Bienvenido to Tulum, the unofficial vegan capital of Mexico!
Tulum is packed full of vegan restaurants, taco stands, and conscious shops. Even the non-vegan restaurants here are likely to provide you with a vegan choice.
I was lucky enough to spend months in Tulum eating my way through the endless amounts of delicious vegan options.
Why visit Tulum?
I don't consider myself overly well-traveled in Mexico. I have visited Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and Playa del Carmen. None of these places ever truly appealed to me and I was beginning to think Mexico wasn't the place for me - until I came to Tulum.
Tulum is unlike Mexico's other major tourist destinations. There is a calmer laidback vibe, with less traffic, more natural beauty, and enough art to make you never want to leave.
Not to mention the vegan scene.
Tulum is also home to an extraordinary amount of vegan food for Mexico. Sure, Playa del Carmen has a flourishing vegan scene too - but it's more compact and in your face in Tulum - and I love it.
Top reasons to visit Tulum:
- Less traffic, fewer crowds
- Better food
- Access to nearby cenotes
- Tulum ruins on your doorstep
- Incredible street art
Getting to Tulum
The closest airport to Tulum is Cancun.
Tulum is located approximately 75 miles from Cancun Airport and a bus will take about 2 hours to get there and a private cab about 1.5 hours, give or take.
I recommend traveling by Ado Bus, a reliable and very cheap bus company that operates all around Mexico.
If you opt for a private cab, you'll find hordes of drivers waiting outside the airport. Remember to negotiate a price before you get into the cab.
Do you have a stop-over in Cancun?
Check out our vegan guide to Cancun.
Food delivery in Tulum
Unlike other areas of Mexico, Uber EATS isn't available in Tulum.
Instead, the app called Tomato.MX is what's used for food delivery in Tulum.
You can get food, pharmacy and shop deliveries through Tomato.MX, and it can be a real lifesaver in bad weather.
Search "vegan" through the app to get a breakdown of vegan delivery options.
Vegan grocery store options
Gypsea Market
The best place in Tulum to get vegan groceries is Gypsea Market, but this is definitely a place where quality comes at a price.
Gypsea Market is located in La Veleta just outside of Tulum town.
Some of the vegan items available at Gypsea Market include:
- Beyond Meat products
- Wide range of vegan cheeses
- Fresh produce
- Cruelty-free beauty products
As mentioned, Gypsea Market is a great place but can become very expensive. A block of vegan cheese can cost you $10 there, so if you're budget-conscious, you might want to shop at the main supermarkets in town.
Tulum Supermarkets
The two main grocery stores in Tulum are Chedruai and Super Aki.
Chedraui has a wider range of vegan options, whereas Super Aki is limited when it comes to plant-based foods.
Chedraui has most of the basics you need for a decent vegan kitchen, but it does lack when it comes to vegan specialty options.
Some vegan items you can get from Chedraui include:
- Daiya vegan cheeses
- Tofu
- Seitan pieces (frozen)
- Veggie burgers
The best vegan restaurants in Tulum
It's not hard to find tasty vegan food in Tulum.
Unlike other parts of Mexico, veganism is widely understood and catered for in Tulum, so even a lot of non-vegan restaurants will provide vegan options.
However, the vegan eats below are the best finds, in my humble opinion.
El Bajon Vegan Tacos
Tulum's best [budget] vegan tacos!
Vegan tacos are everywhere in Tulum, so it's not easy to choose a favorite.
However, El Bajon's vegan tacos ticked all the boxes for me - they're cheap, delicious, and authentic.
You can order soy-spinach ball tacos, chickpea and jackfruit tacos - and they're all extremely tasty.
When it comes to eating Mexican vegan style - El Bajon is what I'm taco' about.
Aguacate Limon
Tulum's best crispy burger
When it comes to Tulum's best vegan eats, Aguacate Limon is probably my favorite.
The owner is a passionate vegan who serves up unbelievable crispy oyster mushroom burgers, which taste similar to KFC. Trust me, you have to taste these to believe them.
If that's not enough, they make incredible vegan tacos too - and it's one of the most affordable vegan restaurants in Tulum.
Don't miss it!
La Cordobesita Tulum
Tulum's best vegan truck stand!
Vegan restaurants are nice, but nothing beats cheap eats from local food stands.
La Cordobeista gives vegans the opportunity to pull up a plastic stool and eat greasy street food the way it was intended.
Special shoutout to the friendly guys who run this truck too.
La Cordobeista opens in the afternoon and stays open until late.
La Hoja Verde
Tulum's best [fancy] tacos!
It's hard to miss La Hoja Verde, which is located right off Tulum's main street.
This isn't your budget-friendly vegan restaurant, but I highly recommend you eat here at least once.
At first, I was a little skeptical about paying $100 pesos for three tacos. But once they arrived, stacked full of soy-meat (pastor and barbacoa), grilled mushrooms and guacamole, I knew I'd made a good decision.
I ordered three more they were so tasty.
Roraima
Tulum's best [budget] vegan burgers!
Hands down the best place to get a vegan burger in Tulum.
This small local burger restaurant serves up cheap and tasty burgers and cooks up two vegan options - and you can't go wrong with them.
Roraima is a burger joint that has a raw Mexican feel to it.
Raw Love
Tulum's best raw vegan food!
Raw Love has become almost an icon in Tulum.
There are two restaurants in Tulum. The first is an "influencer" magnet on the beachside of Tulum, and the other is a much smaller restaurant in Tulum town.
The food here is incredible, but be mindful it's quite expensive.
Laylo Vegan Lounge
Tulum's best vegan lounge!
Laylo is a small vegan restaurant/bar with a cool laidback vibe.
