Green Businesses
Choose Businesses That Care for the Keys
The natural beauty of the Florida Keys is part of what makes being here so special. Across the island chain, local businesses are taking steps to conserve natural resources, reduce waste and help protect the waters and ecosystems around them.
You can be part of that effort. Use the listings below to find accommodations, restaurants, marinas, dive operators, fishing guides and other businesses recognized for environmentally responsible practices.
Find Green Businesses in the Florida Keys
Ready to make your trip a little greener? Browse the businesses below and use the filters to find participating places to stay, eat, dock, dive, and fish.
Green Lodging
Rest easy knowing your stay can make a difference. Florida Green Lodging properties are recognized for efforts to conserve resources such as water and energy and reduce waste. Look for the Green Lodging leaf when choosing where to stay in the Keys.
Blue Star Operators
Heading out on or under the water? Choose a Blue Star-certified dive operator or fishing guide. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s Blue Star program recognizes operators that help visitors enjoy diving, snorkeling and fishing while following practices that safeguard the Keys’ marine resources.
Clean Marinas
A day on the water starts at the dock. Clean Marina businesses help make environmentally responsible boating part of the Florida Keys experience. Use the listings below to find participating marinas throughout the island chain.
Ocean Friendly Restaurants
Make your next meal a little friendlier to the ocean. Ocean Friendly Restaurants are recognized for making choices designed to reduce waste and support healthier oceans.
Skip the Stuff
Sometimes less really is more. Restaurants and food trucks participating in Skip the Stuff help reduce single-use waste by providing items such as plastic utensils, straws and condiment packets only when customers ask for them.
Visitors can help, too. Simply say “no thanks” to the extras you don’t need.
Plastic Free Key West
Plastic Free Key West celebrates Key West businesses taking action to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, single-use plastics. Participating businesses make voluntary commitments to reduce plastic use through more sustainable choices.
Protect Our Seagrass
Seagrass beds are part of what makes Florida Keys waters so special. They also need a little help from boaters. Propellers can damage shallow seagrass beds, leaving scars behind. Check tide and navigational charts before you head out, and steer clear of shallow areas. A handy local reminder is: “Brown, brown, run aground. Blue, blue, sail on through."
Filters
Daily Plan-It
Creative event planning and destination management in Key West for unforgettable experiences.
Shade Ceramics and Shutter Photography
Shade & Shutter Key West is a serene, artisan gallery where handcrafted ceramics meet evocative nature photography.
7 Mile Cafe & Kava Bar
Espresso drinks, smoothie bowls and paninis at mile marker 30 on Big Pine Key, with a full kava bar working alongside the coffee counter. Doors open at 7 in the morning, which makes it an easy first stop before you go looking for Key deer or point the car toward Key West.
Grand Guesthouse
The Grand Guesthouse is an adults-only bed and breakfast in Key West, offering tropical-themed rooms with private entrances, complimentary continental breakfast, and a central location near Duval Street.
Square Grouper Bar & Grill and My New Joint
My New Joint in Cudjoe Key is a lively lounge offering craft cocktails, small plates, and live music in a fun, laid-back Florida Keys vibe.
Off the Charts!
Off the Charts! offers personalized fishing charters, eco-tours, and sandbar excursions aboard a 32' Whitewater center console in Key West. Led by a captain with over 40 years of experience, they provide all necessary gear, safety equipment, and fishing licenses are included.
The Hammocks at Marathon
The Hammocks at Marathon is a tropical resort offering spacious studios and 1- and 2-bedroom suites with full kitchens, balconies, and access to amenities like a heated pool, hot tub, tiki bar, and marina.
Sloppy Joe's Bar
A legendary Key West bar & live-music venue—Sloppy Joe’s offers tropical nightlife, cocktails, and island vibes since 1933.
Grassy Key Land and Sea Market
Butcher, fish house, bakery, and deli offering fresh, local fare in Grassy Key.
DiveN2Life
Dive N2 Life offers immersive scuba and freediving training programs for all levels.
Garlic Grater with Love
Garlic Grater with Love is a 14-year-old artisan brand crafting distinctive handmade ceramic garlic grater bowls and eco-friendly scrubbie sponges, found at the Key West Artisan Market at Higgs Beach and available online for those who want to bring a piece of handmade artistry home from the Keys.
Half Shell Raw Bar
Half Shell Raw Bar is a waterfront seafood institution at 231 Margaret Street on the Key West Historic Seaport, serving broiled garlic oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp, conch ceviche, and daily fresh catches. Watch the boats and pelicans roll by while you dig in.
Date & Thyme Organic Cafe and Market
Date & Thyme is an organic cafe and market on Fleming Street in Key West, serving fresh juices, smoothies, and vegan and gluten-free friendly plates. Short: Date & Thyme is an organic cafe and market at 829 Fleming Street in Key West, serving fresh juices, smoothies, breakfast, and lunch with plenty of vegan and gluten-free friendly options. Certified Plastic Free 305, it is a wholesome stop for grab-and-go island fuel.
Sea Bird Marina
A working marina at mile marker 69.5 on Long Key with a ramp that handles boats up to 38 feet, ethanol free fuel, gated trailer parking and center consoles to rent. Check the calendar first though: they are closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Silent World Dive Center
Explore the serene underwater world of Key Largo with expert scuba and snorkeling tours.