Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Two and a half miles of brick by the sea

⏱ 2-4 hours👤 All agesFree

Hollywood was laid out in the early 1920s by developer Joseph Young, who wanted a South Florida answer to Atlantic City, and the Broadwalk was paved almost at once; a grand beach casino with an Olympic-sized pool followed in 1924, before the 1926 hurricane ended the boom. The promenade has outlasted every storm and redevelopment wave since. A 2007 revitalisation added the separate walking, jogging and cycling lanes, coquina walls, historic-style lamps and shielded lighting that keeps nesting sea turtles from being drawn inland, and in 2011 the Broadwalk became part of the East Coast Greenway, the trail network that runs from Key West to Maine. It works because it is human-scale: low buildings, small storefronts and an unbroken view of the Atlantic. The beach itself is wide, golden and lifeguarded in the central stretches, and the water is usually calmer than the reputation of Florida's Atlantic side suggests.

How to do it well: start at the south end for coffee, walk north with the ocean on your right, stop at the Margaritaville stretch for lunch or a drink, and continue to North Beach Park, where the dunes are greener and the crowds thinner. Cyclists can rent bikes and cover the whole promenade in under an hour. Along the way, the historic bandshell at Johnson Street hosts live music, Charnow Park at Connecticut Street adds a garage, playground and courts, and beach mats run out onto the sand at points for wheelchair access. Dozens of small, family-run motels and inns still line the walk, which keeps the scale low and the crowd mixed. Recurring events include a big Independence Day celebration, a December holiday parade and a cheerful Groundhog Day ocean dip.

Candour: the Broadwalk is busy in winter and on holiday weekends, some storefronts are dated, and parking costs add up. None of that dents the appeal. Pair it with a paddle at the Anne Kolb Nature Center across the Intracoastal, or base yourself at the Margaritaville resort for a beach stay with a small-town feel.