DANIA BEACH is known for its award winning “Blue Wave” beach; a designation from the Clean Beach Coalition based on specific criteria that include excellence in water quality, beach conditions, safety services and habitat conservation. It’s also home to the John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, a 300+ acre haven which was featured on Good Morning America.
Whether you’re into scuba, skim boarding, cycling, surfing, kayaking, surf-skiing, swimming, walking or just relaxing on the beach, here you’re likely to find exactly what you’re looking for.
When your day at the beach, sightseeing, or shopping comes to an end, be sure to check out the great local bars and restaurants. Feeling lucky? Then it’s time to explore the gaming excitement around the “world’s fastest sport” with the re-opening of Dania Beach’s Jai-Alai (pronounced Hi – Li) in late 2015.
And at the end of the day whether you’re looking for a hotel/motel, cruise hotels, pet friendly or an LGBT property to call home during your stay, you’ll discover why visitors from around the corner and around the world recognize Dania Beach as an inviting and friendly destination for all. If you’re interested in reading more about the recent happenings, here’s a link to our Dania Beach Journal (blog) page.
Magnificent Dania Beach Palm
Dania “Blue Wave” Certified Beach
Dania Beach A1A
Don’t Miss These…
Here’s a Dania Beach factoid: Situated between Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, the city we now know as Dania Beach originally began in 1898 as a settlement named Modello by pioneer and developer W.C. Valentine. Three years later, 30 Danes were recruited from Wisconsin to colonize the settlement and when the town incorporated in 1904, its 35 residents (most of whom were of Danish ancestry) changed the town’s name to Dania. In 1999, the city of Dania changed its name to Dania Beach and pictured here is its award winning “Blue Wave” certified beach which in our opinion, is one of the prettiest and least crowded stretches of oceanfront in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. If you decide to come here and explore, here’s a beachfront address you can use for your GPS – 65 N Beach Rd, 33004.
In an article submitted by Jim Pike on ghosttowns.com, we learned that the town of Modello dates back to the 1880’s when much of Henry Flagler’s FEC railroad line was laid through the area. Modello is a contraction of Model Land Company, the business name of Flagler’s land sales division. Pioneer and developer W. C. Valentine planned out the settlement and Danish families from Chicago moved there in 1898-1899. When the Town was incorporated in November 1904, the residents, most of whom were Danes, changed the name to Dania. Early immigrants prospered in tomato farming and by 1910 the Florida East Coast Railway was shipping to northern U.S. cities from “The Tomato Capital of the World”. By 1912, Dania was a thriving community of almost 1200 people and continued to grow through the 1920’s when the City suffered tremendous setbacks. In 1925, the Dania Hotel caught fire, and the Bank of Dania failed due to embezzlers in the Bank’s home office. The 1926 hurricane with its 200 mile-per-hour winds devastated the Town, destroying most of the original buildings. The overwhelming damage prompted residents to vote for annexation to the neighboring City of Hollywood. Thus, Modello was no more. Later on the town reformed as Dania in its present form. This pic was taken on spectacular Dania Beach Ocean Park and if you decide to come here and explore, make your way to 100 N Beach Rd., 33004.
Can you guess the connection between this pic and Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, The Doors, Santana, The Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, and the Grateful Dead? If you guessed the connection was Dania Beach, you’re right and here’s how. In the Spring of 1967, a pirate-themed amusement park called Pirates World opened in Dania (the Beach part came later) and in the late 60s and early 70s, this 100-acre theme park also served as a concert venue for some of rock’s biggest legends. While the park eventually closed in 1975, according to info we found on LostLiveDead.blogspot.com the Dead performed at Pirates World in the Spring of 1970 and spent some time that week sitting around the hotel pool; it was during those days they allegedly penned perhaps their most iconic song “Truckin” which they recorded a few months later and released on their American Beauty album in November of the same year. We shot this Dania Beach pic near Adler Park and if you decide to make your way here and channel a few classic rock vibes for yourself, head toward 65 N Beach Rd., 33004.
EXPLORE DANIA BEACH
Here’s a Dania Beach factoid: Situated between Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, the city we now know as Dania Beach originally began in 1898 as a settlement named Modello by pioneer and developer W.C. Valentine. Three years later, 30 Danes were recruited from Wisconsin to colonize the settlement and when the town incorporated in 1904, its 35 residents (most of whom were of Danish ancestry) changed the town’s name to Dania. In 1999, the city of Dania changed its name to Dania Beach and pictured here is its award winning “Blue Wave” certified beach which in our opinion, is one of the prettiest and least crowded stretches of oceanfront in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. If you decide to come here and explore, here’s a beachfront address you can use for your GPS – 65 N Beach Rd, 33004.
