A few years ago Aaron and I had the opportunity to visit an old high school friend of mine in Playa Del Carmen. Her husband works in hospitality & at the time was the GM of Food and Beverage at the Grand Hyatt PDC, Mexico. So when my girlfriend reached out and asked if we were planning a vacation anytime soon and suggested we come visit them in Playa, we pretty much jumped on the opportunity.
We ended up staying at the beautiful Grand Hyatt hotel and were so fortunate to get a lovely room upgrade. The hotel is modern with lots of rustic ruins & beachy charm. Never having been to this area before we didn’t know exactly what to expect or where our location truly was.
It turned out for us that this hotel was in the most perfect location. Many of the other resorts are located outside of the main strip so there’s less opportunities to leave the resort and explore. Fortunately for us, our hotel was right on the main strip by all of the amazing restaurants, shops, & entertainment.
I would 100% stay at this hotel again even if just for location alone but they also happen to have a beautiful groomed beach with cabanas & beach service, and two gorgeous infinity pools & tanning decks.
And their staff was incredibly friendly and attentive. We didn’t eat much at the hotel even though they have a couple of restaurants within. We preferred going to grab lunches and dinners at the local vegan restaurants.
Aaron and I do a little bit of restaurant research before any of our adventures. We always like to make sure there’s a few spots nearby where we can eat. If you’d like to checkout my easy ways to find vegan stuff near you, my article on Supporting Local might be of use to you. (I share a bunch of tips for finding vegan places around you)
We actually had no idea that we were in quite the little vegan Mecca.
Our first day there we went for a little walk to familiarize ourselves & we stumbled upon one of my fave vegan restaurant/cafés of all time and it was literally around the corner from our hotel.
1. The Pitted Date
Avenida CTM Mz 174 Lote 1,2 y 3 Local 6, Zazil-ha, 77720 Playa del Carmen, Q.R., Mexico (They also have a second location in Tulum now 🎉)
Atmosphere: This place has a clean fresh vibe with lots of white walls, wood counters & table tops, & greenery. When we were there it was quite small with only a few tables inside & a few outdoors. From the looks of it online they’ve expanded!
We were fortunate enough to meet the owner while there and she was very lovely. I actually connected with her on a shared personal trauma and was really inspired by her ability to take her trauma and move to a foreign country & build such an impressive business. I’m so happy to see that her restaurants are doing so well!
The Food: I don’t know about y’all but I looooooooove croissants. Not sweet croissants but savoury, puffy, squishy, soft & slightly salty croissants. So when I saw that The Pitted Date had a croissant sandwich I was already impressed 😹
They make their own vegan egg in house which is actually super yummy & you can order different types of vegan omelettes too. Their food is always super fresh & healthy.
Overall Rating: 5/5 – If I lived beside this place I would eat here every day for lunch!
Get The: Croissant Sandwich or the Breakfast Panini
Fortunately for us we noticed that right beside The Pitted Date was another vegan restaurant. This one was called Bio Organicos & everything they make is vegan/vegetarian (they do have some egg dishes) and organic! So we decided that we would have dinner there that night, Score!!!
2. Bio Organicos
Calle 26, entre Quinta y 10, Playa del Carmen.
Atmosphere: Super chill! There’s seating indoors or right outside in front where you can watch all of the hustle and bustle of the little street. I really enjoyed sitting out front and watching the mopeds and foot traffic strolling past.
They have a little counter inside where you can also order some made to go items & cold beverages.
The Food: So tasty & so healthy. That night we ordered their Tortilla Soup and it was the most delicious tortilla soup I’ve ever had. We’ve since tried to replicate it but there’s something about the fresh Mexican ingredients that make it so incredible. Everything else was super tasty but that soup really stood out.
Overall Rating: 5/5 – I had zero complaints. The service was always wonderful as was the food.
Get The: Tortilla Soup or Hibiscus Flower Tacos (These were incredible!)
Most of the days we spent laying by the pool or beach where we would have light lunches like fruit bowls, chips & guac, & smoothies etc. My gf would come visit us and hangout which was a dream. The water felt amazing & everything was pretty perfect.
We did plan two days in Tulum where we met up with a couple different friends of ours for some different excursions. What’s a trip to Mexico if you don’t get to go visit some Cenotes or Temple Ruins or off-road to your own private beach?
The ruins in Tulum were so beautiful & impressive. We were able to walk the entire grounds in just a few hours.
One thing to note: Be mindful of the signs, if you accidentally exit the trail grounds they will not let you back in and you will have to buy an entirely new entry ticket. 😅
They also have a stunning little beach with crystal blue/green water so bring/wear your swimsuit to have a refreshing little dip.
Tulum is a wonderful little hippie/nomad/escapist/yogi town so it was right up our alley. Next time we visit we’re planning on staying in Tulum exclusively to really immerse in it’s vibes.
