Our Vegan Family Airbnb Stay in Puerto Vallarta

If you've ever tried to eat vegan at an all-inclusive resort, you already know the drill: a sad plate of steamed vegetables, maybe a scoop of rice, and if you're lucky, a self-serve salad bar that ran out of the vinaigrette. After enough of those trips, we decided to try something different for our family of 5 — an Airbnb in Puerto Vallarta, where we could cook our own meals and actually have a living space instead of a hotel room.

Seven nights later, we came home with a much clearer picture of what works, what doesn't, and what we'd do differently next time. Here's the full breakdown.

Why We Chose an Airbnb Over an All-Inclusive

The math was simple: vegan options at all-inclusives are limited unless you're at one of the handful of resorts that specifically cater to plant-based diets, and even then, you're eating what's put in front of you. With an Airbnb, we had our own kitchen, our own fridge, and the ability to actually control what our family was eating for a week straight — without living out of a hotel room the whole time.

We booked a gated townhouse community about 20 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta airport, and for the most part, it gave us exactly the kind of space we were looking for.

Cost Comparison: Airbnb vs. All-Inclusive for a Family of 5

The savings ended up being a real factor too. For context, a 7-night all-inclusive stay for our family of 5 runs about $8,000. This Airbnb trip — including groceries, water, and cocktails for the week — came to about $6,000. That's a $2,000 difference, on top of getting a kitchen, more space, and full control over what we were eating.

Getting There (And Getting Around)

Grabbing an Uber XL from the airport to our rental was easy but the challenge came once we were settled in. Uber XL was next to impossible to find in our specific area, which made getting around for a family of 5 more of a hassle than we expected. If you're traveling with more than 3–4 people, it's worth thinking through your transportation plan for wherever you're staying, not just the airport transfer. The reason we didn't rent a car was because the reviews for car rental companies were not great. From hidden fees to long wait times at the airport, we decided to take our chances with Uber.

The Townhouse Community

The rental itself checked every box we wanted — nice space, good amenities, and it genuinely felt like our own place rather than a hotel room. We had a pool right in the community, which became our home base most days, and my husband and I got into a rhythm of hitting the on-site gym together every morning. Our host was attentive and quick to help whenever we needed anything, which made a big difference over a full week's stay. If you want to check out where we stayed you can find the listing here.

Grocery Shopping as a Vegan Family in Puerto Vallarta

This ended up being one of the most useful things we learned on the whole trip.

We started with Uber Eats to get groceries delivered directly to the rental, and for the most part, it worked well. The catch: vegan convenience foods — meat alternatives, plant-based cheeses, that kind of thing — are priced noticeably higher there than we're used to at home.

There was a bodega within walking distance for basic convenience-store items, but the walk wasn't great, so we didn't rely on it much.

The real game-changer was the day we visited a local grocery store in person while we were out near Bucerias. Shopping in person meant we could actually see what was available on the shelves — instead of relying on an Uber shopper who might mark something "out of stock" simply because they weren't familiar enough with the product to look for it properly. If you're traveling somewhere with a rental car or you're near a grocery store you can walk to, we'd recommend doing at least one in-person shop rather than relying entirely on delivery apps.

What We Packed: Vegan Pantry Staples for Travel

A handful of items from home made a big difference in how easy it was to cook once we landed:

• Nutritional yeast
• TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• Corn starch
• A small kit of our regular seasonings
• protein powder for shakes
• protein tortillas

None of these take up much luggage space, and they let us make familiar, filling meals without hunting down specialty ingredients in an unfamiliar grocery store.

Meals We Made at the Rental

With our packed staples and what we picked up locally, we were able to put together a full week of meals that felt normal for our kids, including:

• Pasta
• Fried Rice w/ vegan sausage
• "Hot dogs" with all the fixings
• "Chicken" nuggets and fries
• Nachos
• Cereal and toast for breakfast
• Fresh fruit and veggies
• Avocado toast
• Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches

Nothing fancy, but exactly what a family of 5 needs after a day at the pool or out exploring.

Exploring Puerto Vallarta

We spent one full day at the Malecon boardwalk, which was a highlight of the trip — lots of energy, good people-watching, and an easy walk. From there we made our way to the Cuale Island flea market, which had a charming, low-key feel worth carving out time for.

Walking the Malecon also made it obvious that there's a lively nightlife scene along there, including an outdoor entertainment area we would have liked to explore in the evenings if we'd been staying closer.

Day Trip to Bucerias Beach

We also spent a day in Bucerias, walking the beach and doing a bit of beachcombing, which was a nice change of pace from pool days at the rental. This is also where we did our in-person grocery shopping, which — as mentioned above — ended up being more useful than app-based grocery delivery.

Pros & Cons of Our Puerto Vallarta Airbnb Stay

Pros:

• About $2,000 cheaper than an all-inclusive for our family of 5, even including groceries, water, and cocktails
• Full kitchen meant full control over vegan meals for the whole week
• Felt like our own space, not a hotel room — important for a family of 5
• Pool and gym on-site, used daily
• Attentive, responsive host
• Easy Uber XL from the airport
• Walkable-enough bodega for basic items

Cons:

• Uber XL was hard to find once we were near the rental
• Vegan convenience foods were priced higher through delivery apps
• Bodega walk wasn't ideal for regular use
• No vegan restaurants nearby unless we specifically traveled to one
• Rental was too far from the Malecon and nightlife area to enjoy in the evenings

Final Takeaways

Choosing an Airbnb over an all-inclusive gave us exactly what we wanted: control over our food, more space, and a rental community that worked well for a family of 5. If we did this again, the one thing I'd change is location — I'd look for a rental closer to the Malecon so we could enjoy evening walks and the nightlife there, instead of feeling boxed into our own neighborhood after dark.

For any vegan family considering a similar trip, my biggest piece of advice: pack a few pantry staples, plan for at least one in-person grocery run, and think through your transportation options beyond just the airport transfer.

If you'd like to read about our experience at an all inclusive in Mexico you can read all about it here.