Fort Lauderdale Shopping: A Traveler's Guide

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The Fort Lauderdale shopping scene goes well beyond the usual all-American malls (though you’ll find plenty of those, too). Flea markets, art galleries, outlets, and trendy boulevards are just a few of the offerings here.

Fort Lauderdale Shopping: A Traveler’s Guide

Best of all, you’ll rarely be too far from the beach when you’re ready to trade in your shopping bags for some sandals.

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Las Olas Boulevard

With its boutiques and art galleries, Las Olas Boulevard is one of the most popular Fort Lauderdale shopping spots. When you tire of browsing housewares and fashions, you can grab lunch and do some people watching at one of the boulevard’s many restaurants and cafes.

Sawgrass Mills

Sawgrass Mills is a huge outdoor outlet mall that houses more than 350 stores, including Burberry, Calvin Klein, Coach, Jimmy Choo, and many more at uber-discounted prices.

Galleria Mall

There’s also the upscale Galleria Mall, which is located minutes from the beach and offers name-brand stores like Macy’s and Neiman Marcus, as well as restaurants and refuge from the sun.

Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop

For an entirely local experience, head to the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop. The Swap Shop is a flea market with thousands of vendors selling the usual bargain wares including perfumes, cell phone cases, and dirt-cheap clothing; there’s also an arcade and a small sports car museum. But the real stars of the Swap Shop are the huge farmer’s market, offering up local produce including tons of tropical varieties, and the large, old-fashioned drive-in movie theater showing all the latest releases.

Festival Marketplace

Go early to the Festival Marketplace in Pompano Beach, where more than 500 vendors are featured. Weekends are busiest, but any time is fun; you can browse stalls with antiques, new electronics, and designer clothing.

Palm Beach

Take a drive north along Interstate 95 to Palm Beach, about 50 minutes away. Here you’ll find unrivaled shopping and the world’s priciest boutiques and designers lining Worth Avenue, also known as the Rodeo Drive of Florida.

Art and Antique Row

Antiquers shouldn’t miss the Art and Antique Row in Dania Beach. You’ll find oodles of antiques, art, and collectibles in a quaint downtown neighborhood, just a few minutes south of Fort Lauderdale by car.

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—Original reporting by Jana Jones, Kimberly Karis, and Shayne Rodriguez Thompson

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