5 Incredible Vegan Getaways

By Eryn Carlson | Above photo: The Stanford Inn by the Sea

It’s that time of year when nearly everyone—especially those living in parts of the country where the temperatures are frigid and the sidewalks are laden with snow—seems to be yearning for a change of scenery. Though vacations are welcome at any time of the year, there’s something about winter that makes people want to pack their bags and get out of town for a few days.

Trips offer an awesome opportunity to seek out and try different vegan dishes and restaurants, but there’s also often a concern that finding plant-based meals at hotels and eateries in new locales won’t always be easy.  Luckily, there are a number of hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, and resorts around the world that cater specifically to vegans, from their menus and eco-friendly accommodations to offered activities like outdoor adventures and classes in vegan cooking and wellness.

The Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino, California—home to the celebrated vegan restaurant The Ravens—is one of those destinations, and in honor of the upcoming release of Dining at The Ravens, which features 150+ recipes from the resort’s restaurant, we’ve put together a list of other veg-friendly vacation spots to check out. Whether you want to travel around the world or prefer to stay a little closer to home, these destinations are bound to fuel a bit of wanderlust in everyone.

Laguna Lodge, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

With views of a trio of volcanoes and surrounded by a nature reserve, Laguna Lodge sits on the shores of Central America’s deepest lake, situated deep in Guatemala’s Mayan highlands. The luxurious eco-hotel and spa attracts visitors hoping to take advantage of the area’s natural beauty; hiking, paragliding, kayaking, zip-lining, and scuba diving are just a few of the activities guests can enjoy. At the end of the day, guests can dine al fresco at the lakefront restaurant, Zotz, which serves meat-free eco-cuisine flavored with native herbs and flowers grown in the on-site garden or foraged from the surrounding mountains.

Albaspina Organic Farm, Vicenza, Italy

This environmentally conscious bed-and-breakfast, nestled on an 18^th century rustic farm in northeast Italy, is home to a restaurant that serves vegan Italian food (yum!) exclusively. In between meals, guests can hike on garden trails and take guided lessons in cooking and farming.

Park Lane Guest House, Austin, Texas

Right in the middle of Austin, this bed-and-breakfast is a great home base for foodie travelers looking to check out the city, which is home to a number of great vegan restaurants. Travelers can recharge at Park Lane’s beautiful solar-powered cottages and enjoy their locally-sourced, made-to-order vegetarian or vegan breakfasts poolside or on their private porches.

Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, Patagonia, Arizona

Founded in 1995 by Dr. Gabriel Cousens, the well-known homeopath and author who advocates a raw food diet, Tree of Life is a holistic wellness and spiritual retreat center in the high desert of southern Arizona. Tree of Life offers wellness vacations, such as a Raw Food Retreat, and also is home to a variety of programs based in nutrition, detox and wellness, spirituality, and education. Visitors can take advantage of the center’s Tree of Life Café, which serves gourmet, 100 percent organic, raw cuisine.

Forest Haven B&B, Beaufort, Australia

This vegan bed-and-breakfast, located off the grid two hours west of Melbourne, is situated on 9.5 acres that are teeming with birds and other wildlife. Perfect for those looking to escape city life for a few days, Forest Haven serves a menu of home-cooked vegan meals, including a number of gluten-free and raw dishes.