South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Hollywood Beach
Charming, a little kitschy and always entertaining, Hollywood Beach has long been a South Florida favorite. From cruise-ship watching to people watching, there is never a shortage of sights to see, even during a pandemic.
Hollywood’s most distinct feature is its Broadwalk, providing beach access and numerous spots for entertainment and dining for almost 2.5 miles. Families can enjoy the small ice cream and pizza shops and bicycle rentals. Adults can visit the many tiki bars, including the one at Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort.
The Broadwalk has always tried to retain its classic, Old Florida atmosphere, from its small motels to rollerblading locals. The addition of large resorts shows that it’s becoming a favorite for all sorts of visitors, from tourists to full-time South Floridians.
Amenities: Pedestrians be warned: The lane closest to the ocean is marked off for cyclers and skaters. Options for rental locations include Hollywood Beach Trikke, 327 Johnson St.; The Bike Shack, 101 N. Ocean Drive, #135; Broward BCycle, 208 Jefferson St.; and Hollywood Bikes Electric Bicycle Shop, 101 N. Ocean Dr., store #110. You can rent everything from rollerblades to 6-seater beach cruisers.
See the Broadwalk from above the ground with Hollywood Parasail, offering 10- to
15-minute rides over the beach. Prices begin at
$65 if booked in advance. BouYah Watersports at the Hollywood Beach Marriott offers waverunners ($80/30 minutes), banana boat rides ($25 per person/15 minutes) and waverunner tours ($200/1 hour).
For those preferring to stay on the sand,
look for A & A Beach Services near Margaritaville or Boucher Brothers’ blue shack near Charnow Park. Both provide lounge chairs and cabana rentals.
Lifeguards: Lifeguards are on duty from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Coronavirus changes: There are two public parks that are closed due to the pandemic. Charnow Park, 300 Connecticut St., hosts a play fountain and rock wall for children and is adjacent to the Garfield Street paddleboard courts. A small playground is also available at the north end of the beach. Though there are benches at Charnow Park open to use, the rest of the park is closed due to the virus.
Restaurants do not allow visitors to enter without masks. Many are crowded on weekends. And while many diners choose to sit outside for the ocean view, many also choose to forgo their masks.
The Hollywood Beach Theatre has long been a staple of the promenade. Now, it’s managed by the Margaritaville Beach Resort, which has suspended performances until further notice.
Restrooms: There are public restrooms scattered across the Broadwalk. An open restroom is located at Charnow Park near the parking garage. There are also restrooms on Tyler Street, Fillmore Street and Surf Road.
Parking: The City of Hollywood operates two parking garages at the beach, the Garfield Garage at 300 Connecticut St., and Nebraska Garage at 327 Nebraska St. Both are $3 an hour Monday through Thursday and $4 an hour Friday to Sunday.
There’s also parking at the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, 1111 N. Ocean Drive, and the Hollywood Beach Garage, 359 Harrison St., which have the same rates as the city’s garages.