Holbox Island in Mexico is one of my favorite tropical places that I ever visited. I was worried that we would not find any vegan food there, but we did! Our initial plan was to enjoy the island for five days, but we extended our stay to nine days because it was so beautiful and relaxing.
Holbox has amazing beaches. The sand is white and soft, the ocean is calm, stunning, and turquoise in color. The water is shallow and super warm. It is a great place to watch pelicans enjoy this tropical paradise.
HOW TO GET AROUND HOLBOX ISLAND
All roads in Holbox Island are made from sand and that gives the place the feeling of a true paradise. Roads like that also have some disadvantages, because there is no drainage, so when it rains, there are formed a lot of deep puddles that you have to find your way around.
There are no cars on Holbox, only once a week when there are deliveries. Because of that a vacation there is even more relaxing.
You can go around the island with a rented golf cart or take a golf cart taxi. The taxis there have fixed prices from port to every hotel on the island so you do not have to bargain for a better price.
But the best way to explore Holbox Island is simply by foot or by renting a bike for a day or two.
If you want to experience something exciting you can take the Guided sunrise kayak tour through Mangrove Reserve.
HOLBOX ISLAND BEST VEGAN BREAKFAST RESTAURANTS
There are a few breakfast restaurants on the island but not all of them have vegan options. Here are our best recommendations.
KUXTAL MARKET & CAFE – BEST BREAKFAST
Kuxtal Cafe is one of the best places to have breakfast or brunch. The cafe is open between 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM every day and is located in the heart of Holbox. The restaurant is super cute with island vibes and very friendly staff and there is also a sustainable market.
As you may already know, not all vegan restaurants are always the healthiest but at Kuxtal Cafe all vegetables are organic and they care about the quality of the ingredients. Even their coffee is organic!
There are amazing vegan options for breakfast and some of the dishes are also gluten-free. One of the best things to order is a panini with grilled veggies, vegan cheese, and pesto.
You have to try their tofu scramble with quinoa, chaya, and mushrooms. Other options are falafel wrap or the prettiest avocado toast. You can also have vegan chia pudding.
I love to have my breakfast with fresh cold-pressed juice for a healthy vitamin boost in the morning and my favourite at Kuxtal Cafe is their detox juice.
You can’t miss Sunday’s brunch at Kuxtal Cafe. The brunch includes black coffee, one dish from the menu, and unlimited mimosas. What more can you wish for a perfect Sunday on Holbox Island?
PAINAPOL RESTAURANT
One of our favourite places to have a delicious and fresh vegan breakfast on Holbox is Painapol. The restaurant is not vegan, but it offers a variety of breakfasts, and you can also eat lunch there. The place is very Instagram friendly with cute island decor and photogenic food.
It is the most popular breakfast restaurant on Holbox so you must be early, otherwise, you will have to wait for the table in the hot sun, but I have to say that it is worth the wait.
The staff is very friendly, and they make you feel at home. One thing I love about this restaurant is that the portion sizes are big.
They offer smoothie bowls and smoothie jars which are all vegan (Yaay). You can also have fruit salad, fresh juices, avocado toast, salad, guacamole, and a vegan breakfast platter, and they have plant milk for coffee. Painapol is the restaurant you cannot miss on Holbox Island.
ANOTHER CLANDESTINO BREAKFAST
Another Clandestino on Holbox is a very modern coffee shop, and it gives more of a fancy city coffee shop vibe than a tropical island vibe. It gives you a feeling of what Holbox will probably look like in the future because it is becoming more and more popular and touristy.
I liked their little outdoor sitting area for breakfast and their vegan smoothie bowls and coffee. They offer Mango and berries, Mango and pineapple, Cacao, and Spirulina smoothie bowls. Spirulina was my favorite.
They also have different toasts, but we only tried avocado toast and it was very good. You can also have almond butter & berries toast for breakfast which I believe is also vegan. In the coffee shop, you can buy cute handmade mugs.
One thing you must know about Holbox is that the internet is not the best on the island. Do not expect to have very good Wi-Fi even in fancy coffee shops.
RESTAURANTE NARANJAS ON HOLBOX
Restaurante Naranjas Holbox is a cute, colorful restaurant. It is offering some vegan options for breakfast like smoothie bowls and coffee with coconut milk. The service is a little bit slow but on vacation, you usually do not have to hurry anywhere.
They offer four different smoothie bowls and I tried Green Life one and it was very good. It was not the best on the island, but it was great to change things up a little bit.
One thing that I did not know before coming to Mexico is that everything is easier if you speak Spanish. Before you travel to Mexico when being vegan try and learn some words like cheese and meat. It will be easier for you to explain what you do not want to have in your meal.
In Mexico and probably in all countries with the Spanish language they pronounce vegan with B so the word you hear is began.
HOTEL LA PALAPA ON HOLBOX AND VEGAN BREAKFAST
We stayed at Hotel La Palapa, and I am so happy that we did. The location is the best on the island because it is right on the beach. Other hotels on Holbox have a road between them and the beach or the beach is not so nice.
It has just enough sunbeds for all the guests, and it is within walking distance of basically everything. It is on the main walking beach path, so a lot of people walk by. Especially at the time of sunset, but it did not bother us at all.
We stayed in the Top Floor King Room, and we loved it. You can check the prices here. The room has panoramic windows, and the views are breathtaking. The hotel has a beachy, island vibe and décor. The bathroom even has shells for faucets, so showering was fun.
One thing you have to get used to on Holbox is the lack of hot water in the shower. But who really needs hot water in tropical weather? What I loved about this hotel is that they made us vegan breakfast!
On their regular breakfast menu, you can have a fruit platter but if you have a big appetite some fruit is usually not enough. They made us a special vegan breakfast – tortilla chips with vegetables and avocado. It was amazing! They also made us vegan toasted sandwiches.
I am still dreaming about this breakfast. It was toast with freshly grilled vegetables and salad plus, some caramelized banana. The only thing that I was missing was coconut, soy, or almond milk for my morning coffee.
ARTE SANO VEGAN RESTAURANT ON HOLBOX
Arte Sano restaurant is one of our favorite vegan lunch spots on the island. You can also have breakfast there. We did not have a chance to go there for breakfast, but I am sure that it is delicious.
They offer a vegan breakfast package that includes water, coffee, or fruit. You can choose between chilaquiles, enmoladas, quesadillas, tacos, or vegan pancakes.
You can check the whole menu Arte Sano restaurant here. They have a cozy outdoor eating area in the back of the restaurant.
Holbox is spectacular. We are happy that we have had the chance to travel and experience this island. I think there will be more and more vegan restaurants opening in the future.
Right now, there are a lot of vegan options considering the size of the island. I really cannot express how amazing Holbox is and how badly I would like to go back there in the future years.
If you are visiting Mexico, put Holbox on your bucket list and visit it for a few nights.
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