Sustainable Travel, Eco-Tourism & Eco-Friendly Dining Destinations in South Florida for Earth Month
As we witness an increase in gas prices and a push to reduce carbon emissions, Earth Month (April) serves as a reminder to preserve our planet through eco-conscious and intentional action toward living a more sustainable life.
We have curated the guide below with options for car-free travel, nature walks, eco-friendly dining and sustainable hotel stays across South Florida.
Sustainable Travel
Sustainable Hotels that Give Back: The Gabriel Miami + The Gabriel South Beach
The Gabriel Miami and The Gabriel South Beach are among the first hotels to be part of Conscious Certified Hotels (CCH), an ESG platform created by CGI Merchant Group, with a commitment to social, health and environmental consciousness. The Gabriel South Beach, for example, has ensured zero single-use plastic – exceeding the compliance requirements of the City of Miami Beach. The hotel has also invested in renewable energy certificates (RECs) for 2022. The Gabriel Miami, located in Downtown Miami, offers an electric vehicle (EV) charging station on-site and supports sustainable transportation via its branded Gabriel bicycles, also available at The Gabriel South Beach.
Eco-Tourism
Eco-Adventures at Hillsboro Beach Resort
Hillsboro Beach Resort, known for exclusivity and privacy, is the only resort located on exclusive Hillsboro Mile in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Guests can enjoy ocean views and birdwatching from the resort pool or new restaurant Roí and even immerse themselves in the property’s eco-adventures to celebrate Earth month. Tucked away in a tranquil area among luxury residences, its private beach is lightly traveled and perfect for sea turtle walks with a local guide during nesting season this spring. Guests are invited to hop on kayaks or paddle boards for a fun day out in the water. They can grab resort bicycles for a ride down “Millionaire’s Mile” for a sustainable, relaxing means to sightsee, and even venture to the historic Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse.
Rid Miami Beach of Plastic and Litter with Shelborne South Beach Hotel
The Shelborne South Beach Hotel is joining forces with Clean Miami Beach as sponsor for an Earth Day Beach Cleanup on Saturday, April 16th, 2022, from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the beach by 21st Street and 2100 Collins Ave, Miami Beach. Clean Miami Beach is dedicated to keeping Miami Beach and its natural habitats free of garbage and harmful pollutants with a focus on single-use plastics.
Protect the reefs with The Marker Key West Harbor Resort during a Key West Clean Up Competition
In the spirit of a friendly competition in honor of Earth Day, The Marker Key West Harbor Resort is partnering with Reef Relief, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to improving and protecting the coral reef ecosystem, for a clean up event in Key West on April 22. This will be a friendly competition among local hotels to determine which team can pick up the most debris by 2 p.m. that day.
Eco-Friendly Dining Experiences
Chef Niven Patel – four-time James Beard Award nominee and one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs of 2020 – is welcoming guests to his very own Homestead farm, Rancho Patel, for an intimate farm-to-table experience in Miami. The three-course family-style meal includes cocktails and wine pairings – all set to the rustic natural backdrop of the farm.
Eco-Friendly Brewery Tour at EST.33 Thai Craft Kitchen and Brewery in Miami
Centrally located in Miami’s pedestrian-friendly Brickell neighborhood, EST. 33 Thai Craft Brewery & Kitchen is the only microbrewery in the area. Head brewer Todd Space, a former biology teacher, works hard to practice sustainability when possible, and offers complimentary beer tours to guests. EST. 33 sends all spent grain to a local farmer, which is used to feed goats, cows and pigs. Locals and visitors in the area can protect their wallet and environment by taking the free metro-mover to EST. 33, which stops directly at Brickell City Centre, where EST. 33 is located.
Romantic Electric Boat Ride along Las Olas
Voted Best Asian Restaurant by Fort Lauderdale Magazine in 2020 and 2021, Casa Sensei brilliantly blends traditional Latin American cuisine with Pan-Asian staples to create the best of both worlds. Patrons can reserve a private dinner cruise on one of Riverfront Gondola Tours’ eco-friendly and electric-powered boats that seat up to six people catered by . The 90-minute gondola ride offers views of stunning waterfront homes, tropical foliage and South Florida wildlife, including manatees, peacocks, iguanas, exotic birds and other animals in their natural habitat, perfect for being surrounded by nature on Earth Day!