than walking on the sand. The area along the boardwalk is lined with numerous groups of cafes, shops and bars. The area is very clean and was a great way to spend an hour or so walking.
Joe’s Tiki Bar
While there is a lot of options around for places to eat, I choose one off the beach. Joe’s Tiki Bar has an outlook over the Intercoastal and is very close to one of the Water Taxi Stops. A great spot to enjoy something to eat and drink, while watching boats pass by and waiting for the Water Taxi as well.
The outside deck that looks of the Intercoastal Waterway is a great spot. Even though there is a fairly constant stream of boats passing by it is still nice and peaceful.
Fort Lauderdale Beach
After getting back to the hotel, I decided to catch the bus to Fort Lauderdale Beach. Being a Friday, I had expected it to be a little quieter than it turned out to be. The area was very busy with a lot of people in the cafes and bars, and also spending time on the beach. To be honest, it is the first sign of the area being a busy tourist area. Even this morning at Hollywood Beach there were very few people on the beach.
Hollywood Beach Evening
Since I had a ticket for the Water Taxi anyway, I decided to take the full round trip in the evening. I wanted to try and capture the sunset, while also maybe capture some night time photos. The sunset worked out, while the night time photos were not that successful at all.
I quite enjoy capturing sunset photos in different cities as there is always a bit of a different setting to see. I did miss the best of the sunset due to the timing of getting on the Water Taxi, but still tried to make the most of it.
As a whole, the day turned out to be a good way to see a little different area around Fort Lauderdale. Tomorrow there are quite some cruise ships in port, so I am going to try and get some photos of them. While also doing a little bit of work on planning my time in Europe after the cruise.
