Savoring San Miguel: 10 Unforgettable Adventures in the Heart of Mexico

San Miguel de Allende is a incredible town in the middle of Mexico with so many things to do. It’s a walking town, it’s a foodie town, it’s an art town and it’s a very friendly town for tourists from everywhere. With so much history, the city is also a UNESCO world heritage site.

But what makes it truly amazing and such a wonderful place to visit anytime, is the weather. It’s literally in the 70’s year round. It does get chilly in the evenings, but the brilliant sun warms every day up to a comfortable temperature.

We’ve been fortunate to visit this city many times. Here are our 10 “Must Do’s” while visiting San Miguel de Allende.

#1 - The Parroquia and Jardín

Start in the Heart of the City - In the heart of San Miguel sits the iconic Parroquia. This is a great place to start your adventure. The full name is La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel. The church was originally built in the 17th century but the gothic facade was added in the late 1800’s. The church sits at one end of the jardín (garden).

On any given day you will find street vendors selling food, drinks and local crafts. Both locals and tourists will enjoy sitting in the shaded areas in the warm afternoon.

San Miguel de Allende got it’s name from two important historical figures in the area. The first was Friar Juan de San Miguel, as seen in this statue. He was a Franciscan Friar who established the first Catholic settlement in the 16th century.

Ignacio Allende

The second person San Miguel de Allende is named after was a Mexican Independence War Hero, Ignacio Allende. He was born in this building to a wealthy Spanish family. While fighting for the Spanish, he became sympathetic to the native people and conspired to help them achieve their independence. San Miguel de Allende was the first city in Mexico to gain independence in 1810.

Here is a look at where the original Parroquia built in a Baroque style meets the Gothic façade added in the 1800’s. Notice the pink limestone, which is abundant in the buildings in this area.

The Parroquia is spectacular at night, brilliantly lit up visible all over. On a busy night there are street vendors selling food, balloons and other souvenirs from the area. It’s worth staying up to see at night.

#2 Take Photos on the Picturesque Aldama Street

This is the most photographed spot in all of San Miguel. And for good reason, the colorful houses with the Parroquia in the background create a beautiful backdrop for a photo.

Come back at different times of the day to see the lighting change for even more photos.

And definitely come back at night for an even more unique view.

And of course, get a picture with your favorite person on this iconic street. Photo credit: Greg Cavanagh

#3 - Learn More Taking a Walking Tour:

There are many choices for walking tours in this historical city. Generally, the tour guides are professionally educated in the area and the history of where they are guiding. We had a reference from a friend in the area for our walking tour with Isabel.

We started in Parque Benito Juarez, a beautiful park a short walk away from the center of town. This park is 118 years old.

While a country filled with so many spectacular Catholic churches, we learned that Mexico is not a true Catholic country. When the Spaniards arrived they brought their religion with them, however the indigenous people, the Chichimecas had their own beliefs and customs.

One of the benefits of a walking tour is the tour guides have their local spots and hidden gems along the way. Here we stopped at a beautiful Hacienda (former vacation home) now a hotel. They had some lovely shops and were sampling Aguas Frescas, a delicious cool Mexican beverage, for all to try.

We’ve been visiting San Miguel de Allende for a dozen years. In the Zona Centro, the main square where the Parroquia sits, we’d never noticed that one of the roads was wider than the other 3 in the square. This was called the “Royal Road,” and was made wider to allow the horses and carriages of the wealthy to pass through easily.

Even the local Starbucks is in a historic building on the square.

De la Canal family manor. Across from Starbucks, within the square stands this large building that was once home to a wealthy family of Spanish merchants. The home was built in the 18th century. Today, it houses a museum and shops to visit.

The architecture of the building is beautiful, in a combination of French and Spanish traditions in a Baroque style building.

We learned so much on our walking tour. We toured with Isabel Mor whose page can be found on Facebook.

#4 - Fábrica La Aurora

To find both an interesting art collection in an historic site, check out Fábrica La Aurora. This area used to be a textile factory, turned into a unique site for selling beautiful art, clothing, jewelry and more artisans’ goods.

Local artisans can rent space here to sell their goods. You are greeted when you arrive with a pair of Mojigangas. These creative oversized costumes are seen throughout Mexico at parties, weddings and festivals.

