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The Ultimate Sustainable Travel Guide to Miami
Written by Stephanie Stevens | February 18, 2021
This guide has been brought to you in partnership with Debris Free Oceans.
With its world famous beaches, dramatic coastlines, and vibrant city life, Miami has long been a destination for those seeking sun and adventure. The raw beauty of this south-Florida city has made sustainability somewhat of a hot trend, as many locals have become inspired to protect and care for the area’s natural resources, wildlife, and ecosystems. In the last twenty years, however, as sea levels have continued to rise due to climate change, Miami has received some major wakeup calls from leading scientists and has even been referred to as the “Ground Zero of climate change”. With this formidable challenge of climate change in view, many sustainable initiatives, conscious businesses, and changemakers in Miami have set out to make a difference.
ecomadic is excited to be partnering with one of Miami’s significant sustainable changemakers: Debris Free Oceans, a Miami-based nonprofit organization that is dedicated to eliminating marine debris through education, outreach, research, and policy initiatives. The organization has hosted over 200 zero-waste events since its inception in 2015, including its annual eco-fashion show and regular Keg + Klean and Pub Crawl pickup events. Through these organized efforts, Debris Free Oceans has removed over 38,700lbs of marine debris from South Florida reefs and beaches with the help of more than 5,000 volunteers. The organization also provides consulting services to local Miami businesses, assisting them in implementing sustainable business changes. These efforts have resulted in millions of single-use plastics being eliminated from the waste stream.
The need for increased environmental awareness and action has never been greater and there are many eco-friendly ways to explore a new destination. In collaboration with Debris Free Oceans, ecomadic has compiled over 30 amazing eco-accommodations, socially-responsible eateries, social enterprise shops, and ethical experiences for travelers to explore while visiting the beautiful and vibrant city of Miami.
Eco-Accommodations
1Hotel
Source: 1Hotels
Price Range – $$$$
1Hotel in South Beach is a gorgeous oceanfront hotel that bridges luxury hospitality with sustainability. 1Hotel considers nature in all facets of operations and offers guests a lavish, eco-friendly experience with farm-to-table eateries, swimming pools, and private cabana and beach access. The hotel is located right in hip South Beach and has received a LEED Silver certificate for its efforts in sustainable building. When it comes to food, 1Hotel also has a variety of farm-to-table dining options where local, organic, and sustainable fare is on the menu. The hotel looks to support local environmental initiatives and has hosted Cocktail Crawl Cleanup events with Debris Free Oceans. The hotel has also hosted the annual Debris Free Oceans Eco-Fashion Show, which showcases sustainable brands.
Freehand Miami
Source: Freehand Miami
Price Range – $$
Freehand Miami is a trendy hotel/hostel that offers a variety of room selections and accommodations for a chill reprieve from the hustle and bustle of city life. Created as a reinvention of the historic Indian Creek Hotel, one of Miami’s classic art deco buildings, Freehand was designed to tailor a younger generation of travelers looking for comfortable digs by the beach. Located one block from the ocean, Freehand features an award-winning bar, restaurant, and a chill backyard area with a pool. The hotel has also been a part of local environmental initiatives and has hosted several beach cleanups with Debris Free Oceans.
Socially Responsible Eateries
Hideout Café
Source: Uber Eats
Price – $
Hideout Café is an experimental cafe by Team Vinchay – a team of athletes and leaders dedicated to creating a community to improve themselves and the world around them. The cafe offers a variety of healthy eats and treats, such as coffee, smoothies, toasts, and desserts. Many of the menu items are vegan and vegetarian. The cafe sources ingredients from local suppliers and strives to reduce waste by offering BYO discounts. Hideout Cafe works with Debris Free Oceans by donating some of the proceeds of their plant sales from Hideout Garden to cleanup events.
Under the Mango Tree
Source: The Infatuation
Price Range – $ – $$
Under the Mango Tree is a natural food cafe, serving delicious vegan juices, smoothies, and acai bowls. This eco-friendly spot in South Beach works to limit its waste by composting leftover food and offering BYO discounts. The store also sells eco-friendly gifts made by local artisans. Under the Mango Tree has partnered with nonprofit Debris Free Oceans to host beach cleanups, after which participants get free acai if they bring their own bowl!
Zak the Baker
Source: Zak the Baker
Price – $$
Zak the Baker is a certified Kosher bakery that provides healthy eats and homemade bread and baked goods. Started by Zak Stern in 2012, this beloved Wynwood bakery offers a variety of delicious bread that are made with a commitment to traditional techniques. The bakery gives back to the local community by donating leftover baked goods to the Lotus House Women’s shelter.
