How to Eat Vegan in Baja, Mexico

It’s no secret that eating a plant based diet in Mexico might be a challenge, but I didn’t realize that being vegan in Baja would be a whole other challenge. Baja California and Baja California Sur might have the appearance of being more touristy and trafficked than mainland Mexico, but the truth is, Baja is way more remote, making it harder for plant based travelers to find food.

I recently did a road trip through Baja and Baja Sur, hitting many of the major cities. I’ve been vegan for 3 and a half years, and Mexico was the first place I’ve traveled to in 2 years of full time travel, where I felt like it was genuinely difficult to be vegan. That being said, it definitely wasn’t impossible!

My main tip is to have access to some sort of cooking facility, especially in Baja Norte. The Northern state of Baja is considerably more remote once you leave areas like Tijuana and Ensenada and head south. I would suggest carrying a small camp stove if you’ll be camping, or staying in hostels, which almost always have a kitchen you can use.

Vegan Street Tacos in Loreto

The Basics

Trying to eat plant based in Mexico is hard, especially when you don’t speak a lot of Spanish. My go to was “Soy Vegana,” meaning “I am vegan,” when I ate out at vegetarian places, and at regular restaurants, say, “Sin carne, sin queso, sin heuvos, sin leche,” meaning “without meat, cheese, eggs, or milk.” The main risk you’re taking is that beans and even rice may have lard in them. You can ask by learning the word for lard, which is, “Manteca de cerdo.” I also found it helpful to know the words for beans, rice, and avocado, which are: frijoles, arroz, y aguacate.

Another amazing fact about being vegan in Baja is that corn tortillas are always vegan by default. Flour Tortillas usually have lard in them. Also, it’s worth it to ask about fabrics in souvenir shops, because some blankets and sweaters are made with wool instead of cotton.

Vegan Waffles in Loreto

Eating Vegan in Baja Norte

Baja Norte is the northern part of Baja California. Like I said, it’s a lot more remote than Baja Sur. The easiest way to be vegan in Baja Norte is to buy groceries along the way and cook for yourself. There are lots of opportunities to buy groceries along your route, but I’d suggest stocking up before going to places like Puertecitos, Bahia de Los Angeles, and through the coastal desert on the Pacific side.

We loved grocery stores like Calimax for getting local groceries, and even found plenty of organic produce. There are also fruterias, tortillarillas, and other local spots like a juice shop I happened upon in San Felipe, that were worth stopping at for local fresh produce and food.

Eating Vegan in Baja Sur

Baja Sur is a lot more fun when it comes to eating plant based. There is usually at least one vegetarian spot in town, or at least a restaurant with vegan options. These are my favorite spots to eat in each major town we stopped at in Baja Sur.

Guerro Negro

Guerro Negro is the first spot you’ll hit during your trip south when you cross the state line into Baja Sur. While this town isn’t a lot to write home about, it was the first city I visited in Mexico that had a vegetarian restaurant. It’s called Soy Salud, and it’s woman owned and operated, and she was so nice when I explained (via Google Translate) that I was vegan and happy to eat anything. $6 USD got me a three course meal, including rice and beans, soup, and a taco.

Muluge

Muluge is forever going to be one of my favorite towns in Mexico. It’s amazing for walking, souvenir shopping, and beach camping. There was also one restaurant in town called Los Epiquales, where I was able to get a huge vegan meal for only $8 USD. It included a salad, a bean taquito, rice, beans, a taco, and more! Simply tell them “soy vegana” and you’re good to go!

Amazing food spread from Los Epiquales in Muluge

Loreto

Loreto is by far the most vegan friendly city I’ve visited in Baja, Mexico. It not only had the first all vegan spot we found, but it had lots of vegan options throughout the city. My favorite spot was Waicura. It had incredible Mexican food (I had the Chilequiles), and even American-style breakfast options like vegan waffles and French toast.

Loreto had tons of vegan options though, and we loved going to Snacks 22 and The Green Shack for small lunches while we walked around town. There was also an unnamed taco stand near the square that had vegan bairilla style tacos!

Chilequiles from Waicura in Loreto

Todos Santos

Todos Santos was one of the most touristy cities we went to, and I thought they’d have better vegan options than they do. I was able to find an awesome smoothie bowl place called Pura Vida, which was a great way to fuel myself before heading to the beach!

Smoothie bowl made with local produce from Pura Vida in Todos Santos

While Baja isn’t the most vegan friendly travel destination, that doesn’t mean there aren’t options. I always say, it’s easy to be vegan anywhere as long as you’re willing to cook and do your research first!

Top 6 Must See Places in Baja, Mexico

Baja is a dream destination for many, and for those of us who love road tripping, it’s a place to cross off the road trip bucket list one day. There are so many beautiful places in Baja California and Baja California Sur, Mexico, from beautiful clear blue waters, to unique coastal towns, to wildlife hotspots. These are the best places to stop at during your trip to Baja and everything you should do while you’re there.

Puertecitos

While on its surface, Puertecitos is a fairly simple town in Baja Norte, it’s home to one of the most unique hot springs I’ve ever experienced. Right at sunrise and sunset is the only time you can visit because these hot springs depend on the tides of the Sea of Cortez. At low tide, you’ll be able to access these hot springs, but if you’re too late, they might be too hot! The trick is finding that sweet spot so you can soak in the beauty around you!

