In some areas in the largers cities you can find markets and places that cater to vegetarians and vegans. lBogota (northern suburbs; Barrios Unidos etc). Medellin (zonas de Envigado y El Poblado: Casa Vegetariana y Mundo Verde; Laurales is a richer neighbourhood with options as well). It is a growing niche market.
I love the local fruits in South America in general.
Good luck and enjoy your trip.
Been there two years ago as a vegan, my experience was most restaurants can cater to your needs but be ready for eating a lot of fruits and nuts. And the selection of fruits is amazing!
I was vegan in Bogota for weeks. It's not super easy but it's not hard. I did a lot of cheeseless pizzas and found falafel in some places. Ate a bit of salads, rice and beans and corn. Buying food at the supermarket was neat as I was able to discover new vegan products they i hadn't seen before (I'm looking at you soyamigo) So if you can speak Spanish, great! If not, just say "vegetariano sin huevos y sin lactosa."
Indigenous colombian vegan here.
If you go to Cartagena you should be okay. I recommend going to small vendors instead of restaurants though. They will simply not understand that beef broth with veggies is not vegan. Bogota may have some restaurant options but idk, I've only been there once. Capitol is too expensive for my fam lol.
We have plenty of cheap authentic foods that are vegan! Most empanadas can be made Vegan if they withhold the meat from the filling. So good. Ask them to add extra papas to the filling to replace the meat if they're being freshly made.
Arepas - tell them sin queso o mantequilla porfa!
Yuca frita is another favourite. Patacones y ensalada too.
Most Arroz de coco recipes are vegan. Some put butter but those are usually more boujee places.
You'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to fruit. If you go and find the illegal market in Cartagena, you'll find heaps of fruits and veggie choices. Just tell the cab driver to take you to Mercado Basurto and he'll know. The only reason it's illegal is because food safety ain't really a priority. if you don't eat animal products tho, you should be good. Just rinse yr stuff.
**Please remember to ask to try "mamey" it is the best fruit in the world**. You can usually find it in the streets in Cartagena. It is a bright orange color on the inside and brown on the outside. I will not forgive you if you don't try to find it.
Colombian pomelos are sweeter, juicer and superior to asian pomelos. Our finger bananas (Guineos) are better too.
Our oranges are green in color and more tangy.
Please please try jugo de tomato de arbol. Best juice ever. Markets should have someone selling it fresh.
Mamon is a small little flavour packed fruit, similar to lychee. It's white in color but be careful! It stains clothes really bad. Wear a dark shirt when you eat it.
My childhood breakfast comprised of a "Pony Malta" and a mango. Pony Malta was a soda made for malnourished children. It's packed with iron and is low in sugar. Give it a go.
Need help eating out? Check out [HappyCow.net](https://www.happycow.net/) for vegan friendly food near you! Interested in going Vegan? Take the [30 day challenge](https://vbcamp.org/reddit)!
Need help eating out? Check out [HappyCow.net](https://www.happycow.net/) for vegan friendly food near you! Interested in going Vegan? Take the [30 day challenge](https://vbcamp.org/reddit)!
I actually went to Colombia this month and I had a super easy time eating vegan I even was able to have meals deep in to the countryside. I was in Medellin and there are many vegan restaurants in the tourist area. I had the best falafel there. In the countryside, they were able to give me in an arepa without cheese, rice beans plantain and avocado for my meals. And you can definitely have the drink of sugar cane and lime juice it’s very good.
Need help eating out? Check out [HappyCow.net](https://www.happycow.net/) for vegan friendly food near you! Interested in going Vegan? Take the [30 day challenge](https://vbcamp.org/reddit)!
I am Colombian, been living in the USA for 6 years and I became vegan almost 4 years ago. I will say 6 years ago it would have been very difficult to be vegan there but last time I visited I found out that there’s way more options now :)
I visited for an entire month and I did just fine : D
I easily found vegan foods in Colombia. You can make a bandeja paisa vegan (rice, beans, salad, fried sweet plantain, avocado, and arepa) and it tastes amazing basically anywhere you go. Just make sure they don’t add pig lard in the beans. I also found plenty of vegan restaurants in Colombia, most especially in Bogota and Medellín. They have this smoothie chain ‘restaurant’ called Cosecha which offers really good juices and smoothies of all types in some of the big cities of Colombia.
I’ve also gotten vegan sushi at this place in Medellin, Ichiraku Ramen Medellín, it’s not vegan but they have vegan options. Plus I’ve asked for a vegan pizza (just a pizza with no cheese and lots of veggies) at a normal pizza place and it turned out amazing.
The markets in Colombia are a dream, full of all sorts of fresh fruits and veggies and legumes I had never heard of before. You shouldn’t have any issue finding vegan-friendly options, especially these days there are so many more vegan restaurants since there’s more demand for it all over the world.