Kush Hospitality Group
Source: Kush Hospitality
Price – $$
KUSH Hospitality Group (KHG) owns and operates several eateries around Miami that feature menus with locally sourced ingredients and environmentally friendly interiors. Matt Kuscher started KUSH in 2011 with the intention of celebrating South Florida’s rich and diverse community through food, art, and music. All of the food served at Kush restaurants comes from Florida farms and everything is made in-house from scratch. There are options for everyone at KHG restaurants, including many vegan and vegetarian options. KHG has been on the receiving end of many awards for its commitment to responsible eco-friendly management and the interiors of KUSH restaurants are decorated with art by local artists.
Smart Bites Café
Source: Smart Bites
Price – $$
Smart Bites Cafe is a healthy cafe and meal service that utilizes local and organic ingredients to provide gourmet meals to Miami. The company also grows some of its own ingredients to ensure maximum freshness and deliciousness. Using their own team of nutritionists, Smart Bites has a wide range of healthy meals for a variety of diet types including vegan, vegetarian, and paleo. The eclectic cafe is located just steps from downtown Wynwood.
Love Life Cafe
Source: Love Life Cafe
Price – $$
Love Life Cafe is a vegan cafe and conscious business based in Wynwood. The plant-powered menu at Love Life Café is quite extensive and includes breakfast, soups, pizzas, bowls, arepas, desserts, and so much more. In addition to serving up amazing vegan food, Love Life Café works to make a positive impact in the community and world at large. The cafe works with The Riverside House, a halfway house in Miami, to give formerly incarcerated men and women a chance at a new life with employment. Love Life Cafe also works to limit waste and protect the environment by using all eco-friendly materials in their to-go packaging. Health is a top priority of the team at the Love Life Cafe and all of their food is made from scratch with wholesome, vegan ingredients.
Bunnie Cakes
Source: Bunnie Cakes
Price – $$
Bunnie Cakes is a whimsical & award-winning vegan, gluten-free and kosher bakery in Miami that serves a variety of delicious baked goods made with love. The Bakery started in 2009 when founder Mariana Cortez adapted her grandmother’s cake recipe to make a dairy-free and gluten-free birthday cake for her son’s second birthday. With 100% gluten-free and vegan ingredients that are also free from soy, nuts, and peanuts, Bunnie Cakes creates delicious and fun brownies, cookies, and other baked goods. As a pioneer in the vegan & gluten-free bakery world, Bunnie Cakes has overcome many challenges in becoming a vegan food destination in Miami. The bakery has received many awards including, the award for Best Vegan Bakery in 2013 by Miami New Times, #2 Best Bakery in Miami in TripAdvisor for three years in a row, and was featured on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars.
Charly’s Vegan Tacos
Source: Charly’s Vegan Tacos
Price – $$
Charly’s Vegan Tacos is a plant-based restaurant serving delicious vegan Mexican food in Wynwood. Chef Charly started Charly’s Vegan Tacos as a way to transform classic Mexican dishes into healthy vegan alternatives while having a positive impact on the environment, community health, and animal welfare. Using his grandmother’s authentic recipes as a guide, Charly utilizes classic Mexican ingredients, most of which are already vegan friendly, to make new creations that vegans and meat-eaters alike will enjoy. Whether for lunch or dinner, Charly’s is a great place to go to enjoy award-winning tacos and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere and has been included as a stop during Pub Crawl Pickups hosted by Debris Free Oceans.
PLANTA South Beach
Source: Miami Food Pug
Price – $$
PLANTA South Beach is an upscale, plant-based restaurant located in Miami’s trendy South Beach with additional locations in Toronto and Coconut Grove. Under Chef David Lee, the restaurant concept is aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and filling a void in the market of upscale, plant-based dining options. Planta works with ethical suppliers to create an eclectic plant-based menu that is sustainably sourced and reflects local and seasonal availability. Planta also sources ingredients for their menu from the rooftop garden that they operate at their Miami location. The restaurant further strives to limit environmental impact by using compostable to-go packaging and eliminating paper at their headquarters. Community involvement is one of the core values at Planta and the team regularly organizes clothing drives, beach cleanups, food drives, and more.
Beehive Juice Bar
Source: Uber Eats
Price – $$
Beehive Juice Bar and Cafe is a popular South Miami spot that offers a wide variety of nutritious vegan eats no matter your appetite. The cafe, run by Chef Carlos, features healthy & plant-based soups, salads, smoothies, sandwiches, and more. Popular favorites include the Three Amigos and the Vegan Chicharon, but Beehive offers cuisines from different parts of the world including Cuban, Latin, and Asian cuisines. Beehive also has delicious desserts that are free of dairy, sugar, and eggs.
