The beach is postcard perfect, with white sands, blue water and a palm-tree fringe. Hollywood Beach is akin to California s Venice Beach always lively and crowded and lined with shops and restaurants. The highlight is a 90-minute tram ride through marshes and wetlands. For an abbreviated glimpse of the Everglades, consider Everglades Holiday Park, about 30 minutes by car west of downtown Fort Lauderdale. You can take an hour-long narrated ride in an airboat that skims over the vegetation and the shallow, brackish waters of this national park.
Admission includes an alligator wrestling demonstration.