You can order a wide range of food here, and I highly recommend the beetroot burger which was perfect.
You can make your own power bowls here too.
It's not as cheap as eating street tacos, but you won't be disappointed.
Suculenta Tamaleria
Tulum's best vegan tamales!
If you're looking for traditional vegan tamales, you're in luck.
Suculenta is located right across the road from El Bajon in a nice little vegan area.
The tamales are traditionally steamed in plant leaves and come with a variety of spices.
Pasha
Tulum's best middle-eastern food!
Pasha is an experience all around.
The authentic middle-eastern restaurant is located in Downtown Tulum, a short walk from Burrito Amor.
The restaurant itself has a great vibe with plenty of seating on the cushioned floor or tables.
As for food, Pasha serves up an incredible platter, which their staff was very willing to make vegan for us.
Altogether we had about 10 different plates on our table including falafel, hummus, eggplant and salads.
Burrito Amor
Tulum's best burritos!
Burrito Amor is an icon in Tulum and cannot be skipped.
This is where you come for a burrito, vegan, or not.
Wrapped in banana leaves, the vegan burrito comes with cactus, mayan spinach, black beans, rice, pico de gallo and avocado with epazote dressing.
The result? Probably the best burrito you've had in a while.
El Vegetariano, Mar y Tierra
Tulum's best guacamole!
El Vegetarino is a great choice for selection.
Everything is vegan or vegetarian, which can be made vegan.
They often have deals running, like 4 tacos for 70 pesos. However, I preferred their falafel in pita.
Their burgers, including the beyond burger, are popular here.
Note: Google maps puts El Vegetariano a block away from its real location.
Taqueria Honorio
Tulum's best local vibe!
Taqueria Honerio is a bustling local Mexican restaurant that's always busy.
While not vegan, their vegetarian options, which contain avocado, lettuce, tomato, salsa, cheese and egg, and tortas can easily be veganized leaving out the cheese and egg.
And while that might not sound exciting, the tacos and tortas are actually delicious.
You'll often need to wait outside the restaurant for a spot to open up. Just leave your name with staff and they call names in order.
Co.Con Amor
Tulum's best vegan brunch!
Co.Con Amor is a laidback open-spaced restaurant with a bunch of vegan options.
I highly recommend visiting here for brunch. Their scrambled tofu is great value and delicious.
If you're visiting for dinner, you can get cauliflower in steak sauce and they have some pretty tasty desserts too.
Burritos Street
Tulum's best vegan street burrito!
This burrito street stand offers a vegan burrito option - and it's not bad.
The vegan burrito contains cactus, celery, squash, broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper, purple onion, beans and rice.
While the burrito lacks some iconic "burrito stables" (where's the guac?) and has some interesting inclusions like broccoli and squash, it still works.
Good Burger
Tulum's best [premium] burger joint!
Good Burger definitely does a good burger.
This centrally located burger joint serves up beyond burgers.
Ordering a vegan burger and fries was the most I spent on a meal in Tulum, but if you're willing to fork the bill, the burger was delicious.
*Note: Staff served me non-vegan mayo with my fries. Make sure to check the entire meal is vegan.
The Pitted Date
Tulum's best breakfast burrito!
The Pitted Date serves up incredible vegan food in Aldea Zama, a short bicycle ride from Tulum town.
While it's not exactly cheap, you won't be disappointed by the quality of food here.
The menu is the same as its sister restaurant in Playa del Carmen.
Matcha Mama
Tulum's best smoothies!
Matcha Mama has some incredibly delicious smoothie bowls in an equally stunning restaurant.
You can get both smoothies and smoothie bowls here and eat them while swinging on swing-chairs.
Matcha Mama is definitely a popular spot for would-be influencers, but their smoothies are the real stars.
Shiva
Best Indian food in Tulum!
Unfortunately, Tulum doesn't have many Indian options.
The only choice is Shiva, an authentic Indian restaurant located opposite Raw Love, on the beachside of town.
To our utter dismay, Shiva was closed during our visit to Tulum. However, from reviews and photos, the food looks incredible.
Amaranto Restaurante
Tulum's best stuffed pepper!
Amaranto is a good option if you're looking for something a little different.
This small vegetarian/vegan restaurant has a bunch of options and is located next door to Roraima Burgers.
I ordered the stuffed-pepper, which definitely didn't disappoint.
Tierra
Tierra was my worst experience in Tulum, in fact, I didn't even get to ordering here before I left.
All I'll say is a staff member was extremely rude to the point I walked out.
The restaurant is located inside Holistika, a sort of "wellness" retreat on the outside of Tulum town.
While the restaurant is touted as vegan and "cruelty-free" on their website, it's actually not completely vegan or cruelty-free, but they do have vegan options.
So, while I can't speak for the food itself, the service and mislabeling of their restaurant are enough for me to be happy about avoiding it.
Did I miss any amazing vegan eats in Tulum?
Let me know in the comments!
Tulum vegan events
Tulum Vegan Festival
The Tulum Vegan Festival is a three-day event covering food, yoga and music.
The event is held on January 27-29 and locations change daily.
Pre-booked festival passes cost 500 pesos or 550 on the day.
Learn more about the Tulum Vegan Festival here.
Do you want to cook like a professional vegan chef?
We've teamed up with Veecoco, a professional online vegan cooking school, to give you 7 days FREE access to all their vegan courses right to your own devices.
To start cooking plant-based meals like a professional claim your free trial here.
No one likes to think about it, but traveling in Mexico can have risks. By covering yourself with the right travel insurance, you can enjoy the world without worries.
I recommend World Nomads as my favorite travel insurance provider.
More Mexican Guides
