Davie, FL

Davie is a town of more than 100,000 people in central Broward County that has kept a Western, equestrian identity even as it filled in with suburbs and campuses. Visitors come for Flamingo Gardens, the boardwalks and horse trails at Tree Tops Park, and events at the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds. It is also a college town, home to Nova Southeastern University and Broward College’s central campus.

Things to do in Davie

Flamingo Gardens is a 60-acre botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary with rare plants, native Florida animals including alligators, panthers and flamingos, and the 1930s Wray Home. Tree Tops Park, a Broward County park, has a boardwalk over a restored freshwater marsh, an observation tower, horseback riding and paddleboat and canoe rentals. Pine Island Ridge Natural Area protects high ground where archaeologists found campsites thousands of years old. The Bergeron Rodeo Grounds host rodeos, concerts, horse shows and car shows through the year. The town counts more than 1,800 acres of open space and a trail system of more than 180 miles, much of it shared by riders, cyclists and walkers.

Getting around Davie

Davie sits in the middle of Greater Fort Lauderdale, between Fort Lauderdale and the Everglades, and three major highways cross it: I-595, I-75 and Florida’s Turnpike. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades are about 15 to 20 minutes east, and the beaches at Fort Lauderdale and Dania Beach are roughly 25 minutes away. You will want a car, since the town is spread out and many of its parks and ranches sit along rural-feeling roads in the west. The cooler, drier months from November through April are best for trail riding and outdoor events.