Happy Vegan Bakers
Source: Greater Miami and the Beaches
Price – $$
Happy Vegan Bakers is a female-owned bakery that creates delicious vegan versions of Hispanic soul food favorites. In 2014, two Miami natives started Happy Vegan Bakers as a way to recreate the comfort food dishes that they enjoyed growing up into healthy, cruelty-free versions. Happy Vegan Bakers serves up many delicious reinvented Hispanic favorites, such as pastelitos, croquetas, tostadas, and empanadas. Their creations can be found at many locations around Miami including Mendez Fuel, El Tejadito Bakery, Ali’s Sweet Treats, Jusco, and Screaming Carrots.
Nabati
Source: Nabati
Price – $
Nabati is an all organic, plant-based ice cream shop that looks to help make the world a better place one scoop at a time. All of the recipes at Nabati are created in-house by founder and owner Ola, a sustainable business and culinary arts grad, who is equally passionate about desserts and saving the planet. At Nabati you can find both traditional and unique flavors, such as Golden Scoop, Vanilla Mango Almond, and Rose Goji Pistachio. All flavors are free of refined sugars, gluten, soy, gums, and stabilizers. Nabati sources ingredients locally whenever possible and strives to eliminate waste by using biodegradable packaging and by offering a discount to those who bring their own containers.
Vegan Cuban Cuisine
Source: Miami New Times & Roberto Pastoriza/ @rpphotographics
Price – $$
Vegan Cuban Cuisine is a family-run restaurant that offers delicious, plant-based Cuban cuisine to the Miami community. What started as a family’s attempt at making their Cuban favorites vegan, has turned into a full menu of delicious and cruelty-free Cuban eats. Vegan Cuban Cuisine takes traditional Cuban dishes and makes them into delicious, vegan dishes that any eater would enjoy, such as the Cubano Sandwich with jackfruit and a variety of empanadas and croquetas. The team at Vegan Cuban Cuisine believes in showing the world that a vegan diet, which is better for our health and the environment, doesn’t have to feel restrictive. The restaurant, located in South Miami, is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is also available to provide catering for your next event.
Social Enterprise Shops
Wynwood Tribe
Source: Wynwood Tribe
Price – $$
Wynwood Tribe is a conscious and sustainable fashion marketplace that strives to support small communities, charities, and the environment. Located in the heart of Wynwood, Wynwood Tribe features over 50 sustainable and conscious brands from around the globe, which makes it the perfect place to find unique pieces for your wardrobe. The store looks to make the world a better place by supporting brands that are fair trade certified, eco-friendly, and support women empowerment. With its amazing selection of eco-friendly pieces, the shop is a popular spot for conscious consumers and has been featured in The Debris Free Oceans Eco-Fashion Show.
KREL Tropical Knitwear
Source: KREL
Price – $$
KREL Tropical Knitwear is a Miami-based sustainable fashion collection that features colorful, sexy, lightweight, body-conscious knitwear for tropical climates. Founded by fashion designer Karelle Levy in 2002, KREL uses a signature, seamless knit construction, known as “toobular construction”, to make body inclusive pieces that fit most body types. The colorful pieces are made using eco-friendly materials and processes with leftover yarn and scraps used to make bags, blankets, and toys. KREL Tropical Knitwear has a flagship store and atelier in Miami Ironside Detail and Design Center and has been featured in The Debris Free Oceans Eco-Fashion Show.
Verde Market
Source: Culture Crusaders
Price – $
Verde Market is a sustainable marketplace supplying the Miami community with a sustainable, waste-free way to shop for groceries and household items. With over 200 bulk items available for refill, all customers need to do is show up to Verde with a reusable container and fill it with as much of a product as they need. Shopping in bulk in this way is an amazing way to reduce unnecessary waste that so often comes along with shopping for groceries and self-care products. Verde Market believes in conscious consumerism and strives to supply products that are good for you and the environment. They have two locations, one in Midtown and one in South Miami.
Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique
Source: Lotus House
Price – $$
Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique is a thrift store and retail work program near Wynwood that works to improve the lives of women, youth, and children experiencing homelessness. The boutique has a wide range of incredible clothing, furniture, and collectible finds that range from designer and vintage to lightly used and brand new. Donated clothing items ensure that these women, youth, and children have the basic garments needed for interviews, work, and everyday life. Lotus House Thrift Chic Boutique also provides families with household goods and furniture items once they are ready to move out of the Lotus House shelter. Shopping at Lotus House is something to feel good about with all proceeds from purchases and donations going towards ending homelessness by helping to fund shelter, meals, and key services, such as counseling, employment, and education.
