Active Pursuits

The southern part of the Gold Coast, Broward County, has the region's most popular and amenities-laden beaches, which stretch for more than 23 miles. Most do not charge for access and all are well maintained. Here's a selection of some of the county's best, from south to north:

Hollywood Beach, stretching from Sheridan Street to Georgia Street, is a major attraction in the city of Hollywood, a virtual carnival of young hipsters, big families, and sunburned French Canadians who dodge bicyclers and skaters along the rows of tacky souvenir shops, T-shirt shops, game rooms, snack bars, beer stands, hotels, and miniature-golf courses. Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, modeled after Atlantic City's legendary boardwalk, is the town's popular beachfront pedestrian thoroughfare, a cement promenade that's 30-feet wide and stretches along the shoreline for 3 miles. A recent makeover added, among other things, a concrete bike path, a crushed-shell jogging path, new trash receptacles, and the relocation of beach showers to each street end (all of are them are handicapped accessible). Popular with runners, skaters, and cruisers, the Broadwalk is also renowned as a hangout for thousands of retirement-age snowbirds who get together for frequent dances and shows at a faded outdoor amphitheater. Despite efforts to clear out a seedy element, the area remains a haven for drunks and scammers, so keep alert.

If you tire of the hectic diversity that defines Hollywood's Broadwalk, enjoy the natural beauty of the beach itself, which is wide and clean. There are lifeguards, showers, restroom facilities, and public areas for picnics and parties.

The Fort Lauderdale Beach Promenade, along the beach, underwent a $26-million renovation and looks fantastic. It's especially peaceful in the mornings, when there's just a smattering of joggers and walkers; but even at its most crowded on weekends, the expansive promenade provides room for everyone. Note, however, that the beach is hardly pristine; it is across the street from an uninterrupted stretch of hotels, bars, and retail outlets. Also nearby is a retail-and-dining megacomplex, Beach Place, in the throes of its own renovation that will add newer, hipper stores, bars, and restaurants, on Florida A1A, midway between Las Olas and Sunrise boulevards.

On the sand just across the road, most days you'll find hard-core volleyball players who always welcome anyone with a good spike, and you'll find an inviting ocean for swimmers of any level. The unusually clear waters are under the careful watch of some of Florida's best-looking lifeguards. Freshen up afterward in the clean showers and restrooms conveniently located along the strip. Pets have been banned from most of the beach in order to maintain the impressive cleanliness; a designated area for pets exists away from the main sunbathing areas.

Especially on weekends, parking at the oceanside meters is nearly impossible. Try biking, skating, or hitching a ride on the water taxi instead. The strip is located on Florida A1A, between SE 17th Street and Sunrise Boulevard.

Dania Beach's John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, 6503 N. Ocean Dr., Dania (tel. 954/923-2833), consists of 251 acres of barrier island, situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, from Port Everglades on the north to Dania on the south. Its natural setting contrasts sharply with the urban development of Fort Lauderdale. Lloyd Beach, one of Broward County's most important nesting beaches for sea turtles, produces some 10,000 hatchlings a year. The park's broad, flat beach is popular for both swimming and sunning. Self-guided nature trails are great for those too restless to sunbathe. The park and beach received significant damage during 2005's Hurricane Wilma, but you'd never know it. All is restored back to its pristine condition.

Boating -- Often called the "yachting capital of the world," Fort Lauderdale provides ample opportunity for visitors to get out on the water, either along the Intracoastal Waterway or on the open ocean. If your hotel doesn't rent boats, try Aloha Watersports, Marriott's Harbor Beach Resort, 3030 Holiday Dr., Fort Lauderdale (tel. 954/462-7245). It can outfit you with a variety of craft, including jet skis, WaveRunners, and catamarans. Rates start at $65 per half-hour for WaveRunners ($15 each additional rider; doubles and triples available), $70 to $125 for sailboats, $60 to $70 for catamarans, $20 per person per hour for ocean kayaks, and $95 per person for a 15-minute parasailing ride. Aloha also offers a Surfing School for $40 (though the waves are hardly rippin' here!) and Coast Guard classes at 9am daily, through which adults can obtain their Florida Boaters License for $3.

Fishing -- The IGFA (International Game Fish Association) World Fishing Center, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach (tel. 954/922-4212; www.igfa.org), is an angler's paradise. One of the highlights of this museum, library, and park is the virtual-reality fishing simulator that allows visitors to actually reel in their own computer-generated catch. Also included in the 3-acre park are displays of antique fishing gear, record catches, famous anglers, various vessels, and a wetlands lab. To get a list of local captains and guides, call IGFA headquarters (tel. 954/927-2628) and ask for the librarian. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and children 3 to 16. The museum and library are open daily from 10am to 6pm. On the grounds is also Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, a huge retail complex set on a 3-acre lake.

Golf -- More than 50 golf courses in all price ranges compete for players. Among the best is Emerald Hills, 4100 N. Hills Dr., Hollywood, (tel. 954/961-4000; www.theclubatemeraldhills.com), just west of I-95 between Sterling Road and Sheridan Street. This beauty consistently lands on the "best of" lists of golf writers nationwide. The 18th hole, on a two-tier green, is the course's signature; it's surrounded by water and is more than a bit rough. The course is pricey -- Friday through Sunday, greens fees start at $150 for tee times after 1pm, and $175 for tee times before noon during high season; Monday through Friday, the fees are $125 before noon and $110 after 1pm. Rates are cheaper during the brutally hot summers.

The Diplomat Country Club and Spa, 501 Diplomat Pkwy., Hallandale Beach (tel. 954/602-6000; www.diplomatcountryclub.com), is across the Intracoastal from the Westin Diplomat Resort. It has fabulous golf facilities, with 8 acres of lakes and rolling fairways, plus a fantastic delivery service that brings lunch and drinks to your cart. You pay for the services, however, with greens fees of about $215 during high season and $95 to $169 off season. Twilight fees at 2pm cost from $50 to $95.

For one of Broward's best municipal challenges, try the 18-holer at the Orangebrook Golf Course, 400 Entrada Dr., Hollywood (tel. 954/967-GOLF). Built in 1937, this is one of the state's oldest courses and one of the area's best bargains. Morning and noon rates are $26 to $40. After 2pm, you can play for about $22, including a cart. Men must wear collared shirts to play here, and no spikes are allowed.

Scuba Diving -- In Broward County, the best dive wreck is the Mercedes I, a 197-foot freighter that washed up in the backyard of a Palm Beach socialite in 1984 and was sunk for divers the following year off Pompano Beach. The artificial reef, filled with colorful sponges, spiny lobsters, and barracudas, is 97 feet below the surface, a mile offshore between Oakland Park and Sunrise boulevards. Dozens of reputable dive shops line the beach. Ask at your hotel for a nearby recommendation, or contact Neil Watson's Undersea Adventures, 1525 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale (tel. 954/462-3400; www.nealwatson.com).

Tennis -- There are hundreds of courts in Broward County, and plenty are accessible to the public. Many are at resorts and hotels. If yours has none, try the Jimmy Evert Tennis Center, 701 NE 12th Ave. (off Sunrise Blvd.), Fort Lauderdale (tel. 954/828-5378), famous as the spot where Chris Evert got in her early serves. Her coach and father, James Evert, still teaches young players here, though he is very picky about whom he'll accept. There are 18 lighted clay courts and 3 hard courts here. Nonresidents of Fort Lauderdale pay $6 per hour before 4pm and $7 after. Reservations are accepted after 2pm for the following day, but cost an extra $3.