Vegan and Vegetarian Honeymoon Travel Guide

Full disclosure, I haven’t gone on a honeymoon yet. Weddings are expensive, man! They rarely leave you feeling like, “Wow, I can definitely afford to go on a lengthy vacation right now.” That said, we fully intend to go on our belated honeymoon in the next few months, so I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about where we should go and (most importantly to me) what we will EAT! I wanted to take some time to examine how to be animal-friendly in the most romantic cities on Earth. Here’s what I’ve got:

Florence, Italy:

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Okay, I’m putting Florence first because it’s where I’m planning to go. Florence (Firenze) also happens to be my favorite city on the planet. Fun fact: When I studied abroad in Florence, I wasn’t vegan yet, so I basically inhaled cheese all day every day. I gained 30+ lbs in FIVE MONTHS. Given that cows create milk to help turn a newborn calf into a 2000 lb. cow or bull, I shouldn’t be surprised that it had a similar effect on me. Fortunately, I’ve since ditched animal products, so I’m not too afraid of the weight gain. That said, I was definitely nervous about finding satiating plant-based food, so I’ve been on the lookout! Here’s what I’ve found thus far:

Vegan-Friendly Restaurants (all pinned on the map below)

*NOTE: While reading through these menus, I realized that some Italian restaurants consider fish to be “vegetarian”. Keep an eye out for that!

Libreria Brac (*Vegetarian/Vegan)

5 e Cinque (*Vegetarian/Vegan)

Le Fate (Vegan)

#RAW (Vegan, Raw)

Bioveggy (Vegan)

Crepapelle (Vegan)

Il Vegano (Vegan)

Il Vegetariano (*Vegetarian/Vegan)

Giumella Vegan Food (Vegan)

IMG_8473-X3 — Pasta from Liberia Brac ; photo by bloggers “Justin Plus Lauren”

Key Italian words and phrases to know:

I am vegan= Io sono vegano/vegana

I am vegetarian = Io sono vegetariano/vegetariana

I don’t eat meat/animal products = Io non mangio carne/prodotti di origine animale

Does this contain animal products? = Fa questo contengono prodotti di origine animale?

Ready to book? Click here to plan your trip to Florence, Italy!

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

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Playa del Carmen has long been one of my family’s favorite vacation destinations. It has an extra special place in my heart, because it was there that my little brother told me he was going to go vegan! We were a bit clueless on that trip, and mostly survived on tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole. It didn’t even occur to us to look for intentionally vegan options around town! Fortunately, I flew back down a few years ago to attend a friend’s wedding, and that’s when I discovered how vegan-friendly the area has become. Here are the tips I’ve gathered:

Recommended Vegan Friendly Hotel:

Photo of vegan friendly hotel Fairmont Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen

I say this from experience: if you’re into convenience (and luxury), you should definitely consider staying at the Fairmont Mayakoba. In the past few years, Fairmont hotels have begun adding vegan options in all of their locations. The Fairmont Mayakoba is no exception; I was incredibly well fed when I was there! Most (not all) of the restaurants’ menus are labeled very clearly to indicate vegetarian and vegan options. Whether you’re grabbing the Crispy Tofu Tacos (cilantro tortilla / romaine lettuce shiitake vinaigrette / avocado espuma) at La Laguna Restaurant & Bar or snacking on Wood Grilled Avocado (pea shoots / chili oil / corn pico de gallo mixed lettuce / chimichurri / rocoto) at Brisas Coastal Latin Grill, you can definitely fill up on flavor-packed Mexican delicacies without sacrifice.

Vegan-Friendly Restaurants: (all pinned on the map below)

The Pitted Date (Vegan)

Aloha Raw Bar (Vegan)

Comet 984 (Vegan)

Marvin’s Burgers (Vegan)

Clorofila (Vegan)

100% Natural (Vegan-Friendly)

La Senda Vegana (Vegan)

Falafel Nessya (Vegetarian)

Kaxapa Factory (Vegan-Friendly)

playa del carmen pitted date vegan omelette — Vegan omelette from The Pitted Date (photo by @linaleyla)

Key Spanish words & phrases to know:

I am vegan= Yo soy vegano/vegana

I am vegetarian = Yo soy vegetariano/vegetariana

I don’t eat meat/animal products = Yo no come carne/productos de origen animal

Does this contain animal products? = ¿Contienen los productos de origen animal?

Ready to book? Click here to start planning your trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico!

Paris, France

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Obviously Paris is celebrated as one of the most romantic cities in the world, so it’s a very common destination spot for honeymooners. I personally haven’t yet been, but visiting Paris is high on my lifetime to do list. I’ve always been a little nervous about venturing into a land where I don’t speak the language and where they revere escargot and foie gras, but I’m told that Paris has become much more progressive for animals in recent years!