Little River Cooperative
Source: Little River Co-op
Price – $$
Little River Cooperative is a Miami-based, female-led team of farmers, growers, and educators. The co-op sells organic produce, plants, Florida pasture-raised eggs, local honey, bread, and fermented goods each Saturday morning at the Legion Park Farmers Market in the Upper Eastside of Miami. Little River recently partnered with AgriTrace Institute to help develop the agricultural area of Redland into a place where organic & community-based agriculture can thrive. With this partnership, Little River has an outdoor plant nursery at the PLK Estate in Redland, where they sell plants, soil, and gardening supplies on Saturdays.
Wynwood Marketplace
Source: Wynwood Marketplace & @walkerphotographyfl
Price – $
Wynwood Marketplace, presented by SWARM and Thrifter, is held every weekend in a 75,000+ square foot open-air venue in the heart of Miami’s colorful Wynwood Art District. The market hosts a wide variety of vendors, art installations, and restaurants, which makes it the perfect spot to grab a meal, play games, listen to music, take pictures, or just hang out with friends. In the heart of the market, you’ll find “the village”, which is the place to explore local vendors, grab a drink, and listen to local DJs perform on the dance floor. If you’re keen to shop rather than dance, the market features an interactive mural that features twelve different rotating local vendors and is the perfect place to support local artisans while getting a photo-op.
Dragonfly Thrift Boutique
Source: Miami New Times
Price – $
Dragonfly Thrift Boutique is a high-end resale store with an amazing mission. Located in Miami’s Little Havana, the boutique is part of the Ladies Empowerment & Action Program (LEAP), which is a nonprofit that teaches practical employment and empowerment skills to formerly incarcerated women. The Boutique provides meaningful job opportunities for these women, which leads to income, job experience, and references. Inside the boutique, shoppers can find women’s fashion, accessories, and home furnishings, and 100% of Dragonfly’s proceeds go towards supporting LEAP’s mission. You can also support their mission by donating items, volunteering, or becoming a LEAP mentor!
Pivot Market
Source: Pivot Market
Price – $$ – $$$$
Pivot Market is the First Sustainable Department Store in Miami and features sustainable clothing, accessories, and products made by sustainable brands and small, local businesses. Pivot’s online marketplace connects independent brands with boutique owners to create network and retail opportunities, which is increasingly important in today’s uncertain world. Consumers can browse the directory on the Pivot Mkt website to find independent brands, learn more about them, and find out where they might be “popping up” next. Pivot’s in-person market is now being transformed into a Museum of Sustainability, which is a curated experience celebrating how entrepreneurs, businesses, artists, influencers, and activists have responded to the growing concern of climate change.
Ethical Experiences
Biscayne National Park Institute
Source: Biscayne National Park Institute
Price – $$
The Biscayne National Park Institute is a partnership between Biscayne National Park and Florida National Parks Association that seeks to educate visitors and the general public about protecting natural and cultural resources. The Institute strives to promote environmental stewardship and has hosted beach clean-ups with nonprofit organization Debris Free Oceans. Through working with local guides and the national park, the Institute offers many exciting and educational tours, programs, and experiences for visitors to enjoy including Island Experiences, Paddling Adventures, Snorkeling Trips, and Sailing and Boat Cruises.
Everglades National Park
Source: Everglades National Park
Price Range – $$
Everglades National Park is an expansive park in South Florida that covers over 1.5 million acres of wetland and is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. With three entrances, the Northern end of the park is accessible via Miami or Everglades City. The park itself is a stunning oasis of a vast variety of flora and fauna in different ecosystems and offers a great reprieve from city life. Visitors can explore the extensive park via a variety of activities including hiking, biking, kayaking, and canoeing. Anhinga Trail is a short and accessible trail that gives visitors the chance to spot wildlife such as turtles, herons, and alligators.
Debris Free Oceans
Source: Debris Free Oceans
Price Range – $$
Debris Free Oceans is an organization based in Miami that seeks to eliminate marine debris from beaches, reefs, and oceans through its efforts in education, consulting, policy, research, and events. The organization hosts a variety of cleanups that give the community a chance to have some fun while making the world a little cleaner. Some of the cleanups include Keg & Klean, Pub Crawl & Pick Ups, Yoga Cleanup, and the SUP & Kayak Cleanup, which are unique ways to bridge service with responsible fun and physical activity. The organization also hosts annual SCUBA Cleanups and Biscayne National Park Snorkeling Cleanups to give the community a chance to explore the area’s natural beauty while improving the health of beaches and reefs. Biscayne Bay Boat Tour Cleanups are also available and are a great way to get a deeper education on why it’s important to protect the local marine environment.