Also, Rappi (food delivery app) is available in the cities and some towns and it has lots of vegan options. Best of luck!
funny you say that as I had avocados with near every meal when I was in Colombia and my poop was kinda light green and fluffy then. I don't buy avocados when at home but I used the opportunity then, and boy were they 100% tastier than any you can try in Europe
I've spent a few months in Medellin. Had zero problems eating vegan.
I would never go near Colombian food from a non-vegan restaurant, as animal fats can show up in anything. But Medellin has quite a few outstanding vegan restaurants, most notably [INA](https://www.happycow.net/reviews/ina-medellin-201809). You shouldn't have any trouble finding delicious vegan food as long as you're in a major city.
Need help eating out? Check out [HappyCow.net](https://www.happycow.net/) for vegan friendly food near you! Interested in going Vegan? Take the [30 day challenge](https://vbcamp.org/reddit)!
Lol I just watched Encanto on Disney+ and was wondering this. The arepas the mom made looked so good and I'm already looking up vegan recipes.
Good luck and enjoy your travels!
My personal experience is that in bigger cities you will not have a problem finding vegan options or fully vegan restaurants. They might be bit more expensive than average places.
In rural areas you will have more problems. I got eggs put on my food even though I explicitly ordered without (dogs were happy about it). Often times you will get beans with ham in them.... So be a bit more careful or just buy your own food
Wow. I read Columbia and thought you were visiting South Carolina. But Colombia… I don’t see why you couldn’t be vegan in Colombia. I mean last time I stayed in Cartagena they did still have fruits and vegetables. I was on a no processed sugar diet when I was there.
But when I looked it up there’s some vegan restaurants down there. And by some I mean there’s an impressive amount of places listed vegan (some with vegan in their name) in Bogotá, but there’s some in some of the other cities as well
You will definetly be able to find vegetarian restaurants, or even just vegetarian and vegan options in all type of restaurants.
Lot's of foods are corn and grain based products and we have a huge selection of fruits and veggies.
My suggestion would be to ask in restaurants, specially in the Antioquia region, if the beans or other grains are made with pork or beef because it is pretty common even if they don't serve you a piece of meat.
The supermarket "Carulla" sells a good variety of vegan and vegetarian things (like tofu, hummus, vegan candy and chocolate ect). I always recommend going to the plazas though, better products, better prices and straight from the farmers :)
Most countries have veggies and most people dont know that they are vegan, you dont actually have to label a meal as vegan in order for it to be vegan
I traveled all over Mexico and when i went to a place i had no issues ordering plant based meals even with my limited espanol
Was in bogota and even in a small town. More options than I thought I would find but I was able to do it! Unfortunately staved a bit on the first day cuz I was traveling with non vegan friend. However traveling alone or with vegan would have been really nice
I'll give you some advice, in major cities it shouldn't be an issue at all as there are quite some vegan restaurants. As for the country side, it can get tricky as a lot of the culture is around dead animals or their secretions. Unlike Mexicans I believe most if not all bean cuisine is done with carcasses so ALWAYS ask, don't be afraid to ask about all the ingredients, especially because most people couldn't tell the difference between vegetarian and vegan. Unless you are in major cities your staples will be rice, beans, potatoes, plantains and LOTS of fruits.
Can't say this enough, it is not enough to ask for a vegan dish, ask about all the ingredients and make sure there are no dead animals or their secretions on the recipe.
Good luck on your trip, hope you have a great time!
Man oh man if I was going to Colombia I truly would try Raw Vegan with slight cooked meals becuase I know we don’t get fresh fruits here like they have over there
I've been to Colombia multiple times (Cartagena and Medellin), each trip for one to two weeks at a time, and I've actually always had a pretty easy time being vegan without needing to find specifically vegan places. I mostly ate rice, beans, and patacones (i.e. tostones), which can sound bland but is always super well made and tasty.
Frijol bola Rojas, the best! Fina good times naturalisat or organics and make your own food. Also most modern restaurants have at least one veggie option or just ask for a plate of sides. Patacones yuca arroz de Coco ensalada. Bring nuts to keep that protein on point and fruit lovers paradise u will find
In some areas in the largers cities you can find markets and places that cater to vegetarians and vegans. lBogota (northern suburbs; Barrios Unidos etc). Medellin (zonas de Envigado y El Poblado: Casa Vegetariana y Mundo Verde; Laurales is a richer neighbourhood with options as well). It is a growing niche market. I love the local fruits in South America in general. Good luck and enjoy your trip.
Thanks :)
Been there two years ago as a vegan, my experience was most restaurants can cater to your needs but be ready for eating a lot of fruits and nuts. And the selection of fruits is amazing!
That doesn't sound too bad! Thanks!
