The Best Gluten Free Resort in Mexico
On a trip to Villa Del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto, I found the best gluten-free pizza and croissants I’ve ever tried. The hotel also offers gluten-free bread, rolls, and many other gluten-free dishes. The food at Villa Del Palmar was a Celiac’s gluten-free heaven.
If you are planning a trip to Loreto, I highly recommend Villa Del Palmar for the food, beach location, amazing pools, and of course their amazing gluten-free options.
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Traveling With a Gluten Allergy
Traveling with a food allergy is challenging. I am gluten intolerant and my son is allergic to dairy we have to be very cautious about food when traveling, especially internationally.
I tend to be a bit skeptical that the language barrier may hinder complete understanding that I must not eat gluten versus I don’t like gluten. The last thing I want is to be sick from eating gluten while on vacation.
When staying at Villa Del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto I found I didn’t have to worry about anything when it came to dining and knowing gluten-free options! They were amazing at clarifying what was gluten-free and labeling gluten-free items on their buffets.
The three restaurants at Villa Del Palmar offer gluten-free dishes and they are very accommodating about customizing dishes to be gluten-free.
In my experience, Villa Del Palmar is the best resort in Mexico for a gluten-free vacation! They were amazing at clarifying what was gluten-free and labeling gluten-free items on their buffets.
Lunch at Casa Mia
My first meal at Villa Del Palmar was lunch at Casa Mia, the outdoor restaurant steps from the pool and the beach. They are known for their wood oven pizzas and tacos. I had written off pizza as an option, but to my surprise they offered gluten free pizza.
Have you ever had a bite of something that tasted so good you didn’t believe it was gluten free? That was my reaction to the gluten free pizza at Casa Mia. It was the best gluten free crust I’ve ever tasted.
Beach Buffet
Dinner my first evening at the resort was a buffet on the beach. There were elaborate food stations set up with everything from salmon and chicken on the grill to Executive chef Alfonso Peregrina smoking clams on the beach.
In general, eating gluten free in Mexico tends to be fairly easy for me because of the amount of fish and use of corn over wheat flour. For dinner, I stuck to seafood to play it safe. That didn’t mean sacrifice, because there was a ceviche station at the buffet with numerous types of fresh fish along with onion, jalapeno, tomatoes and everything needed to make the dish. Each plate of ceviche was made to order and delicious.
Gluten Free Lunch To Go!
The next morning we headed out at the break of dawn for a deep-sea fishing excursion. The hotel packed lunch for the group including a gluten-free option for me and a dairy-free option for my son.
When lunchtime rolled around and we unpacked the sandwiches, no one could tell which was gluten free. All but one were wraps. The remaining lunch was a sandwich on what looked like regular bread that looked like focaccia. It wasn’t labeled gluten-free and it looked too non-gluten-free for me to take a chance.
What I didn’t know quite yet was chef Peregrina has either mastered gluten free baking or brought in the best gluten free baker in Mexico. I learned this later that evening when the waiter sat a dinner roll down on my bread plate and said “a gluten free roll”. That is a treat for anyone avoiding gluten. Dinner rolls are almost never an option dining out.
When I dine at a restaurant, there are constant questions with the waitstaff about what dishes may have ingredients that contain gluten. There is a big difference between not wanting food with gluten and not being able to eat food with gluten. I usually ask “is this gluten free” as I am ordering and confirm when the dish arrives. If you are gluten intolerant or have Celiac disease double checking everything you eat while traveling is probably true for you as well.
Every meal at the resort, when my dish was delivered, the waiter would set it down and say “the gluten free option”. I wish all restaurants would do this! It was a small thing that Villa Del Palmar waiters did, but it made my meals worry free.
Breakfast Buffet at the Market Restaurant
The breakfast buffet at the Market Restaurant had many of the usual offerings like fresh fruit, cereals, cheese tray and omelet station. It wasn’t until I walked past the plates of breads and pastries that I notices a gluten free sign on a plate of croissants.
