Vegan in Guatemala

When I take a trip, it’s typically 3 or 4 days. A week long retreat in Guatemala was a little out of my comfort zone but it’s made me realize how much more time I could use on future trips. I went on a Living in Alignment Retreat with the Feel Free Yoga and Wellness studio. We were on Lake Atitlán, and the water was s t u n n i n g. The Lake will call you back to it, I’m looking forward to returning one day.

This post will review some of the vegan meals I was able to enjoy. Truth be told, it was so much easier eating vegan in Guatemala than it was in ATL or Athens. Granted, I had 80% of my meals provided at the villa, but meals eaten outside the villa were also vegan friendly.

Villa Sumaya

Before I get into the food deets, I have to talk about how amazing the villa, local area, and lake were. Villa Sumaya is an eco villa on Lake Atitlán. Lake Atitlán is surrounded by 3 volcanoes, with a 4th very close by. This retreat center is great for yoga, meditation, community, healing, and more. I would highly recommend going if you want a eco conscious stay that supports local Guatemalans. I loved exploring the villa and I had so much space to enjoy alone time.

The Food at the Villa

We were offered 3 meals a day, all vegetarian with some extra items that were vegan or gluten free. A majority of the vegetarian options each meal were also vegan. I was so impressed with the food, the Villa Sumaya team did a wonderful job. We were well fed and energized for several days of adventure. I bought the cookbook before leaving! Everything was fresh, delicious, and led to a happy belly. For those who have more sensitive stomachs, they did have better belly kits available with items like grapefruit extract, charcoal tablets, ginger pills, and more.

Breakfast was typically my favorite meal of the day. It usually featured beans, tortillas, plantain, and granola. One of the best meals I had was lentil pancakes for breakfast with. I also loved the vegan spin on huevos rancheros with jackfruit. They had a wide range of teas available, you could usually find me at the tea bar first thing in the morning.

We ate a few meals outside the villa as well and there was no issue.

Cafe Sabor Cruceño

One of the places we dined at outside of the villa was Cafe Sabor Cruceño. It is part of the organization Amigos de Santa Cruz. Amigos aims to improve the lives of the indigenous people of Santa Cruz and surrounding villages through support for education and sustainable economic empowerment .Run by young Culinary Program graduates, the restaurant features traditional Guatemalan dishes and western faves, such as sandwiches, pizza and salads. I had tofu tacos, they were perfect.

Deleite Ancestral

This restauaunt was extra special because it was built in the shape of a jar inspired by lore from Mayan and Guatemalan culture. We started with a tortilla making class then ate a wide spread of food, all vegan. The stew greens we had were caled ‘elephant foot’ and enjoyed by all. This meal really hit the spot because we had a long day of touring!

Next time I go, I’ll be trying more of the local cuisine from restaurants and small business in the area. Have you ever been to Guatemala or Lake Atitlán? Do you think you’ll go in the future? Comment below! And hit me up with any recommendations.