Galt Oceanmarketing

our stretch of Fort Lauderdale Beach

This is the northeast end of Fort Lauderdale beach, where the towers of the Galt Ocean Mile meet the sand.

Low waves rolling onto the sand under a pink and blue evening sky.
Fort Lauderdale beach at sunset, south of the mile, December 2021. Photo: Beth Gabriel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Which beach this is

The mile is part of Fort Lauderdale beach. It's the stretch north of the central beach, still inside the city, running from Oakland Park Boulevard up to Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, with the Atlantic on its east edge. Galt Ocean Drive sits between the towers and the sand, so getting to the water doesn't mean crossing a highway.

Fort Lauderdale's beach runs for miles. Las Olas and the central beach, south of here, feel like the city's front door. The mile is the neighborhood at the northeast end, ZIP 33308. If you're after the central beach, keep driving south on A1A; the barrier-island page covers that stretch. The reef and the town just north of the line are on the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea page, and for everyday errands, neighbors head to the marketplace.

Port Evergladesinlet Central beachand Las Olas Oakland Parkbridge Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Pompanopier and inlet the mile 33308 about 3.3 miles ATLANTIC South North, along A1A
The strip runs north on A1A from the inlet to Pompano. Diagram, not to scale.
Wide sand, sea grapes and the Atlantic under a blue sky with scattered clouds at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea beach.
The beach just north of the mile, at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Photo: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Getting here

From the mainland, the south way in is Oakland Park Boulevard, which crosses the Intracoastal and meets A1A. From the north, A1A comes down from Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, and if you're starting farther north, Commercial Boulevard is the other east-west road.

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.

Turtle season

Sea turtles nest on Fort Lauderdale beach from March 1 to October 31. Leatherbacks usually arrive first in early March, loggerheads follow in April, and green turtles in May and June. Activity usually peaks at the end of June or early July.

MARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCT peak late Jun – early Jul Leatherbacks arrive first, early March Loggerheads follow in April Green turtles in May and June
The season runs March 1 to October 31. Markers show when each species usually arrives.

Hatchlings find the ocean by its light, so the city's rule for beachfront lighting is three words: keep it low, keep it shielded, keep it long (long-wavelength amber or red). Interior lights should not be visible from the beach.

A yellow Turtle Nesting Beach sign on North Ocean Drive in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea asking for street lights off or reduced March through October.
A nesting-season sign on North Ocean Drive in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Photo: Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
A loggerhead sea turtle hatchling crawling across wet sand.
A loggerhead hatchling heading for the water, Sanibel Island. Photo: Jean-Lou Justine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Found a turtle in trouble? Call the Broward County Sea Turtle Emergency Hotline at 954-328-0580, or FWC Wildlife Alert, which answers 24 hours, at 1-888-404-3922. Watch nesting turtles from a distance, and never handle hatchlings.

Wide panorama of white sand, blue water and a few beachgoers.
Fort Lauderdale beach in April 2008. Photo: Carey Akin from Manvel, Texas, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, just north

The reef starts where the sand stops.

The town calls itself Florida's Beach Diving Capital, and with reason: three coral reefs sit within about 100 yards of the beach, close enough to swim out to from the sand. The pier is closed. For the walk-in, the shipwreck trail and the latest on the pier, see the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea page.

Map of the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea shore: Commercial Boulevard, El Mar Drive, Datura Avenue, Anglin's Pier, and the reef area just off the beach.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. The reef outline is approximate. The SS Copenhagen is less than a mile offshore.
Cross-section from the beach out to sea In Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, just north of the mile, reef lines sit within about 100 yards of the beach. The snorkel trails are in about 10 feet of water. The pier those trails are named for is closed. The SS Copenhagen wreck lies less than a mile offshore in about 25 feet. BEACH reef lines within about 100 yards snorkel trails · about 10 ft SS Copenhagen wreck · about 25 ft · sank 1900 ATLANTIC
3 reefs
Within about 100 yards of the beach in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
10 ft
The depth of the snorkel trails by Anglin's Pier and off Datura Avenue.
25 ft
Depth of the SS Copenhagen, a British steamship that sank in May 1900.
1994
The Copenhagen became a Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserve.

FAQ

Beach questions.

Is the Galt Ocean Mile part of Fort Lauderdale beach?

Yes. It's the stretch just north of the central beach, still inside the city limits, between Oakland Park Boulevard and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

When do sea turtles nest here?

Fort Lauderdale's nesting season runs from March 1 to October 31. Leatherbacks usually arrive first in early March, loggerheads in April and green turtles in May and June. Activity usually peaks in late June or early July.

What should I do if I find an injured sea turtle?

Call the Broward County Sea Turtle Emergency Hotline at 954-328-0580, or the FWC Wildlife Alert line at 1-888-404-3922. Do not handle hatchlings.

Where can I snorkel near the Galt Ocean Mile?

Just north in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, where three reef lines sit within about 100 yards of the beach. The Anglin's Pier reef trail and the shipwreck snorkel trail off Datura Avenue are both in about 10 feet of water. The pier itself is closed to the public.

Sources

Updated

For businesses on A1A

Your neighbors are searching right now.

Someone on Galt Ocean Drive types "dentist near me" or "pizza Galt Mile." The shop that shows up is the one whose listing, page and address all say the same thing in the neighborhood's own words. Getting that right is what we do.

Google Business Profile

Correct name, category, hours and photos, with the address people use to find you on North Ocean Boulevard.

A page that ranks

A location page that names the service, the street and the landmark, with schema markup search engines read.

A place in this guide

A page in the business directory for the mile and the streets around it, linking neighbors to your door.

Score your business in 60 seconds Request a free audit

Keep walking

The mileThe two streets, the map and the history.The marketplaceErrands one block from the sand.For businessesHelp neighbors find your shop.Lauderdale-by-the-SeaThe town just north of the mile, with the reef and a night out.The barrier islandSouth of the mile: Birch, a music room, and the central beach.