Colombia Vegan Guide: Is It Vegan-Friendly?

Prior to heading to beautiful Colombia, I had some hesitations about food — would it be an endless supply of beans and rice? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love beans and rice! But 3x a day for 9 days would be a little overboard, even for me.

Luckily after a little research, my Google Map started overflow with little pink hearts in the capital, Bogota and I started to think, maybe I need more time — not a bad problem to have. You might be thinking, well Bogota is one thing, it’s a massive city, what about the rest of the country.

Well, my veggie friends, let’s dive into that!

Is The Term Vegan Understood in Colombia?

Honestly, this is really hit or miss, even in larger cities. Often it gets confused with vegetarian or in more rural areas you’ll get a quizzical face with the response, Qué es eso (what is that)?  If you’re not at a vegan or vegetarian place, I’d advise asking if something contains milk, eggs, butter, etc. Or, sharing what you don’t eat, but….

You need to know some Spanish…

Don’t be surprised if most people you meet don’t speak much English, even in major cities. There will always be people who will within the tourism industry (hotels, guides, etc.), but it’s best to know a few things and get comfortable with Google Translate. 

What Are The Most Vegan-Friendly Cities in Colombia?

Hands down Bogota and Medellin. According to Happy Cow, Bogota is home to over 50 vegan and vegetarian restaurants and Medellin is home to over 30! There is much more to see outside of those two fabulous cities. If you’re headed to the coffee region, which is home to The Cocora Valley, consider basing yourself in Salento. The tiny town is home to multiple vegetarian restaurants and a super lovely vegan café, called Coco Bowl!

Surprisingly, Cartagena which is known for its vibrant Caribbean feel and is the country’s fifth largest city is only home to one vegetarian spot (outside of the walled city); but there are multiple places with good vegan options (I’ll share a couple below).

What traditional dishes are vegan or can be veganized?

Generally staple options, like beans and rice are a safe bet but you’ll rarely see it listed as “arroz y frijoles.” The more popular option is “bandeja paisa,” which is beans, rice, avocado, plantain, arepa, egg, and some type of meat. I visited multiple places that didn’t prepare the beans or rice with meat, so simply asking for the dish “sin carne y huevo,” was sufficient. You should always ask if the beans and/or rice were cooked with meat.

Another good thing to know is that cheese is very popular throughout Colombia. You’ll find chocolate covered cheese, cheese in coffee — they find all sorts of ways to add cheese to dishes. I didn’t find veganized cheese and chocolate or coffee, but I probably didn’t look hard enough (in all honesty, it doesn’t sound all that appetizing to me, maybe I am wrong)!

Other Colombia dishes that you’ll find veganized include:

• Empanadas
• Tamales
• Ajiaco (stew)
• Sancocho (stew)
• Ceviche
• Cazuela de frijol
• Coconut lemonade – you’ll probably only find a vegan version of this at a veggie spot. It’s a popular drink made with lemonade and coconut cream (but traditionally made with milk).
• Arepa Choclo – arepas are generally vegan but choclo is a cheese. At vegan places you can find versions of this and its tasty!

Also, you will find a TON of gorgeous fresh fruit — many things that you probably didn’t even know existed. If you have the opportunity in Bogota, be sure to book a fruit tasting tour at Paloquemao — tree tomatoes and lulu might be my new favorite things.