The best day trips from Hallandale Beach, FL sort into four drive-time rings: under 20 minutes to Hollywood, Aventura and the Oleta River mangroves; about half an hour to Fort Lauderdale, the Sawgrass outlets and Miami Beach; 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter to Key Biscayne, Delray Beach and the Everglades; and everything past that, which calls for either a very early start or a night away. This guide covers 14 trips in that order, with a typical off-peak drive time, what each stop is actually for, and which ones close on Mondays.
How the Drive-Time Rings Work From Hallandale Beach
Hallandale Beach is small, which is good news for day trips. The city covers 4.61 square miles between Hollywood to the north and Aventura to the south, sitting about 12 miles south of downtown Fort Lauderdale and 15 miles north of Miami Beach, according to Visit Florida’s Hallandale Beach guide.
Three roads carry almost every trip below. I-95 is the fast north-south spine toward Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach County, US 1 is the slower local route south into Aventura, and A1A hugs the sand up into Hollywood. Westbound days use I-595 or the Turnpike. Every drive time in this guide is off-peak, measured from Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Federal Highway, and rush hour adds 15 to 30 minutes.
Under 20 Minutes: Boardwalks, Mangroves and Malls
Hollywood Beach Broadwalk (10 to 15 Minutes North)
The Hollywood Beach Broadwalk is the boardwalk Hallandale Beach itself doesn’t have. Visit Lauderdale describes the Broadwalk as a nearly 2.5-mile brick promenade along the Atlantic, with a children’s water playground at Charnow Park, and restaurants, bars and shops line the ocean side. It’s 10 to 15 minutes north on A1A. Parking is the constraint rather than the walk, so arrive before 10 a.m. on a winter weekend.
Aventura Mall (10 Minutes South)
Aventura Mall sits 10 minutes south on US 1 and doubles as the region’s rainy-afternoon plan, with luxury boutiques, mainstream anchors, a public art collection and both indoor and outdoor dining. It was named best mall in the United States in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards in 2025 and again in 2026. Park at the far ends and use the artwork as your landmark, because the building is disorienting. December weekend afternoons are the worst arrival, as the shopping guide for Hallandale Beach explains.
Oleta River State Park (15 Minutes South)
Oleta River State Park is Florida’s largest urban park and the best paddling day inside 20 minutes. Kayak the mangrove creeks, swim off the small Biscayne Bay beach (there are no lifeguards), or ride the mountain bike trails, with a concession renting kayaks, paddleboards and bikes at 3400 NE 163rd St. Florida State Parks lists the hours and fees as 8 a.m. to sundown daily and $6 per vehicle carrying two to eight people, $4 for a single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle and $2 on foot or by bike. Bring repellent.
Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park (15 Minutes North)
The Anne Kolb Nature Center at West Lake Park, 751 Sheridan St in Hollywood, is the quiet counterweight to a beach-and-casino weekend. Mangrove forest, a five-level observation tower, an exhibit hall and narrated pontoon boat tours on West Lake fill a half day, and kayaks and canoes rent from the West Lake Park marina. Tours don’t always run, so call ahead before driving over. The cooler dry-season months are far more comfortable.
About Half an Hour Out: Downtowns, Outlets and Gardens
Fort Lauderdale and Las Olas Boulevard (25 to 30 Minutes North)
Fort Lauderdale is the nearest full downtown, roughly 25 to 30 minutes north on I-95 and longer at rush hour. Las Olas Boulevard carries the restaurants and galleries, and the Jungle Queen Riverboat leaves 801 Seabreeze Blvd for a 90-minute narrated New River cruise past waterfront mansions, with an evening dinner-and-show version. Bonnet House Museum & Gardens at 900 N Birch Rd opens Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m., with last admission at 4 p.m., and it’s closed Mondays, so it has to anchor the day rather than fill a gap in it.
Flamingo Gardens in Davie (30 Minutes West)
Flamingo Gardens is 60 acres of botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary at 3750 S Flamingo Rd in Davie, open daily from 9:30 a.m., with last entry at 4 p.m. and the gates closing at 5 p.m., according to Visit Lauderdale’s Flamingo Gardens guide. The Bird of Prey Center, the flamingos and the historic 1933 Wray Home Museum anchor it. Take the narrated tram tour with small children or in July. It belongs in any Hallandale Beach with kids rotation.
Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise (30 Minutes West)
Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise is one of the largest outlet complexes in the country, 30 minutes west via I-595, and the counterweight to Aventura’s full-price luxury. Treat it as a walking day rather than a browsing hour. Wear real shoes and photograph the entrance you parked at, because the lots are enormous and identical.
Miami Beach and the Art Deco District (30 to 35 Minutes South)
Miami Beach is 30 to 35 minutes south down Collins Avenue or I-95, and considerably longer on a Saturday night. South Beach, Ocean Drive and the Art Deco architecture look best on a weekday morning, when the sidewalks are empty and you can actually see the buildings. Park in a municipal garage rather than hunting for a street space.
45 to 90 Minutes: Beaches, Small Towns and the Everglades
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park (45 Minutes South)
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne is the best pure beach day on this list, about 45 minutes south. It has calm water, paved bike paths, rental chairs and the 1825 Cape Florida Lighthouse. Visit Florida’s Miami day trips guide puts vehicle entry at $8 with an 8 a.m. opening and says lighthouse tours are free with park entry. Budget for the Rickenbacker Causeway toll too.
Delray Beach (45 Minutes North)
Delray Beach is the easiest northern day out, roughly 45 minutes up I-95. Atlantic Avenue is a walkable strip of restaurants and galleries that ends at a wide public beach, which is rarer in south Florida than it should be. Park in the garages off Atlantic Avenue, since street parking fills by mid-morning in season.