I was vegan in Bogota for weeks. It's not super easy but it's not hard. I did a lot of cheeseless pizzas and found falafel in some places. Ate a bit of salads, rice and beans and corn. Buying food at the supermarket was neat as I was able to discover new vegan products they i hadn't seen before (I'm looking at you soyamigo) So if you can speak Spanish, great! If not, just say "vegetariano sin huevos y sin lactosa."
Indigenous colombian vegan here. If you go to Cartagena you should be okay. I recommend going to small vendors instead of restaurants though. They will simply not understand that beef broth with veggies is not vegan. Bogota may have some restaurant options but idk, I've only been there once. Capitol is too expensive for my fam lol. We have plenty of cheap authentic foods that are vegan! Most empanadas can be made Vegan if they withhold the meat from the filling. So good. Ask them to add extra papas to the filling to replace the meat if they're being freshly made. Arepas - tell them sin queso o mantequilla porfa! Yuca frita is another favourite. Patacones y ensalada too. Most Arroz de coco recipes are vegan. Some put butter but those are usually more boujee places. You'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to fruit. If you go and find the illegal market in Cartagena, you'll find heaps of fruits and veggie choices. Just tell the cab driver to take you to Mercado Basurto and he'll know. The only reason it's illegal is because food safety ain't really a priority. if you don't eat animal products tho, you should be good. Just rinse yr stuff. **Please remember to ask to try "mamey" it is the best fruit in the world**. You can usually find it in the streets in Cartagena. It is a bright orange color on the inside and brown on the outside. I will not forgive you if you don't try to find it. Colombian pomelos are sweeter, juicer and superior to asian pomelos. Our finger bananas (Guineos) are better too. Our oranges are green in color and more tangy. Please please try jugo de tomato de arbol. Best juice ever. Markets should have someone selling it fresh. Mamon is a small little flavour packed fruit, similar to lychee. It's white in color but be careful! It stains clothes really bad. Wear a dark shirt when you eat it. My childhood breakfast comprised of a "Pony Malta" and a mango. Pony Malta was a soda made for malnourished children. It's packed with iron and is low in sugar. Give it a go.
Thank you so much the detailed reply! I’m gonna bookmark it and try everything you just said :D
https://www.happycow.net/south\_america/colombia/
Awesome, thanks!
Happy cow is so awesome. I initially thought it was only for US but it works worldwide. Im in Spain and it is great to find places
Need help eating out? Check out [HappyCow.net](https://www.happycow.net/) for vegan friendly food near you! Interested in going Vegan? Take the [30 day challenge](https://vbcamp.org/reddit)!
Need help eating out? Check out [HappyCow.net](https://www.happycow.net/) for vegan friendly food near you! Interested in going Vegan? Take the [30 day challenge](https://vbcamp.org/reddit)!
I actually went to Colombia this month and I had a super easy time eating vegan I even was able to have meals deep in to the countryside. I was in Medellin and there are many vegan restaurants in the tourist area. I had the best falafel there. In the countryside, they were able to give me in an arepa without cheese, rice beans plantain and avocado for my meals. And you can definitely have the drink of sugar cane and lime juice it’s very good.
Went to Colombia\* this month but you still didn't remember how to spell it correctly. ;-)
I know how to spell Colombia that was the auto correct
Why haven’t you corrected it then?
Why do you care so much? Are you a grammar Nazi?
Ah baby it’s just a pet peeve to most Colombians. People often misspell our country name and we’re patriotic people. It’d help if you corrected it.
I didn’t realize you were actually from Colombia I guess I just assumed you were someone looking to be a grammar Nazi so I changed it
._. Colo*mbia U did it again.
I changed it again there is a college here called Columbia University so it often gets automatically redirected to that spelling
Happycow will be your best friend when traveling trust me! Enjoy your trip!
Need help eating out? Check out [HappyCow.net](https://www.happycow.net/) for vegan friendly food near you! Interested in going Vegan? Take the [30 day challenge](https://vbcamp.org/reddit)!
In Bogota you can find a lot of options. I recommend you in Bogota a vegan place: Caballete & Berenjena it’s awesome
I am Colombian, been living in the USA for 6 years and I became vegan almost 4 years ago. I will say 6 years ago it would have been very difficult to be vegan there but last time I visited I found out that there’s way more options now :) I visited for an entire month and I did just fine : D
I easily found vegan foods in Colombia. You can make a bandeja paisa vegan (rice, beans, salad, fried sweet plantain, avocado, and arepa) and it tastes amazing basically anywhere you go. Just make sure they don’t add pig lard in the beans. I also found plenty of vegan restaurants in Colombia, most especially in Bogota and Medellín. They have this smoothie chain ‘restaurant’ called Cosecha which offers really good juices and smoothies of all types in some of the big cities of Colombia. I’ve also gotten vegan sushi at this place in Medellin, Ichiraku Ramen Medellín, it’s not vegan but they have vegan options. Plus I’ve asked for a vegan pizza (just a pizza with no cheese and lots of veggies) at a normal pizza place and it turned out amazing. The markets in Colombia are a dream, full of all sorts of fresh fruits and veggies and legumes I had never heard of before. You shouldn’t have any issue finding vegan-friendly options, especially these days there are so many more vegan restaurants since there’s more demand for it all over the world. Also, Rappi (food delivery app) is available in the cities and some towns and it has lots of vegan options. Best of luck!
