Well, well, yes, you read the title of this post right. Aruba has vegan options - and lots of them, and it is all thanks to Meredith Marin (be sure to check her IG page out! @meredithmarin) She is from the US and married an Aruban. She is vegan! And she brought the vegan transformation to the island by helping chefs learn how to source and prepare vegan foods.
So, does every restaurant have vegan options? No, but, it is catching on for sure. Over the last two years, there has been a steady increase of vegan food on the island. So, let's not waste time here, let's dive in to the places with some awesome food!
This beach shack always has a line! And it is no wonder, they serve amazing, fresh, healthy, vegan food! My mom and I tried the CoCo Whip bowls and they were amazing.
This restaurant is out front of the Playa Linda. They have amazing breakfasts. Just prepare to wait for a bit since they make everything to order. The waffle was delicious and my mom had a tofu scramble wrap which was also very tasty.
This is across from the Barceló in Arawak Garden. It is a MUST if you are visiting the island!!!! Cannot explain how amazing this was! Chef Bruno prepared the most amazing vegan fish we have ever had. There really are no words. Following the meal and the vegan peanut butter brownie, we sat and talked with the Chef for a while about his experience with vegan cooking and how it is helping create change on the island. He said that he felt a sense of purpose with his cooking and gets excited to try new flavors and methods to enhance the experience for the patrons. He is super talented and I think these photos say it all! From the calamari to the seafood tower - you would have never known the tuna was watermelon! Yes, watermelon!
Yet another restaurant at the Arawak Garden. Very tasty asian food. We indulged in the edamame, tempura, tempeh and pad thai. Lots of food, and had left over for lunch the next day. Nice to have a timeshare with a kitchen!
Another amazing place for dinner! This is a bit further down the road from Arawak Garden. Great French cuisine. We enjoyed the mushroom escargot and crab cakes. And the bread they serve...oh my goodness! We could NOT stop eating it.
Well, that was it for us. My mom and I have had a timeshare since 2000 at the Barceló (originally Aruba Grand and then Occidential) and sometimes we shop at the local market and have breakfast or lunch in our kitchen, or we venture to the different restaurants on site at the Barceló. We are friends with the Barceló Aruba Food and Beverage Director, Eugene, who always asks us what we vegans like to have available. We are thrilled that Aruba is embracing vegan foods and are proud to serve options that are animal and environmentally friendly. We loved seeing so many "Vegan!" signs and foods at so many establishments. Cannot imagine what it will be like in five years!
Aruba is a beautiful island. Arubans are amazing, hospitable, welcoming people who love enjoying life. They have breathtaking beaches and the ocean is perfect. I have been to the island 18 times over the past 20 years. So once we are all able to travel again - who knows when that will be - and you decide to take a relaxing break on an island - be sure to check out Aruba to enjoy a beautiful - perfect weather - island vacation where you really can shut down and relax.
Be sure to also visit the Donkey Sanctuary on your trip too! A great way to see rescued donkeys and learn about their stories. You can either get there on a tour, or you can rent a car and drive there and spend as much time as you would like with the donkeys!
And I would be remiss if I did not mention that there is a stray dog issue on the island. And one of the most active and engaging non-profits on the island is working, hard, to help bring change for all of the dogs on Aruba. If you would like to donate, adopt, or learn more about what they do, visit them here: New Life For Paws. On our flight back home, we met a young couple who had two dogs with them. Since they were just too cute to walk by, I stopped and asked them about the pups. The couple volunteered to fly the dogs back to the adopting family in the US and they were pups from New Life For Paws. Such a great thing to do!
Aruba is "One Happy Island"!
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