Guerro Negro

Guerro Negro is the northernmost town in Baja Sur. While it doesn’t have a ton to offer in the town itself, it’s a place that holds 3 world records: the largest grey whale population, the largest osprey population, and the largest salt works in the world.

Guerro Negro is known for its whale tours, and salt tours, both running daily to teach about the unique history of this small Mexican town. We took a 4 hour whale tour with Malerrimo Eco Tours (in March) and ended up surrounded by thousands of whales! Before you book a tour, make sure that you pick one with little or no environmental strikes. Malerrimo’s had the least in the area, which is why we chose them, and it was a great experience!

Mulege

Mulege was the first town we visited that felt like the true Baja that everyone talks about. Between amazing architecture, adorable shops, a tropical campground, easy beach access, and a gorgeous Mission with a river view, Mulege was a place I easily could’ve stayed for a long time. If you’re only passing through, make sure you walk around town, and visit the Mission de Mulege so you can see the view of the town and the river from above.

Bahia de Concepcion

Bahia de Concepcion was easily my favorite place in all of Baja when it came to nature. This area is the large bay in between Mulege and Loreto, and you’ll pass it no matter what going both north and south. This is an area full of affordable campgrounds, kayak rentals, tropical views, and crystal clear blue waters. We spent our time here near Playa Escondido, but there are plenty of beautiful beaches to experience, and they’re all unique. The best things to do here are to get out on or in the water. Rent a kayak or paddle board, break out your snorkeling gear, or simply enjoy the serene blue calm of the Sea of Cortez.

Loreto

Of all the towns we visited, Loreto was my favorite. Aside from being the safest town in Baja, Loreto is adorable, super walkable, and right near the ocean. It was also the place with the best food on our whole trip. Loreto has options for everyone, whether you’re plant based or someone who likes to try a little bit of everything! We frequented the vegan restaurant, Waicura during our time in Loreto and enjoyed eating the local Mexican ingredients used in a unique, plant based way. Loreto is also an amazing spot to do boat tours to the nearby islands!

Todos Santos

Todos Santos was our last stop on our trip south, and it was one of the best spots we stopped at. This is your hotspot for trendy restaurants, photo ops, souvenirs, and even sea turtle hatchings if you’re there at the right time. Todos Santos is also home to Hotel California, one of the most popular photo opportunities in the town. Make sure you check out the Bazaar, and explore the streets to look for unique street art!

Currently planning your Baja Road Trip? Click HERE to find out everything you need to cross the border!

How to Prepare for Your Baja Road Trip

So, you’re thinking about road tripping Baja California and Baja California Sur, Mexico? Even for the veteran road tripper, crossing the US-Mexican border requires a lot of extra steps. From documents, to passports, to ridding your vehicle of things that are illegal to have in Mexico, there’s a lot more to do before your Baja Road Trip than any road trip within the Lower 48. This is everything we did before our road trip through Baja.

Necessary Documents:

The first thing you absolutely need to have for any safe and secure Baja road trip, is a valid passport. Many people will tell you that you can visit Baja without a passport, but don’t risk it, and make sure your passport doesn’t expire within 6 months of you crossing the border into Mexico, or it isn’t considered valid.

The next thing you’ll absolutely need to drive your US vehicle in Mexico is Mexican car insurance. There are plenty of different companies to buy this through, so figure out which has the best plan for you based on how long you think you’ll want to spend in Mexico.

A vehicle import permit is not required for Baja, however, if you plan on ferrying to the mainland at any point during your trip, you will need to pay this at the border. This is basically a promise to the US that your vehicle will be returned to your home country at the end of your trip.

Many people will also argue about the importance of having an FMM tourist visa as well, but just like the passport, don’t risk it. You can purchase this either online (but make sure you print your receipt), or at the border. We chose to do ours at the border, and it was easier than any other part of our border crossing. This is a 6 month tourist visa, and it costs $32 USD per person to purchase.

Veterinary records are also not necessarily required by the border, but we chose to print ours out, just in case either the borders asked for them, or we needed to see a vet for our dog while in Mexico. Some borders (like Tijuana) require that your dog is in a clean pet carrier to cross, but others don’t enforce this (like Mexicali, where we crossed).

Find Out What You Can’t Bring to Mexico:

There are a lot of things that you can’t or aren’t supposed to bring to Mexico. The items we chose to leave behind, either because they weren’t allowed, or the rules weren’t clear included:

·       CBD (including pet CBD)

·       Bear Spray and Pepper Spray

·       Peat Moss for our composting toilet

·       Fresh fruits and veggies

·       Alcohol

·       Firewood

Our friends also had issues bringing expensive camera gear across the border, and were required to pay an extra fee to bring their drone into Baja. Be prepared for anything!

Decide on a Border Crossing

There are three direct border crossings into Baja: Tijuana, Tecate, and Mexicali.

We chose to cross at Mexicali because it has short lines, and less strict rules about pets than Tijuana. Tijuana tends to have long lines, and because it’s located in a chaotic city, it may be harder to navigate. The Tecate border crossing seems convenient, but it also has long lines, and closes at 2pm everyday, so many people don’t make it through even when they’ve been waiting in line.

Now, you’re ready to cross the border. Decide on your first stop before getting through the border crossing, in case they ask, or you get stopped at a Military Checkpoint (routine checks to make sure you’re traveling legally), and have fun! Bienvenidos A Mexico!