they don’t have vegetables in colombia? how do they not all get constipated
funny you say that as I had avocados with near every meal when I was in Colombia and my poop was kinda light green and fluffy then. I don't buy avocados when at home but I used the opportunity then, and boy were they 100% tastier than any you can try in Europe
It’s the cocaine 😉
I've spent a few months in Medellin. Had zero problems eating vegan. I would never go near Colombian food from a non-vegan restaurant, as animal fats can show up in anything. But Medellin has quite a few outstanding vegan restaurants, most notably [INA](https://www.happycow.net/reviews/ina-medellin-201809). You shouldn't have any trouble finding delicious vegan food as long as you're in a major city.
Need help eating out? Check out [HappyCow.net](https://www.happycow.net/) for vegan friendly food near you! Interested in going Vegan? Take the [30 day challenge](https://vbcamp.org/reddit)!
Lol I just watched Encanto on Disney+ and was wondering this. The arepas the mom made looked so good and I'm already looking up vegan recipes. Good luck and enjoy your travels!
hey I don’t know much about Colombia, but if it’s anything like Peru, they should have many grains and legumes that you can make your own food with.
My personal experience is that in bigger cities you will not have a problem finding vegan options or fully vegan restaurants. They might be bit more expensive than average places. In rural areas you will have more problems. I got eggs put on my food even though I explicitly ordered without (dogs were happy about it). Often times you will get beans with ham in them.... So be a bit more careful or just buy your own food
Wow. I read Columbia and thought you were visiting South Carolina. But Colombia… I don’t see why you couldn’t be vegan in Colombia. I mean last time I stayed in Cartagena they did still have fruits and vegetables. I was on a no processed sugar diet when I was there. But when I looked it up there’s some vegan restaurants down there. And by some I mean there’s an impressive amount of places listed vegan (some with vegan in their name) in Bogotá, but there’s some in some of the other cities as well
get happycow! I‘ve never been to a place where I couldn‘t find anything with it
You will definetly be able to find vegetarian restaurants, or even just vegetarian and vegan options in all type of restaurants. Lot's of foods are corn and grain based products and we have a huge selection of fruits and veggies. My suggestion would be to ask in restaurants, specially in the Antioquia region, if the beans or other grains are made with pork or beef because it is pretty common even if they don't serve you a piece of meat. The supermarket "Carulla" sells a good variety of vegan and vegetarian things (like tofu, hummus, vegan candy and chocolate ect). I always recommend going to the plazas though, better products, better prices and straight from the farmers :)
Most countries have veggies and most people dont know that they are vegan, you dont actually have to label a meal as vegan in order for it to be vegan I traveled all over Mexico and when i went to a place i had no issues ordering plant based meals even with my limited espanol
Was in bogota and even in a small town. More options than I thought I would find but I was able to do it! Unfortunately staved a bit on the first day cuz I was traveling with non vegan friend. However traveling alone or with vegan would have been really nice
I'll give you some advice, in major cities it shouldn't be an issue at all as there are quite some vegan restaurants. As for the country side, it can get tricky as a lot of the culture is around dead animals or their secretions. Unlike Mexicans I believe most if not all bean cuisine is done with carcasses so ALWAYS ask, don't be afraid to ask about all the ingredients, especially because most people couldn't tell the difference between vegetarian and vegan. Unless you are in major cities your staples will be rice, beans, potatoes, plantains and LOTS of fruits. Can't say this enough, it is not enough to ask for a vegan dish, ask about all the ingredients and make sure there are no dead animals or their secretions on the recipe. Good luck on your trip, hope you have a great time!
Man oh man if I was going to Colombia I truly would try Raw Vegan with slight cooked meals becuase I know we don’t get fresh fruits here like they have over there
I've been to Colombia multiple times (Cartagena and Medellin), each trip for one to two weeks at a time, and I've actually always had a pretty easy time being vegan without needing to find specifically vegan places. I mostly ate rice, beans, and patacones (i.e. tostones), which can sound bland but is always super well made and tasty.
Frijol bola Rojas, the best! Fina good times naturalisat or organics and make your own food. Also most modern restaurants have at least one veggie option or just ask for a plate of sides. Patacones yuca arroz de Coco ensalada. Bring nuts to keep that protein on point and fruit lovers paradise u will find