West Palm Beach and Palm Beach (1 Hour North)
West Palm Beach is about an hour north by car, with the short crossing to Palm Beach island and Worth Avenue on the other side. Brightline covers the same run by rail, and its nearest station is Aventura station at 19796 W Dixie Hwy, just south of the city line, with trains to Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. Boarding there skips the I-95 problem entirely, a trade that’s worth making on a Friday or in high season.
Shark Valley in Everglades National Park (1 Hour 15 Minutes Southwest)
Shark Valley is the Everglades trip that needs no boat: a 15-mile loop through sawgrass prairie with alligators beside the path and an observation tower at the midpoint. Allow 1 hour 15 minutes southwest via U.S. 41. The National Park Service says the 2-hour tram tour is often booked far in advance in the busy winter season, which is also when the wildlife concentrates.
The Long Day and the Overnight
Two southern destinations appear on every south Florida day-trip list. Key Largo works as a long day if you leave early; Key West doesn’t work as a day at all, and a night at the other end beats a 4 a.m. departure. If you’re visiting rather than living here, the hotels in and around Hallandale Beach cover where to stay at this end.
Key Largo and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (1 Hour 40 Minutes South)
Key Largo is about 1 hour 40 minutes each way, which makes it a long day trip rather than an overnight. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was the first undersea park in the U.S., and its concession runs snorkel and glass-bottom boat trips out over living coral. Leave before 8 a.m., because U.S. 1 through Homestead backs up badly on weekends.
Key West (About 4 Hours South)
Key West isn’t a day trip from Hallandale Beach, whatever the listicles say. Visit Florida puts Miami to Key West at about 160 miles and 3.5 to 4 hours via U.S. 1, and you’re adding another half hour each way from here. Duval Street and Mallory Square at sunset are worth two nights and miserable as 9 hours in a car.
Parking, Tolls and Weather on a South Florida Day Trip
Check hours before you commit a day, because several stops keep short ones. Bonnet House is closed Mondays, Flamingo Gardens shuts at 5 p.m., and Florida’s state parks close at sundown rather than at a fixed hour. Guided boat and tram tours run on schedules, so a walk-up on a January Saturday usually means waiting for the next slot or missing it.
Sort out tolls and parking before a long run, since Alligator Alley, Florida’s Turnpike and the Rickenbacker Causeway all charge. Almost everywhere on this list, paying for a garage once beats circling for a street space. Back home, Hallandale Beach’s own beach meters run through the PayByPhone app and take no cash.
Season matters more than time of day for the outdoor trips. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, according to the National Hurricane Center, and the ordinary summer pattern of near-daily afternoon thunderstorms is what actually reshapes a day. Plan Everglades and beach trips before 11 a.m. from June through September, and see the best time to visit Hallandale Beach for the month-by-month picture.
Boaters have a road-free option for the closest runs. The Hallandale Beach City Marina at 101 Three Islands Blvd has 26 annual slips and only three transient slips, so visiting boats should call ahead, but a boat already here can run the Intracoastal north to Hollywood without touching traffic. If the boat is yours, boat storage keeps a trailer out of a condo lot between trips, and car storage does the same for the second vehicle a snowbird leaves behind over the summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to do near Hallandale Beach?
Within 20 minutes you can reach the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, Aventura Mall and the mangroves at Oleta River State Park. Half an hour out adds Fort Lauderdale, the Sawgrass Mills outlets and Miami Beach. Inside the city, Gulfstream Park runs 365 days a year with racing, a casino and The Village, and the guide to things to do in Hallandale Beach covers the rest.
Are Hollywood Beach and Hallandale Beach the same?
No. Hollywood and Hallandale Beach are separate Broward County cities that share a border. Hallandale Beach covers 4.61 square miles and recorded 41,217 residents at the 2020 census, according to census figures compiled on Wikipedia, and it has two public beach parks. Hollywood is the larger city immediately north, and its Broadwalk is what most people mean when they say Hollywood Beach.
Is there a boardwalk in Hallandale Beach?
No. Hallandale Beach has two public beach parks, South City Beach Park and North City Beach Park, but no boardwalk and no pier. The nearest boardwalk is the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, 10 to 15 minutes north on A1A. For many residents that trade is the whole point.
How far is Hallandale Beach from Fort Lauderdale?
Hallandale Beach sits roughly 12 miles south of downtown Fort Lauderdale, about 25 to 30 minutes on I-95 off-peak and 45 minutes or more at rush hour. Las Olas Boulevard and the beachfront strip along A1A are where most day-trippers head, and both are easier to reach by parking once downtown than by driving between them.
How far is Hallandale Beach from Miami?
Hallandale Beach is about 15 miles north of Miami Beach, or 30 to 35 minutes down Collins Avenue or I-95 outside rush hour. Downtown Miami and Wynwood run similar times via I-95. Saturday evenings southbound are the exception, when the same drive can pass an hour, so go on a weekday morning.
Storage for the Gear These Trips Generate
These 14 trips generate equipment. Paddles, coolers, folding chairs, snorkel sets, bikes and the hurricane-season bin all need somewhere to live for the months they sit idle, and summer humidity is hard on anything left in a garage, which is why climate-controlled storage is the local default rather than an upgrade. Value Store It’s Bryan Road facility rents month-to-month with no long-term contract, with gate access from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. A 10×20 storage unit, about the size of a one-car garage, holds the contents of a three-bedroom home during a renovation or a stretch between leases, and the 10×30 space takes the contents of six rooms, or a car plus lawn equipment. If a long summer away leaves you short on room at home, that’s the place to start.
