Vegans on VDLP

[Mikelon]

Began today. Had to get credencials from the cathedral library as Hotel Simon and Triana Backpackers were closed. Had a great breakfast at Milk Away and good meals at Arte de Sabor and Misushi. Soya milk and yoghurt available widely in Sevilla.
Today a very, very hot walk too late in the day to Guillena. On the last mile a kind chap at a dog kennels sold us two lovely, cold bottles of water. Dinner in Guillena was Mexican style salad with stuff from the local supermarket, open til 22.00.

 

[JillGat]

Good luck. What is the weather forecast?

 

[WildPlace]

Began today. Had to get credencials from the cathedral library as Hotel Simon and Triana Backpackers were closed. Had a great breakfast at Milk Away and good meals at Arte de Sabor and Misushi. Soya milk and yoghurt available widely in Sevilla.
Today a very, very hot walk too late in the day to Guillena. On the last mile a kind chap at a dog kennels sold us two lovely, cold bottles of water. Dinner in Guillena was Mexican style salad with stuff from the local supermarket, open til 22.00.

Are you intending to walk all the way to Santiago? I’ll be watching your progress with interest as I’m also vegan and plan on walking the VdlP next year.

I can’t imagine walking in that heat though, I’ve been here in Cyprus for nearly five months and it’s as much as I can do currently to walk across the beach and into the sea!

Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 73526]

Good luck. What is the weather forecast?

Scorchio!

 

[LTfit]

Wish you well along the Plata. I have walked it twice but as a vegetarian, basically lived on omelettes, nuts and veggies. Last year did my first Caminos as a vegan (Lana from Alicante to Cuenca and the Primitivo) and I found it difficult if I wanted to eat out. I carried vegan protein powder to at least get some protein in my while walking. Sometimes carried chick peas but they weigh quite a bit. I have never found oat or soy milk in small towns on any Camino but in grocery stores it's readily available.

Good luck and report back. I help run a Facebook group called Vegetarians and Vegans on the Camino so would like to share anything you may find.

 

[Mikelon]

Cooler today with thunderstorms and rain. We left Guillena after breakfast, fruit and soya yoghurt with a few brews and, after an unpleasant few miles on a busy road turned onto a track most of the rest of the way into Castilblanco. Going out for chips and beer shortly to discuss our options fir tomorrow's stage. We'll call into the supermercado for supplies too. Hoping for more soya milk as tea is badly needed. We'd hoped for a swim at the municipal piscina but 'bookings closed at one'!? We are still debating whether it's 'estamos veganos' or 'somos veganos'. Feel free to weigh in.

 

[Tincatinker]

"Nosotras somos veganas"/"Nosotros somos veganos". You takes your picks, and your genders, as you find-em.

Some other phrases you may find useful:
Yo no como carne o pescado .
Jamon no es un vegetal.
Pollo no es un vegetal.
Percebes no son verduras.
Sólo una ensalada para mí.
Atun no es una planta de ensalada.
Voy a tener el plato de judias.
Chorizo no son judías .
Una botella de brandy por favor.

 

[Wendy Werneth]

Yep, definitely somos, unless you're just trying out veganism for a short time and planning to go back to eating animals soon. But be prepared to explain what you do and don't eat. "Somos veganos" often won't cut it, as many people in rural Spain are not familiar with veganism.

As @Tincatinker alluded to with his rather humorous phrases, it's quite common to see animal flesh (especially ham and tuna) in dishes where you would least expect it. It can be added to salads, on top of a bowl of gazpacho, and you'll even see sandwiches called "vegetal" with ham or other types of flesh in them. "Vegetal" in this case just means it has lettuce and tomato in it; it doesn't mean it only has plant-based ingredients.

In my signature below, you'll find a link to an article I wrote with tips for eating vegan on the Camino. I wrote it on the basis of my experience walking the Francés in 2017, but I have since walked the Camino Primitivo and the Camino de Madrid as a vegan, and I'd say most of the advice holds true for all Caminos.

The Madrid was definitely the most challenging in terms of food, just because it passes through a lot of depopulated towns with only a couple hundred inhabitants, and very few places to eat, or even buy groceries. I ate a lot of bread, tomatoes and dark chocolate on that walk.

I haven't walked VdlP yet, but I have visited several places on the route as a tourist and have written about them on my blog. Here's a link to all my posts on Spain, hopefully some of them will be useful to you: https://www.thenomadicvegan.com/category/travel/spain-travel/

Keep in mind that the posts on Extremadura towns were written several years ago, so there may well be more options now.

Hopefully, you've already downloaded the HappyCow app? If not, definitely do that! But in the places where you don't find anything listed on the app, don't let it worry you. Most traditional Spanish restaurants will have at least a few vegan options, such as paella de verduras, parrillada de verduras, gazpacho, patatas bravas, etc. Again, you'll find more detailed info about these and other dishes on my blog.

Buen camino!

 

[Mikelon]

Thanks for the replies. We found three micro ready meals on the local Spar, spinach and garbanzos, pisto and patatas pobres. Plus soya milk!

 

[clare kelly]

Avoid soya milk if you’re serious about your health

 

[Mikelon]

We take tea seriously. In Almadén tonight, soya milk here in the local shop but not much to eat in cafés, lots closed due to the virus. Casa Concha did us a red pepper salad, asparagus mix and chips. The walk through the national park was lovely. Peaceful and quiet, the air scented with something fragrant.

 

[Mikelon]

In El Real tonight at Hostal La Encina. A bit pissed off at the price 60 euros for a double in a place situated in an industrial estate! No kitchen and nothing and nowhere to eat in town. But... soya milk in the local shop plus enough ingredients to make burritos. A tough walk today, hot and hilly.