Rescue a Reef Program
Source: Rescue a Reef
Price Range – $$
The University of Miami’s Rescue a Reef Program offers the incredible opportunity to assist university scientists for a day of coral restoration. Participants are brought along on a half-day research expedition, which includes two shallow-water dives (SCUBA or snorkel) to the program’s underwater coral nursery where colonies are collected and replanted onto wild reefs. In addition to gaining a first-hand education on the importance of coral reefs and coral reef conservation, participants have the opportunity to ask the coral reef experts questions during a Q&A.
Coconut Grove Organic Market
Source: Coconut Grove
Price Range – $$
Coconut Grove is an Organic Farmer’s Market held every Saturday on the corner of Grand Avenue & Margaret Street rain or shine! The market features a wide variety of organic fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, and raw vegan foods that are perfect for a grocery haul or a quick lunch. The market has a convenient salad bar and raw food deli that includes delicious salads, fruit medleys, pizzas, sauces, desserts, and more. The market even has an amazing assortment of exotic rarities from around the world. All products and produce are sustainably produced and are dependent on seasonal availability.
Oleta River State Park
Source: Oleta River State Park
Price Range – $$
Oleta River State Park is a 1,043 acre Florida State Park located on beautiful Biscayne Bay in Northeast Dade County, just thirty minutes from downtown Miami. Set along the scenic Oleta River, this state park is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy nature. As the largest urban park in the state, Oleta offers numerous activities for visitors to enjoy on land or water. Kayaking through gorgeous mangrove trails is one of the park’s unique offerings but there are many activities to enjoy at the park, such as fishing, camping, paddle boarding, snorkeling, and swimming. The park also includes 10 miles of intermediate mountain bike trails and bikes available to rent.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Source: John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Price Range – $$
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, established in 1963, is the first undersea park in the United States, encompassing 70 nautical square miles. Along with the adjacent Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the park covers nearly 178 nautical square miles of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove swamps. There are many unique opportunities offered at the park including a glass-bottom boat tour that allows visitors to experience the amazing coral reef and associated marine life! Visitors can also explore the expansive park through many adventure activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and canoeing.
Moon Market
Source: Moon Market
Price – $$
Moon Market is an eco-friendly market in Miami that partners with local businesses and creatives to provide sustainable products to the community. The mission at Moon Market is to bring awareness to the environmental impact of everyday habits and products and to provide local, sustainable alternatives. The market offers DIY workshops about sustainable living topics such as eco-friendly swaps, homemade personal care products, and more. With local vendors offering local produce, vegan food, natural products, crafts, plants, and more, Moon Market is a one-stop shop for the conscious consumer or anyone looking to learn more about sustainable products and practices.
Rise & SoulShine by Priti Yoga
Source: Priti Yoga
Price – $
Rise & SoulShine is a monthly yoga event held every 2nd Saturday of the month outside the Perez Art Museum. These vinyasa-style classes are hosted by Jessie Potter of Priti Yoga along with her business partner, Julianne Aerhee, and Vinchay Labs. The event started as a way to raise money for a campaign run benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society that was run by Jessie’s best friend. To this day, Rise & SoulShine donate earnings to different causes by partnering with different organizations each month. The classes, which overlook gorgeous Biscayne Bay, are a unique way to get some movement while exploring Miami and are often accompanied by live music. All you need to bring is yourself and a mat!
Deering Estate
Source: Greater Miami & the Beaches
Price – $$
The Deering Estate is a cultural asset and historic site preserving the estate of Charles Deering. Deering was a Chicago industrialist, early preservationist, environmentalist, art collector, and philanthropist and from 1913-1918, he purchased hundreds of acres of land where the Atlantic Rock Ridge meets the Biscayne Bay. Over the years, Deering brought in renowned Botanists David Fairchild and John Kunkle Small to restore the area’s natural environment. Located along the coast in South Dade, today the Deering Estate is a 21st Century museum that is open to the public and local residents and offers a variety of events, programs, tours, and classes throughout the year.
meet the author
Stephanie Stevens
Stephanie is a writer and photographer passionate about sustainable living, mindfulness, and exploring the outdoors. She loves microadventures but her favorite part about traveling abroad is immersing herself in other cultures. When she’s not writing, you can find her drinking coffee, playing soccer, or backpacking.
ecomadic 
This is awesome and Stephanie seems to have captured and written on the best of the best in this town. Thank you for beaming our town up so well. gail beckham – coconut grove
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