A Traveler’s Guide to Eating Vegan in Mexico

Are you up for some armchair travel? Enjoy this guest post by Isabella Biava of Boundless Roads, a traveler’s guide to eating vegan in Mexico.

Photo: Macai Superfood deli in Queretaro, Mexico

I’ve been living in Mexico for the past 7 years (in Cancun) and I am now traveling around this incredible region of the world. As I move on, I’m collecting information on vegan and vegan friendly places in many different cities in Mexico.

This roundup also includes posts from other travelers who liked me have been around the country and are kindly sharing their thoughts.

Please mind that this is a work in progress so I will continue to update the page with more cities and tips. For the full listing, go to Vegan Restaurants in Mexico. Here’s a sampling from this listing:

Guanajuato

In my 2 weeks spent in the beautiful colonial city of Guanajuato, aside from visiting museums, churches, and walking around the narrow streets, I enjoyed trying out the vegan restaurants that I knew about. There aren’t a lot of them, but here is my review of the ones I’ve tried.

If you’ve tried other vegan restaurants in Guanajuato that aren’t listed here, please feel free to let me know I will be happy to add them. Read more about vegan restaurants in Guanajuato.

Suwa in Queretaro / photo: Isabella Biava

Queretaro

I have been wandering around Queretaro, fascinated by the historical buildings, the baroque architecture of the churches and … by the number of vegan restaurants and vegan-friendly options in other eateries. It is definitely a veggie-forward city.

The city is an open-air museum — the historical centre is full of ancient buildings, old churches, and museums. But if you know me, the real reason why I have fallen in love is that I found an organic shop that sells vegan goods, and a new cute café in my favorite style — all grey and wooden —  from which I am wrote this post. Learn more about vegan options in Queretaro.

Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta has been a sweet surprise in so many ways, one of which was the culinary offer the city boasts. You will find such a variety of restaurants for every kind of palates and many of them would almost always have a vegan option.

I have searched for real vegan and vegetarian ones though and tried many of them. Therefore I am offering here my reviews with the hope to help you find your way around Puerto Vallarta restaurants if you are a plant-based eater.

Xalapa

One of the things that surprised me the most and made me even more grateful about  the city was  finding  some vegan restaurants. I counted maybe three or four, but that’s still a lot for a small city in a culture of meat eaters. 

Considering that Xalapa is in a remote and non-touristy area of Mexico where a vegan or vegetarian is still looked at as a weirdo, it’s nice to have even three good vegan restaurants to choose from. Here’s where they are and what they offer. 

And now, for some general tips for traveling in Mexico as a vegan …

Photo: Isabella Biava

How to Stay Vegan and Healthy When Traveling in Mexico

When you travel, especially on a budget, it’s difficult to stay faithful to your lifestyle, either because you’re on a tour up in the mountains, there are people preparing food for your group, and you don’t want to be picky; or because you’re hanging out with people and you are tempted to ditch your diet and eat whatever there is on the table. Or, you simply can’t find anything healthy available.

But don’t despair, because these days, if you travel to big cities or tourist destinations, you’ll easily find vegan and vegetarian options, as well as gluten-free fare. There’s a lot going on in Mexico that’s veg-friendly, and the food culture is changing. Here are some tips to stay vegan and in good health while traveling in Mexico.

If you liked this sampling of vegan eateries in Mexico,
you might also enjoy …

Vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Tijuana, Mexico