I haven’t had a croissant since I started my gluten-free diet and they are a food I have missed. I was so excited to spread butter on the gluten free croissant and have a bite (but first, I checked with the staff to verify it was gluten-free). Okay, I know I must seem paranoid, but I honestly couldn’t believe there were gluten-free croissants!
Dinner at Danzante
At Danzante, the fine dining steakhouse and seafood restaurant devoted to fusion cuisine, I was able to enjoy the mango and avocado salad, tortilla soup with vanilla cheese and squash blossom, parrot fish with diablo sauce and desserts like the duo of chocolate mouse served with ice cream, crushed nuts and white and dark chocolate.
Chef Peregrina and sous chef Gerardo Garcia Martinez execute delicious dishes for the resort and I didn’t feel like I was deprived or not experiencing the food the rest of the diners could order.
Another evening we dined at the Market Restaurant and I enjoyed arugula and spinach salad with a mustard dressing topped with grapefruit and candied nuts as well as poblano cream soup with asparagus, filet mignon served with shrimp and for dessert, cheesecake with vanilla ice cream.
I have one regret though, which is I wish I ate the sandwich on the fishing trip. I bet it was delicious!
If you are gluten intolerant or living with Celiac disease Villa Del Palmar at the Islands of Loreto should be at the top of your travel list.
My disclaimer: If you have Celiac disease, do your research before you visit. Talk to the chef about possible cross-contamination for all dishes including baked goods and pizza.
WHEN TO VISIT LORETO, MEXICO
The best time to go to Loreto, Mexico is October through May when temperatures are mostly in the low 80s. The weather is hot and humid from June through September. High season is considered to be January, February and March.
Winter is very popular in Loreto, Mexico the climate is temperate, relatively dry, and full of sunshine.
If you are thinking of booking, I have another article about the top 10 reasons Villa del Palmar is AMAZING!
If you enjoyed this article about The Best Gluten Free Resort in Mexico, you’ll also love Where to Eat, Play and Stay: Top Things to do in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico.
Traveling To Loreto, Mexico Soon? Here are a few tips:
How to get there: If you fly into Loreto, you’ll arrive at LTO. The airport is about 5 miles south of town. If you are feeling adventurous, you can drive to Loreto from the southern border of the United States and it will take you about 16-20 hours on Highway 1.
Where to stay: There are many places to stay in Loreto, Mexico. Hotels range from budget to luxury, but of course I recommend the Villa del Palmar Beach Resort & Spa at The Islands of Loreto, which is currently the #1 hotel on Tripadvisor.
Loreto Mexico Trip Essentials
6 Indispensable Items to Pack for a Mexico Vacation
- Get the Moon Baja: Including Cabo San Lucas (Travel Guide).
- Bring a good quality mirrorless camera for getting those beautiful Loreto, Mexico’s beach landscape shots. I use the Sony Alpha a6000
.
- Summers are nice in Mexico, so make sure to bring Neutrogena Sunscreen, Broad Spectrum Spf 45
- A great cross body travel bag
. Cross body bags prevent theft and are much easier to access.
- Don’t forget sunglasses for the beautiful sunny days. A.J. Morgan Unisex Sunglasses
are a great choice and very affordable!
- Loreto’s beach is stunning crystal blue, so don’t forget to bring snorkeling gear to explore beauty with all sorts of colorful fish surrounding.
.
. Cross body bags prevent theft and are much easier to access.
are a great choice and very affordable!Recommended Mexico Travel Resources
- Travel Insurance: World Nomads.
- Best Sites to Research Flight Prices: CheapOAir and Skyscanner
- Research the Best Hotels in Mexcio (Reviews): Hotels.com and TripAdvisor
- Brush up on your Spanish with a Free lesson with Babbel
- Cheap Flights to Mexico with Volaris Airlines
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Read More About Mexico
- 3 Day Baja Mexico Cruise From Long Beach on Carnival Imagination
- Where to Eat, Play and Stay: Top Things to do in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico
- Is Juarez safe to visit? Exploring a Mexico Border Town
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I haven’t heard of this resort but definitely want to check it out. How kind of the staff to watch out for you! It must have been wonderful to have all of those gluten-free treats.