Gay Fort Lauderdale Travel Guide: Fort Lauderdale is one of the most popular gay travel destinations in Florida. I have visited multiple times, and with its beautiful beaches, year round sun, and many LGBTQ+ spaces, it’s easy to see why Fort Lauderdale is popular with gay travellers.
In this gay Fort Lauderdale guide, I will share the best gay bars in Fort Lauderdale, gay resorts, LGBTQ+ points of interest, gay beaches and more: everything you need to plan your next gay trip to Fort Lauderdale.
For more gay destinations in Florida, check out my Gay Miami Travel Guide, Gay Tampa Travel Guide, Gay Wilton Manors Guide and my Gay St Pete Travel Guide.
Let’s get started with my comprehensive gay travel guide to Fort Lauderdale!
Is Fort Lauderdale Gay Friendly?
Yes, Fort Lauderdale is one of the most gay friendly places in Florida. It has a large and thriving local LGBTQ+ community and a lot to offer LGBTQ+ tourists travelling to the Sunshine State.
Fort Lauderdale is one of 31 municipalities within Greater Fort Lauderdale, and along with Wilton Manors (which is another municipality adjacent to Fort Lauderdale), holds the title of one of the most gay friendly and welcoming destinations in Florida.
Many of Greater Fort Lauderdale’s LGBTQ+ venues are split between Fort Lauderdale and nearby Wilton Manors, which is around 10–15 minutes away – for this guide, I will be focusing on LGBTQ+ venues specifically in Fort Lauderdale.
It is important to note, that on a statewide level, the state of Florida does have its challenges when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights – this is why places like Fort Lauderdale, Miami, St Pete, etc really do stand out as welcoming and inclusive spots; and are important destinations for local LGBTQ+ people and travellers alike.
I felt super comfortable and very happy to be back in Fort Lauderdale and have no doubt I will be back again for more in the future!
Best Gay Bars in Fort Lauderdale
For the best gay bars in Fort Lauderdale, I made some local friends who took me on a little bar crawl to hit the most popular spots.
Fort Lauderdale’s gay bars are spread across the area, but are all a short drive from each other, in particular, make sure to check out the following gay bars in Fort Lauderdale:
Boardwalk
Boardwalk is the main gay bar in Fort Lauderdale where everyone will end up by the end of the night – and it was no different for my gay night out in Fort Lauderdale!
This is a late night venue for dancing, and watching the dancers! If you need some energy, they also serve food at Beefcakes Grill here!
Ramrod Fort Lauderdale
Known by the locals as being a bit of an institution, Ramrod has been around since 1992 and is one of the oldest gay bars in Fort Lauderdale, so well worth checking out.
It is a leather bar so leans into the dive bar aesthetic if that is your scene!
Monas
Monas is a great gay bar in Fort Lauderdale for earlier in the night when you want a casual drink and catch up with friends. Popular with a slightly more mature crowd, this one is easy to spot as you drive by the intersection as it is painted bright pink!
Le Boy
Le Boy is another late night gay bar in Fort Lauderdale, with more of a focus on the dancers and performers. When you walk in there is a huge bar in the middle, a main stage with a very tall pole at the front where the dancers perform, and then small dancing stages scattered around.
321 Slammer
321 is a membership only gay bar in Fort Lauderdale. It is a private members club that has a BYOB bar as they do not have a liquor licence – they have social areas with pool tables, places to lounge and places to play. Lockers and showers are also available.
Nearby, you will also find a whole cluster of gay bars in Wilton Manors.
Gay Hotels and Resorts in Fort Lauderdale – Where to Stay?
Most gay travellers stay near Fort Lauderdale beach or at one of the gay resorts in Fort Lauderdale.
There are many gay friendly hotels and resorts in Fort Lauderdale to choose from, take a look at my complete list of gay resorts in Fort Lauderdale for all the best options (also check out my list of gay resorts in Wilton Manors if you would like to be closer to the nightlife rather than the beach).
Below are two of the most popular options.
The Grand Resort and Spa
The Grand Resort and Spa is one of the largest clothing optional gay resorts in Fort Lauderdale. There were four separate gay hotels that merged together into one – Villa Venice, Alcazar, The Grand Resort and Worthington (some older guides separate these hotels but it is now one big complex with access to all 4).
Facilities wise, they have an on site spa if you need a little massage, a cafe serving breakfast and food throughout the day, and a gym.
Check rates and book below.
Pineapple Point
Pineapple Point is another popular gay resort that has been recommended to me by friends.
The resort has been running since 1999, and it is made up of 6 buildings over 2 acres of land.
Facilities and amenities wise, they have shaded hammocks, an on-site gym, lap pool, two jacuzzis, massage studios, sun decks, and clothing optional pool area.
Continental breakfast is served each day, along with snacks and some soft drinks. They also offer complimentary suntan lotions, beach chairs, umbrellas and bikes are provided.
Gay Beaches in Fort Lauderdale
Is there a gay beach in Fort Lauderdale? Yes; there is one gay beach in Fort Lauderdale and it’s very easy to access and find.
