What should I pack for Fort Lauderdale?

The humidity hits you at the jetbridge of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, before you even reach baggage claim. Dew points hover near 26°C through the summer months, which means the air itself feels wet against your skin. Cotton soaks through in about 20 minutes and stays damp for hours. Pack 3-4 quick-dry shirts, the kind marketed for hiking, and rotate them daily. A second swimsuit matters more here than a second pair of shorts, because nothing fully dries overnight at these dew points. Closed-toe water shoes earn their luggage space at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, where the mangrove boardwalk gets slick after rain, and they double as reef-walking protection if you snorkel off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. The reef there starts about 100 meters from shore.

Afternoon thunderstorms roll in nearly every day from June through September, typically between 2 and 5 p.m. They hit fast. You'll hear the first rumble, feel the temperature drop 5°C in minutes, and then 20 minutes of heavy warm rain floods the sidewalks along A1A. A packable rain shell handles this better than an umbrella, because the wind gusts reach 50 km/h and will invert any folding umbrella you own. Reef-safe sunscreen at SPF 50+ is worth packing from home. The beach-adjacent shops on Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard charge $18-22 for a 200ml bottle that costs $9 at a mainland Target. The UV index here regularly hits 11 or 12 on clear days, which means a visible burn in under 15 minutes for fair skin. A wide-brim hat and polarized sunglasses are non-negotiable if you plan to spend time on the Riverwalk or the beach south of Sunrise Boulevard.

Step from the sidewalk into any restaurant on Las Olas Boulevard and your sweat-soaked shirt turns cold in seconds. Fort Lauderdale's dining rooms run their AC at 18-20°C, a full 20-degree gap from the heat index outside. A thin merino or linen button-up fits in a daypack and saves you from shivering through dinner. The dress code along Las Olas tends toward smart-casual at spots like Timpano Italian Chophouse or Wild Sea. Fort Lauderdale Beach bars along Sunrise Boulevard are more relaxed. Flip-flops and a cover-up are the norm there. Worth noting that the Water Taxi's air-conditioned boats along the Intracoastal can feel cold in wet swimwear, so that extra layer pulls double duty on evening rides.

Skip packing beach towels, aloe vera, and bug spray. CVS and Walgreens have locations every few blocks along Oakland Park Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard, and aloe gel runs $6-8. You'll likely need it by day 2. Beach towels take up half a carry-on. TJ Maxx on North Federal Highway sells oversized ones for $8-12, less than you'd pay at a resort gift shop. For no-see-ums, those tiny biting sand flies that swarm at dawn and dusk near the Intracoastal Waterway, pick up Off Deep Woods at any drugstore for about $7. The DEET-based sprays work. The natural ones do not. If you're snorkeling, rent gear at dive shops along Commercial Boulevard rather than hauling fins and masks through the airport.