Pompano Beach beach vacation rentals

Located between Miami and Palm Beach, this quiet coastal town invites visitors to explore the vast underwater world that exists just off its shores. A living coral reef, the waters of the Gulf Stream, and the ample fish — including the one in which the city took its name — make this southeastern Florida spot an aquatic playground. Even the city’s land-based amenities cater to its maritime identity: The town centers on a giant fishing pier in the shape of a pompano, from which locals cast for snapper and mackerel. Beyond that you’ll find three miles of pristine golden-sand beaches packed with sunbathers, swimmers, and paddle boarders.

Winter and spring make up the dry season in Pompano Beach, but the latter adds the benefit of pleasantly warmer weather. Spring welcomes the town’s two major annual events, both extremely fitting for a place named after a fish: April’s seafood festival, which features live music and art as well as food, and May’s Pompano Beach Fishing Rodeo, a tournament that began in 1965. But with 240 days of annual sunshine and plenty of beachfront for jumping in the ocean to cool off, the town is a good destination throughout the year. As always when you’re on vacation in Florida, make sure to keep an eye on hurricane warnings in the late summer and early fall.

Pompano Drop-Off

The area’s many reefs keep scuba divers and snorkelers busy for days on end. Any local with a pair of flippers will offer up their favorite diving spots, but the Drop-Off is a great place to start your exploration of Pompano Beach’s numerous and colorful underwater flora and fauna. Though you could probably swim to it from shore, it’s best to reach the Drop-Off by boat. This allows you to save your energy for peeping all of the sharks, angelfish, and turtles hanging out beneath.

Fisher Family Pier

This nearly 1,000-foot-long, new pier in the heart of Pompano Beach ends adorably in the shape of the city’s namesake fish. Partially shaded, the pier offers plenty of space for local anglers to drop their lines, day-trippers to wander about, and local seabirds to land.

Shipwreck Park

Pompano Beach is often called the shipwreck capital of South Florida, with more than a dozen sunken ships on the seafloor creating a paradise for divers. With the old vessels and the new project of Shipwreck Park by the county, diving here weaves history, art, and a sense of whimsy into the natural underwater world. Among the favorites for divers to explore are a steamer that’s more than a century old and a tanker that’s been transformed into an underwater casino.