The gay beach in Fort Lauderdale can be found at Sebastian Street. If you are staying at The Grand Resort and Spa, it is a short 15 minute walk.
When you arrive you will see that the lifeguard tower is adorned with rainbows and on the opposite side of the street, you will see a huge pride flag on the road – it should be fairly obvious that you are in the right place!
Like most of the gay beaches I have visited, this is busiest at the weekend. If you have time you can also check out other nearby gay beaches in Miami (45m – 1 hour drive).
Gay Saunas in Fort Lauderdale
There are two gay saunas in Fort Lauderdale, Club Fort Lauderdale and Clubhouse II. So if you are looking for some steamy fun and a break from the sun, go and check out one of these!
Club Fort Lauderdale – This gay sauna is located in downtown Fort Lauderdale (just 40 mins from Miami). They offer an outdoor patio, hot tub, steam room, sauna and maze. Reviews mention that the facilities are kept exceptionally clean and the venue is open 24 hours a day.
Clubhouse II – Clubhouse II is a gay sauna in Fort Lauderdale, just minutes away from the beach. They also offer the usual, private rooms, secure lockers, a newly upgraded wet area, dry sauna, steam room, and communal lounges. Yes you can have your fun, but this also sounds like quite a social spot. Check out what themed nights they have coming up here.
Gay Shops
The majority of gay shops within easy access from Fort Lauderdale, like Pride Factory for the latest cute speedo, are found in Wilton Manors.
However for gay shops in Fort Lauderdale, make sure to go and check out Out of the Closet. This is part of a chain, they also have one in Chicago (see my gay guide to Chicago for more).
Out of the Closet is a thrift store for vintage garments, home decor and second hand clothing. They raise funds for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (96c on the $ goes to the foundation) so when you shop with them, rest assured that you are giving back to the community.
Gay Events in Fort Lauderdale
Pride Fort Lauderdale
It seems that there was a little uncertainty over Pride Fort Lauderdale, but I am happy to report that this will be coming in early 2027! At the moment, the messaging is ”more details to come soon’‘, so keep an eye out on their website for the latest updates.
FlockFest
Hosted on Fort Lauderdale Beach, Flockfest is a 3 day event with a full schedule of beach parties, poolside DJ parties, pop-ups, and special events. The group also run individual events around holiday weekends like Memorial Day weekend.
Check out their website for upcoming events.
Things to do for Gay Travellers in Fort Lauderdale
Stonewall National Museum and Archives
The Stonewall Museum in Fort Lauderdale is the largest archive of its kind with over 30,000 books – it has the largest LGBTQ+ collection in the world!
They have exhibitions on rotation, each sharing the story of important LGBTQ+ historical figure which I found incredibly interesting to learn about.
I highly encourage you to go for a quick visit to support this place, and the important work ithey are doing.
World AIDS Museum and Education Centre
Right next door to the Stonewall Museum, you will find the World AIDS Museum and Education Centre.
It is one room with a complete history of the AIDS epidemic, right through to modern day breakthroughs. This was highly educational and quite emotional, but I do think it is important that we all learn and understand this history to appreciate where we are today.
Gay Friendly Dining and Drag Brunch in Fort Lauderdale
In terms of where to eat out in Fort Lauderdale, whilst the majority of queer owned restaurants are found nearby in Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale still has plenty of LGBTQ+ friendly options.
For dinner and a drag show, head to Aquaplex Fort Lauderdale, it is one of the most popular spots in the area and offers drag performances, cabaret performances and some great drink offers.
If you are looking for somewhere casual, Las Olas Boulevard and downtown Fort Lauderdale have lots of trendy cafes and restaurants, in particular MIAM Cafe is a popular spot and their pancakes look incredible!
On the more formal dining side, take a look at Takato on the beachfront, this is a fine dining Japanese restaurant (near The Grand Resort).
Practical Tips for Fort Lauderdale
Here are some practical tips for travelling to Fort Lauderdale:
- Airports – The closest airports are Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport or Miami airport. For some international flights, it can be worth flying into Miami and then taking an Uber/Lyft for about 45-60 minutes.
- Getting around – the easiest way to get around Fort Lauderdale is to hire a car. However if you are not making too many journeys I found Lyft/Uber to be very reasonable. They do have buses you can use to get around also.
- Beaches – you will find plenty of sun loungers and umbrellas on the beach for hire. All the usual facilities such as toilets and water fountains are dotted along the beach at regular intervals.
- Best time to go – Florida is sunny all year around, October – May is known as being the optimum time in general.
Conclusion
Fort Lauderdale has so much to offer LGBTQ+ travellers, and I had an incredibly positive experience here. It’s clear that there is well established and large LGBTQ+ community here that has chosen to call Fort Lauderdale home. The people were incredibly friendly, made me feel welcome and have left me wanting to come back for more!
For even more on Fort Lauderdale, and more widely Greater Fort Lauderdale, visit visitlauderdale.com.