The entire town is located on a long, narrow barrier island separated from the mainland by the Intracoastal Waterway (spanned by one drawbridge at Commercial Boulevard), stretching approximately one-half dozen blocks to the Atlantic Ocean.

With a coral reef just 100 yards offshore, the town is a popular spot for scuba divers, especially just south of Anglin's Pier.

[citation needed] On the ocean at the east end of Commercial Boulevard is Anglin's Fishing Pier, named after Lauderdale-by-the-Sea's first mayor, Melvin I.

[1][7] The town is home to SS Copenhagen, a 19th-century British steamship that wrecked in 25 feet of water in May 1900 after striking a coral reef.

[citation needed] Two new public plazas were added in Anglin's Square and furnished with colorful "Addy" chairs, boat benches and bike racks shaped like fish.

Each of the four business plazas on Commercial were outfitted with coral reef themed artworks (parrotfish, green turtle, eagle ray and sea fan), reflecting the town's ties with the ocean.