It’s not all meetings and breakfast buffets in Fort Lauderdale. There’s a wild side that delegates will relish delving into, while you sit back and reap the kudos as the master planner.
On the ground, in the air or underwater—any way you look at it, Fort Lauderdale is an adventure waiting to happen.
The Everglades
Where the Greater Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area ends, the Everglades begin. This mysterious world of sawgrass prairies, cypress swamps, hardwood hammocks and mangrove forests is home to a unique collection of birds and animals, and it is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side.
Explore it with Billie Swamp Safari (863.983.6101; www.semtribe.com/safari), which is located on the Big Cypress Reservation and offers an in-depth wildlife-viewing tour aboard swamp buggies and airboats. The truly adventurous can stay overnight in a traditional Seminole chickee hut.
Snorkeling
You don’t need full-fledged scuba lessons to discover the world “down under.” Snorkeling excursions take in Fort Lauderdale’s three-tiered natural coral reef system, located just 100 yards offshore at an average depth of only 20 feet. Unlike diving, there are no age requirements for snorkeling—even young children can do it—and no certification needed. As long as you can swim, you’ll be on your way after a few minutes of instruction. Visit www.sunny.org/scuba for a list of operators.
Parasailing
There’s no better way to view Fort Lauderdale’s miles of beaches than by parasailing, a combination of parachuting and skydiving that straps the rider into a harness beneath a parachute and pulls them aloft with a tow rope. Parasailing is available through operators like Aloha Watersports (954.462.7245), located at the Harbor Beach Marriott. They can accommodate groups of up to 200.
Horseback Riding
Delegates can connect with their inner cowboy when they saddle up on a guided trail ride through Robbins Open Space Preserve, a 160-acre park boasting one of the last remaining oak hammocks in the area. Bar-B-Ranch (954.424.1060; www.bar-b-ranch.com) offers horse and pony rentals, guided rides, lessons, and more.
Kayaking
Thanks to the scenic Intracoastal Waterway and a network of canals passing right through the city, Fort Lauderdale is known as the “Venice of America.” Groups can row, row, row their boats with Full Moon Kayak Co. (954.328.5231; www.fullmoonkayak.com), offering everything from a full moon paddle to a Fort Lauderdale history tour. Tour capacity is 60 people, and catering is available.
