Sixty years ago the population of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea numbered a few hundred, now it’s a tad over 6,000 and steadily increasing as its well kept secret seeps out.

An ideal spot for water babes, the location is recognised as the most popular spot for beach diving throughout Florida. Divers are attracted to the reefs: one 100 yards off the beach, the other only a ten minute swim away. The wreck of the SS Copenhagen, a nineteenth century British steamship, is a huge attraction and lies less than a mile offshore, 25 feet from the surface. In 1994 Florida recognised the SS Copenhagen as an underwater archaeological preserve and in 2001 it was placed on the national register of historic sites.

Want to keep head above water? Consider a spot of snorkelling to be surrounded by an abundance of colourful tropical fish, and perhaps even meet a passing turtle. Or hire a kayak, a paddleboard or skim board. If all that’s too energetic, why not just have an afternoon snooze on the beach?

We stayed at the Windjammer Resort and Beach Club, located on palm tree-lined El Mar Drive, adjacent to the pristine, white sandy beach and a short stroll from the town centre. Comfort and service is exemplary at this small, charming property which features a selection of contemporary, self contained, fully furnished and air conditioned studios and apartments with one or two bedrooms for self catering holiday rentals. There are two heated swimming pools with sun loungers and next to a large BBQ area there’s an inviting seating area with plump sofas and footstools. Amenities include complimentary in-room WIFI, on-site laundry and complimentary car parking. The resort also offers direct access onto the uncongested beach with complimentary parasols and beach chairs provided. This is a tranquil place to relax, somewhere to lounge around and where the only distractions are pelicans flying overhead and the sound of the sea. To see for yourself, take a look at the Windjammer Resort’s beachcam at www.windjammerresort.com/ webcam.html.

The community provides visitors with complimentary public transportation, ideal for local trips. The Pelican Hopper service runs every day and the route includes the Village Shopping Centre, which features Publix, an enormous supermarket with an excellent delicatessen and bakery. To dine out, simply take a short stroll down to Commercial Boulevard, the centre of the town, where visitors will find the Aruba Beach Cafe with ‘live’ entertainment every night. The broiled seafood platter, which includes lobster tail, shrimp and scallops, is scrumptious, and whilst there sample the delicious cosmo cocktail of pearl citrus vodka and Cointreau with a splash of cranberry. For fast food, try BurgerFi on North Ocean Drive which serves tasty 100% American Angus beef burgers, all hormone, steroid and antibiotic-free.

Fort Lauderdale’s water taxi is the most relaxing way to travel further afield and sail sedately by the magnificent properties along the Intracoastal Waterway with a close up view of the multitude of stunning yachts. Start off at ‘Shooters’ and disembark at the Bahia Mar marina where visitors can embark on the Sea Experience glass bottomed boat. The entertaining and knowledgeable Captain Mateo offers daily scuba and snorkel trips with ‘top of the line’ rental gear aboard the 45 foot Corinthian Catamaran.

For sustenance after that excursion, head for the nearby Marriott Hotel’s Sea Level Restaurant located on Harbour Beach. Dine al fresco and admire a panoramic view across the glittering ocean. Order the Caribbean jerk chicken and a mango Bacardi mojito, savour the moment and if very fortunate a flock of sanderlings, willets or dowitchers will soar overhead.

TRAVEL TIPS
Southern Railway’s direct service (duration thirty minutes or less) to Gatwick departs daily from London Victoria. For more information visit southernrailway.com For private VIP tours in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, visit BusCharterAmerica.com For a punctual and reliable airport transfer service, visit suntransfers.com

For nature lovers, a trip to Butterfly World, located in Coconut Creek, is not to be missed. Established by self-confessed butterfly nut Ronald Boender in 1988, it houses the world’s largest butterfly and bird park. Butterfly World features six aviaries filled with over twenty thousand butterflies and birds. The experience of being in the midst of thousands of graceful butterflies is simply unforgettable. For the very brave, the bug zoo is the place to get up close and personal with scorpions, tarantulas, giant millipedes and the dreaded Black Widow spider.

Besides the park itself, Boender and Butterfly World also established the North American ‘Bring Back the Butterflies’ Campaign. The goal of this programme was to educate and supply free butterfly gardening materials, specific to each region, to anyone interested. Wildly successful, the Campaign has become a phenomenon, resulting in thousands of new butterfly habitats and an increase in butterfly populations across the continent.

Flamingo Gardens, located on South Flamingo Road in Davie, is a botanical garden covering sixty acres and features a spectacular collection of over 3,000 species of rare and exotic, tropical, sub tropical and native plants. The wildlife sanctuary is home to Florida’s largest collection of injured or orphaned native wildlife including bobcats, otters, eagles, panthers, flamingos and two fierce looking alligators named Elvis and Priscilla! Be sure to find time for the daily wildlife encounter shows when visitors are welcome to watch the animals at feeding times. The playful river otters and their antics as they expertly dive to retrieve their fish lunch is just one of the many highlights.

For a tasty meal head back to the Com-mercial Boulevard and dine at Mulligan’s Beach House Bar and Grill, which serves an enticing selection of dishes including Key West crab cakes, ideally accompanied by a Margarita or two. Wander at leisure along the boulevard, which is crammed with quirky little shops full of trinkets, beachwear and souvenirs, and head for Kilwin’s, which specialises in mouth-watering ice creams, sticky toffee apples and homemade fudges.

Ocean Plaza is by the entrance to Anglin’s Fishing Pier, popular for day or night fishing, and attracts snapper, blue runners and croakers all year round. There are a large number of attractive pastel coloured wooden seats and benches, and visitors will be more than welcome to take a seat and strike up a conversation with easy going locals.

TRAVEL TIP
Norwegian.com offers twice weekly Dreamliner flights from London Gatwick direct to Fort Lauderdale. Premium cabin privileges include access to the South Terminal’s Club Rooms, comfortable seats with extra legroom, a generous baggage allowance (two x 20kg), complimentary pre departure and pre dinner drinks, a three course dinner including drinks, USB docking and power outlet, touch-screen snack bar ordering and state-of-the-art entertainment system.