There is an incredible vegan taco joint in Tulum that we again, just stumbled on and we were so happy we did. The tacos and atmosphere were complete perfection.
3. Charly’s Vegan Tacos
Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km 10.5, Tulum Beach, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico
(They also now have a location in Miami too 🎉)
Atmosphere: This place is incredible! It’s like a bohemian dinner dream, completely hidden within the beach jungle, all of the tables are set in the sand where you can kick off your sandals while you eat and feel that good cool sand in-between your toes.
The place is massive and there is a ton of seating with romantic string lights hung from all of the trees. And there is beach access behind the resto/hotel if you want to grab your tacos to go.
The Food: The best tacos I’ve ever had. Legit incredible, fresh, delicious & loaded with the perfect amount of stuff!
Overall Rating: 5/5 – Another vegan restaurant I’d live at if I lived too near 😹
Get The: One of each of the tacos, there’s 4 and they’re the perfect size to enjoy each one!
Heading back to Playa for a few more days we of course frequented The Pitted Date again and again but we found another super yummy vegan restaurant about a block away and again, we were super impressed with the food.
4. The Bio & Natural
BIRD. 10 BETWEEN CONSTITUENTS AND 16 NORTH.
Atmosphere: I will say the vibe of this place was very similar to Bio Organicos. They have a little grocer & quick order countertop along with indoor & outdoor dining. Super casual organic beach style.
The Food: I feel like I’m just repeating myself but the vegan food in Mexico does not disappoint. Everything tastes incredible. If you like Mexican food then you will looooooove the Mexican food in Mexico, simple as that haha.
Keep in mind they do serve eggs but everything else is vegan.
Overall Rating: 5/5 – Everything tasted amazing
Get The: Vegan Chilaquiles (They’re unbelievable)
We really had such an incredible time in Playa Del Carmen & we can’t wait to get back there.
Checkout my latest article on the different types of Vegan Milks & Cheeses and how you can help animals lives by going dairy free!
I need a vegan beach vacation asap
This looks like a lovely place to visit. The ruins look fun.
The sights look amazing! We didn’t get a chance to visit Tulum when we vacationed in Mexico last, but it’s on my list for next time!
I love that area! That looks like an amazing location to stay!
What a beautiful place to vacation! I love that you found so many great vegan places to eat.
That food looks unbelievable! Makes me want to plan a trip ASAP!
The food looks absolutely incredible! That great that you are able to find so many awesome places to eat during your travels!
This looks like a lovely place to visit. I would love to try all of that food!
That’s so awesome that you found so many great vegan restaurants. I would not have thought you’d find so many options! All looks delicious!
There’s vegan restos popping up everywhere nowadays. It’s super exciting!
Great vegan options! Thank you for sharing sharing!
Wow the Grand Hyatt looks so gorgeous! And I would never have thought you’d find such awesome vegan food so close to where you were staying. (And that it’s not your average beans and rice lol!) Those dishes all looked SO good! I get so much anxiety thinking about traveling now that we’re vegan. Not knowing where we can go eat is seriously something I fear. Love seeing where you’ve visited (and hopefully I’ll get to go there one day too! LOL)
Honestly, I think you’re going to love travelling even more now. There’s something so fun and amazing when you find a new vegan spot.
After your reading your blog I am starting to notice vegan friendly places everywhere! So cool and it has caused us to venture out and try new vegan dishes which is great
Oh my goodness I love hearing that so much! It’s really growing and I love that more and more ppl are trying to change their animal consumptions.
Wow, Tulum looks amazing!! I want to go to Mexico but my dad would def not let me. I can’t believe there are vegan restaurants near by, that catches me by surprise!
haha I can relate, it took up to this trip before my mom let me go visit. I’m really happy I did though.
How nice to stumble on so many vegan restaurants on your trip.
Lots of super food options thanks for sharing a beautiful place
I can wait to see palm trees again. The food looks so delicious.
I know! I miss palm trees so much!
It’s great to know there are so many vegan options available when you travel there! I absolutely love that area, the beaches and scenery are stunning as well.
Looks like you found some great food! It’s not always easy on vacation, especially out of the country! We have 2 international trips planned this year (Costa Rica and Mexico), and I’ve been doing a lot of research to find restaurants that accommodate my diet. I don’t want to eat RX bars for most of the trip!
haha right?! But I’ve heard Costa Rica has an incredible vegan & healthy diet conscious hospitality. You’re going to have a great time.
This looks like the most AMAZING trip. I love beaches, and am in dire need of going to one after 14 months of quarantine. The food pics literally made my mouth water. Everything sounds amazing! Definitely pinning this post for later so I can plan a copycat trip.
I know! Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be able to take a vacation anytime soon yet. ☹️
Our family is obsessed with all thing Hyatt!! This looks like an amazing resort and it’s nice to see that they have so many Vegan options. Beautiful pictures too!
The resort was really beautiful.
Looks fabulous in Mexico!