 

[AZgirl]

I did this Camino as a vegetarian, interesting to follow to see how it is as a vegan. I end up carrying quite a bit from grocery stores. My favorite tapas is often vegan- (at least as I understood it) patatas bravas.

I will say from my first in 2012 to my most recent Camino there were many more vegetarian/vegan options at restaurants but I suppose this would be a hard year to tell.

 

[Mikelon]

A night in Monesterio last night. Hostal DP El Pilar was good, basic and quiet but no kitchen. Soya milk available at Eroski but very little to eat at local restaurants. We improvised by adding lupin beans and avocado, bought in a local shop, to a huge tomato salad. The friendly owner also made us a delicious pan of mushrooms in garlic.

 

[Mikelon]

In Mérida now, a big city after the little towns. A veggie restaurant with lots of vegan options, Shangri-la was most welcome. Almazara hostel the night before was fantastic except for the mosquitos and the misleading map on 'Booking'. It's 4 clicks out of town, not on the main street as they would direct you.
We're realising the effect the virus has had on businesses and communities. So many closed, for sale, to rent. Very sad.

 

[Wendy Werneth]

A veggie restaurant with lots of vegan options, Shangri-la was most welcome.

When I visited Mérida five years ago, there were only one or two vegan options on the menu at Shangri-la. I'm glad to hear it's improved!

 

[Geodoc]

"Nosotras somos veganas"/"Nosotros somos veganos". You takes your picks, and your genders, as you find-em.

Some other phrases you may find useful:
Yo no como carne o pescado .
Jamon no es un vegetal.
Pollo no es un vegetal.
Percebes no son verduras.
Sólo una ensalada para mí.
Atun no es una planta de ensalada.
Voy a tener el plato de judias.
Chorizo no son judías .
Una botella de brandy por favor.

Love it!

 

[VNwalking]

Jamon no es un vegetal.
Pollo no es un vegetal.
Percebes no son verduras.

Yeah.
I 've had some humorous exchanges involving the server saying, 'that's not meat, that's fish/ham.'
It helps not to take it too seriously.

Buen camino @Mikelon ! May you enjoy Merida...

 

[Mikelon]

We're in Cáceres for the weekend, hoping for some variety in our diet which has consisted of canned pisto, a vegetable stew, and lentejas /garbanzos. Everywhere, even the tiniest shop has sold soya milk. Just for tea for those of you who have soy anxieties. The best advice we can give so far is, stay in albergues that have kitchens as most restaurants have little more than chips for vegans although a few have gone to some trouble to help us. The walking has been great now that we've established a routine of early starts. You really don't want to be walking after 14.00, the heat is incredible.

 

[jungleboy]

Brotes Verdes is a really nice veg restaurant in Cáceres with a vegan menu. Keep up the positive attitude!

 

[Mikelon]

Brotes Verdes is a really nice veg restaurant in Cáceres with a vegan menu. Keep up the positive attitude!

Cheers Nick! Any advice gratefully received!

 

[Wendy Werneth]

Unfortunately, according to their Facebook page, Brotes Verdes has permanently closed. It's a shame, because it really was a great restaurant. HappyCow lists a few places in Cáceres with vegan options, though, so hopefully you'll eat well there.

 

[pelerine]

Hi Mikelon! Try and look up Magwood and her blogs on this forum. She writes in detail about how she handled her diet.

Buen camino!

 

[Mikelon]

Had a good night in Casar de Cáceres in a very reasonable apartment just off the main street. We were supposed to walk to the Embalse Alcántara today but there was no accommodation so we deviated to Santiago del Campo to stay at Casa Rural Julio Vegas which is fantastic. Be aware though, local shop closes at 16.00.

 

[Mikelon]

Also, Ocho Artes in Cáceres went out of their way to give us a great vegan tapas feast at the weekend.

 

[Mikelon]

Our camino is over for this year. Plasencia is as far as we got but what a beautiful place. As an aside, if you need a cooling break from the camino in summer head to the Valle de Jerte. It has numerous rivers and natural pools for wild swimming.
In conclusion our advice for vegan peregrinos on this wonderful walk is self cater when you can, get used to a diet of chickpeas,stuff yourself when you get to bigger towns and train to carry essentials like peanut butter.
We'll be back next year Insh'Allah.

 

[Wendy Werneth]

Our camino is over for this year. Plasencia is as far as we got but what a beautiful place. As an aside, if you need a cooling break from the camino in summer head to the Valle de Jerte. It has numerous rivers and natural pools for wild swimming.
In conclusion our advice for vegan peregrinos on this wonderful walk is self cater when you can, get used to a diet of chickpeas,stuff yourself when you get to bigger towns and train to carry essentials like peanut butter.
We'll be back next year Insh'Allah.

I'm glad to hear you had a good Camino! Plasencia is a lovely town.

 

[alexwalker]

Interesting thread, although I am not a vegan/vegetarian: At the end of the day I'll eat anything put in front of me, but since my granddaughter is vegetarian, I have learnt a few recipes. But I have tried vegan/vegetarian dishes on several occasions, and some are very nice. I remember in El Burgo Ranero (CF), the hospitalero and (a) took me to a vegan restaurant in the main road. It was delicious! Hopefully the caminos will respond to the needs of all kinds.

And I suppose and hope, that when this pandemic has loosened its grip, I can walk again. I suspect that when I arrive in the albergue of @LTfit it will be all vegan (OK by me), but maybe I can sob myself to an omelette (perhaps with a strain of ham in it)?