San Miguel de Allende travel guide

 

Over the last couple of months we’ve received many questions about San Miguel. Is it worth the trip? Is it too touristy? Best places to eat? Where to go? Finally, we bring you our San Miguel de Allende Travel Guide! A rundown of our musts for a 2-3 day stay….

San Miguel de Allende does have a very large expat community, but, contrary to what has happened in Cancún or Los Cabos, here it doesn’t translate to ‘less authentic’. In fact, most of the foreigners we got to chat with have really embraced the Mexican culture and have beautiful initiatives to support the community. And what struck us the most is that despite receiving loads of tourists every day, it still preserves its small town charm. In other words, totally worth visiting!

Enjoy your trip and tag us in your pics so we can follow you around! And don’t forget to read the ‘Useful Information’ at the end for extra tips, map and contacts.

 

City Tour

We aren’t the tour kind of travelers, but walking blindly around the beautiful historic cobblestone streets of San Miguel de Allende seemed like a disservice to the town. Luckily, we had Horacio there with us to give out all the intel.

Did you know, for example, that the church was made by a humble builder with no studies at all; that the city has underground tunnels used by the Mexican insurgent army to escape and hide their weapons, or that the town was a strategic point in the gold and silver route? Knowing where to look at really does make San Miguel come to life!

Some of the places you’ll visit with Horacio: San Miguel de Arcángel Parish, Allende’s house (still has furniture from that era–1800’s), Casa del Mayorazgo (another aristocratic residence), Plaza Colonial (beautiful stores and also has some 1800’s pictures of San Miguel), El Nigromante Cultural Center (a former convent and art school now used as an exhibition space), a traditional apothecary from 1858 and the first gas pump in town. 

 

 

 

 

 

Fábrica La Aurora

A place filled with art galleries does sound a bit posh, but it’s a must! Trust us. Besides, San Miguel has had a long history of art promotion since 1930’s, so it’s really part of the town’s core. And it’s only a 15-minute walk from downtown.

This old cotton thread factory (which still keeps some of the machines, by the way) is huuuge! So, take your time strolling around and don’t forget to visit these two places:

• Skot Foreman (local 7A): this gallery really surprised us. During our visit we had a chance to see paintings of Purvis Young, Escher and Dalí! They’ve also had some Andy Warhol’s and Picasso’s, so you never really know what you’ll stumble into… which kind of makes it very exciting.
• La Buhardilla (local 4A): the most amazing antique store you’ll find in Mexico. We could have been looking around for hours… Plus, you can ask them to open the red door at the back of the store, the one with the ‘no photography allowed’ sign, so you can see some pieces from the owner’s private collection, like a Virgin made out of feathers or paintings by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and David Siqueiros.

 

 

 

 

Atotonilco Sanctuary

Now, this place is better than any gallery in town… Have you ever heard about the Mexican Sistine Chapel? This is it! A sanctuary dating back to 1740 that had the ambitious idea of illustrating every scene from the Bible and other manuscripts on the teachings of the Catholic Church. It took around 40 years to complete it.

Besides being a World Heritage Site, Atotonilco also played a significant role in the process of Mexico’s independence. The flag with the Virgin of Guadalupe that Miguel Hidalgo appears to be waving in every painting that commemorates this day was actually taken from here.

Note: There’s no entrance fee, except for the ‘Capilla del Calvario’ that’s on the left side of the main entrance. This part costs $15 mxn, and it’s worth every penny.

 

 

 

 

 

Mojigangas Workshop

Hermes has been making these beautiful and iconic mojigangas (big dolls) for 40 years, along with amazing religious statues –all made out of cardboard. 

For years, Mojigangas were only used as props to dress up San Miguel de Allende’s (or other cities) festivities or celebrations. Until one day Hermes decided to make two personalized mojigangas as a wedding gift for his cousin: a bride and a groom that looked just like the newlyweds… Since that day, his main business has been making mojigangas for weddings in San Miguel and all over the world! 

On your way out, don’t forget to visit his store. Everything is handmade in his studio and since it’s made out of cardboard, you won’t have to worry about your luggage weight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

El Charco del Ingenio Botanic Garden

This place is magical. No wonder the Dalai Lama proclaimed it a ‘Peace Zone’. Imagine 170 acres of land used to preserve rare, endangered and near extinct Mexican species –mostly cactuses–. It’s actually the second largest collection of cactuses in the country.

If you can, follow all the trails (takes about 2.5hrs) and spend some time around the hacienda ruins from the 1700’s. If you don’t have a lot of time, don’t miss the Conservatory, the Agave Garden and the Scent and Touch Labyrinth in the Children’s Garden. 

 

 

 

 

 

Artisan Market

We love, love, love looking at local crafts, even if we don’t end up buying them. And this small market has beautiful stalls with the best of San Miguel: wool, brass, talavera and papier-mâché items. 

Walking around we stumbled upon a candy store, called Dulce María José, that you HAVE to visit! They sell flavored cajetas (the lavanda one is amazing! But they also have tequila, rompope, violet, rose petals, amongst many others) and different varieties of honey (try the mezquite one, it’s our favorite).

 

 

 

 

 

Food galore!

San Miguel de Allende is filled with amazing restaurants, cafes and tasting experiences! If you’re interested, see our Foodie Guide!

 

 

 

 

 

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Useful information

 

Map

We’ve pinpointed all the sites mentioned above on to this map, to save you some time! Plus, all the places mentioned in our Foodie Guide to San Miguel de Allende.

 

Where we stayed

Hotel La Morada: right next to the church and two blocks away from Panio bakery, which means waking up to church bells and freshly baked bread. A dream. Made our reservations here.

Airbnb: Nice rooms, very close to town’s center and one of the most affordable options we found. Here’s the link.

City Tour

It really does change your experience. We did it with Horacio (he does tours in English).
Horacio Miquel: [email protected], 415-107-4198/ 415-152-7932

Mojigangas Workshop
Contact Hermes in advance, so that you can visit his studio. If he isn’t around, visit his store anyway… Especially if you are looking to buy one of a kind souvenirs.

Hermes Arroyo: [email protected], 415-117-1863

El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden

• Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 there’s a van (branded with the botanical garden’s logo) that takes you to El Charco free of charge. It parks in front of Plaza Cívica, in Mesones street. The limit is 14 passengers so make sure you arrive before the departure. It goes back to town at 13:00.
• Entrance fee is $50 mxn. Keep the map they give you, because you’ll need it.
• Be careful and don’t stand on an ant’s nest, it won’t be a pretty story. And if you are planning on climbing down the canyon, wear boots and watch out for snakes.