Galt Oceanmarketing

south to north The beach strip

This strip of A1A runs from the cruise port at the south end, through the Galt Ocean Mile in the middle, up to Pompano, where you'll find the open pier and the inlet boats.

Aerial view of a long beach lined with high-rise towers, the ocean on the right.
Fort Lauderdale beach from the air, just north of the Port Everglades inlet, 2013. Photo: formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

South to north

The strip is A1A on the barrier island. It starts at the bottom of Fort Lauderdale beach, on the north side of the inlet. Port Everglades, the cruise port, is across the cut, and Dania Beach is past the port.

From there, A1A runs north through the central beach to Las Olas, then on to the Oakland Park Boulevard bridge, about 3.3 miles past Las Olas. That southern stretch has its own page: the barrier island.

Next comes the Galt Ocean Mile, from Oakland Park Boulevard to the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea line. Galt Ocean Drive runs just under a mile, and the businesses on it and on A1A are in the directory.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is the next town up. Its main street is Commercial Boulevard, the reef is a short swim off the sand, and Anglin's Pier is closed (more on the piers below).

Pompano is the north end of the strip. That's where you'll find the open ocean pier, and Hillsboro Inlet is the cut the offshore boats use. Past that, Deerfield Beach is the next town north.

The piers

Fort Lauderdale beach has no ocean fishing pier anywhere between the port inlet and the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea line. For the sand itself, see the beach page.

Anglin's Pier, at 2 Commercial Boulevard in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, is closed to the public. Hurricane Nicole closed it in November 2022, and the town has no reopening date. The full story is on the Anglin's Pier page, and the town page covers it too. Anglin's Beach Café, at the foot of the pier, is still open.

The pier you can walk out on is the Pompano Beach Pier, at 222 N Pompano Beach Blvd, Pompano Beach, FL 33062. It's open 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week (pbpier.com).

The boats

If you'd rather stay in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Gold Coast Scuba is at 259 Commercial Blvd, Suite 2. The shop rents snorkel and scuba gear and runs private boat trips for groups of up to 4. Lobster season runs August through March.

At the north end, the offshore boats head out through Hillsboro Inlet. Hillsboro Inlet Fishing Center is at 2705 N Riverside Drive, Pompano Beach, FL 33062, phone (954) 943-8222, online at hillsboroinletfishingcenter.com. You book with the boats directly, not through the center.

Mark the Shark keeps an office at 3109 E Atlantic, Pompano Beach, FL 33062; call (305) 759-5297 or see marktheshark.com. That's the office address, so confirm where the boat is leaving from that morning before you drive.

The morning check

Before a pier or boat day, check the beach page that morning for rip current risk, the surf and the next tide at Anglin's Pier.

The mile in the middle

The Galt Ocean Mile sits in the middle, between the bottom of Fort Lauderdale beach and Pompano. For dinner, see where to eat; for a room, try the hotel list; and if you're planning a visit around the mile, start with Visiting.

Updated 16 October 2026.

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