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Have you ever been to South Beach?
It’s not cheap. Miami radiates excess, and that is part of the appeal for many who live there and many who vacation there as well.
With lively streets lined with luxury hotels, valet parking Ferraris and catchy signs luring you in for bottle service, Miami on a tight budget isn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Sandwiched between Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach, like the perfectly pressed Cubanos of Miami, lies perhaps the the best kept secret for an affordable getaway with fewer crowds and less in-your-face flash.
Fort Lauderdale is a name you’re probably familiar with, whether as a standalone holiday destination, sometimes referred to as Florida’s famous ‘Venice’, or as a gateway to Miami via a secondary airport.
Anyway, there’s another ‘Lauderdale’ that’s often overlooked. Southern life just mentioned Lauderdale-by-the-Sea one of Florida’s cheapest beach destinations, and we’re here to support it.
Instead of chasing reservations and dress codes, travelers here can swim to coastal reefs, wander Anglin’s Square, and enjoy the kind of “Old Florida” beach day that most of Miami has forgotten how to do.
Wherever your next trip takes you, make sure you check the latest travel warnings and entry requirements before your trip.
Goodbye, South Beach Awards
Flying to Miami can be surprisingly cheap from time to time, especially if you fly into Fort Lauderdale as it is a major hub for Spirit Airlines.
Sure, they might be out of business by the time this article is published, but you get my point…
There just isn’t much that’s really cheap in Miami. Even a cup of coffee in the formerly authentic Little Havana now reflects Starbucks’ menu.
But along the same coastline of both Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and many other gems in between, hyphen-happy and budget-friendly Lauderdale-by-the-Sea awaits.
You won’t break the bank here.
While you won’t find luxury name-brand hotels, you will find valuable boutique stays along the beautiful coast of this polka-dot paradise.
Here are Travel Off Path’s 3 favorites with double digits per night (in late spring and summer):
- Ocean Mile Hotel & Suites – from $59
- Ocean Reef Hotel – from $70
- Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort Hotel & Suites – from $92
You can book one of these 3 by clicking here.
Here are also our top 3 picks for wallet-friendly restaurants:
- – a bread bowl with “Famous New England Clam Chowder costs $9 (sign me up!)
- – a Philly Cheese Steak costs only $14
- – a blackened Mahi Sandwich costs $16
For what it’s worth, says Southern Living Aruba beach cafe as a must with sensational items such as Caribbean Conch Chowder and Coconut Fried Shrimp.
A little paradise
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a town on State Road A1A that you will definitely miss.
In fact, it is so small that it exists only a 4 km stretch of coastline actually annexed by the city.
Otherwise you’ll find yourself in Pompano Beach to the north or the more recognizable Fort Lauderdale to the south.
But what you get within those 4 km is spectacular. Even in the heat of summer, when many Florida vacationers gather wherever they can to play under a canopy with their toes in the sand and barely an inch of room to move, it’s almost as if Lauderdale-by-the-Sea didn’t get the memo.
We’re not saying it’s crowd-free, but it’s definitely not Destin, Panama City, or any other Miami hot spot.
What makes this small town’s coastline even more special is its location status as Florida’s “Beach Diving Capital”.
With its crystal clear waters, it is an excellent snorkeling spot known for its coastal coral reefs as part of the Anglin’s Pier Reef Snorkel Trail.
Imagine vibrant blue waves, warm Atlantic waters and a reef you can reach from your towel; you get the kind of beach day that most of Florida is already expensive or overbuilt.
Is it safe to bring the whole family?
As you know, spring and summer are common for family vacations.
Places like Miami can be off-putting to take the kids, given the nightlife and notorious criminal pastimes that run rampant.
I mean, have you heard of it? Miami Vice?
Fortunately, the only thing you have to worry about when you visit Lauderdale-by-the-Sea currents and the pier is being closed due to safety concerns after being severely damaged in previous storms.
As for Miami, our Safety Index tool shows a mixed bag of results with multiple reports of theft and civil unrest, and the final score currently stands at 77/100.