The Historic Mill

In one part of the building you can look down and see remnants of the old working fabric mill.

The assortment at La Fabrica Aurora ranges from gorgeous lighting as seen below, to clothing, paintings, sculptures and jewelry. It’s fascinating to walk through.

The art is everywhere throughout the buildings and gardens. There are places to eat and drink. There are also workshops given for interested artists. Fabrica La Aurora is definitely worth a stop on a short walk (or taxi ride) just outside of the main part of town.

#5 Have Drinks on a Rooftop Bar

San Miguel makes great use of their architecture in the flat rooftops, with many restaurants offering service in the sky. There are so many to choose from in San Miguel de Allende and sunset is just a magical time. We recommend to splurge and visit Luna at the top of the Rosewood Hotel to enjoy one of the most beautiful rooftops in the area.

Be sure to make reservations if you visit Luna, checking the time the sun sets during your visit. We love to visit in the winter, due to the beautiful weather, but the sun does set early at that time of year.

Another shot from Luna looking back into the city of San Miguel de Allende.

The beautiful sunset from Luna at the Rosewood.

We could write a whole post on rooftops as this is a very typical spot for bars and restaurants in San Miguel de Allende. Here are just a couple more to check out.

Bar Las Dos is great for a drink and some excellent photo ops.

A new find for us was Carajillo, a rooftop restaurant and bar. They also have a DJ and great music at night.

Pizza with a view. We discovered Carajillo while looking for a late night snack. The pizza was delicious and the views spectacular.

#6 Eat Well

San Miguel de Allende is nothing short of a foodie paradise. From top notch restaurants, to food stalls in the markets to local family favorites, there is something for everyone in San Miguel. We have so many favorites we made a whole post on restaurants that can be found: HERE

Below is a delicious salmon salad at The Restaurant, owned by American Chef Donnie Masterton. If you don’t know where to start, begin at this great restaurant. Making it even better, on Thursdays The Restaurant has “Mo Better Burger Night,” serving the most delicious hamburgers ever. Donnie is a music lover so check out the bar filled with rock memorabilia.

Another “must try” restaurant is Los Milagros. There are actually two locations in town, so be sure to head to Los Milagros Terrazas. This location is high above San Miguel, showing off all the city’s beauty, especially at night. Their specialty is the Molcajete or “Volcano” Bowl. You can order it with a variety of meat or seafood. It comes out sizzling hot, served with veggies and a wonderful cheese in the middle that melts. It is huge and very sharable!

The view from Los Milagros Terrazas.

There are so many wonderful restaurants in this city. For more detail see our post: HERE

#7 Get Outside

Visit El Charco de Ingenio. These beautiful botanical gardens are just outside of Centro. It’s about a 10 minute car ride from Centro or a 30 minute hike up the hill if you are game. There is a small fee to enter the gardens and visitor center.

The botanical gardens underwent a bit of a renovation in the last couple of years which really updated the park. In the gardens you see a combination of a natural habitat and cultivated examples of indigenous plants in the area.

The botanical gardens sit above the central (Centro) area of San Miguel, located on a high plain.

Along with natural art, there are beautiful art pieces throughout the gardens.

Beyond being a interesting botanical garden, the location gives sweeping views from high above the city. This also serves a function as two dams were built in the early 20th century. In fact, if you look, you can see and old pipe off in the distance. The pipe provided water that powered the former fabric mill, now La Fabrica Aurora.

At the base of the dam today, sits the hotel Live Aqua (the white buildings). It’s a beautiful, modern hotel, newer to the area.

A walk across the upper dam. Off in the distance you can see pipe remnants. Great hiking, interesting gardens and more history of the area, make the Jardin worth a stop while in San Miguel.

#8 - Visit a Winery

Yes, that’s right, there are wineries in the area. There are a handful of wineries within an hour’s drive of the city and more opening every year. Most not only offer tasting, but have delicious restaurants on the property as well. I promise you, you’ll think you’re in Napa or Tuscany on these beautiful properties. Oh, and the best part, the wines are delicious!

Below is Vinedos San Lucas, probably the closest, located just outside of the center of San Miguel. Vinedos San Lucas is just one of three wineries on this property. They even make bath products from the lavender in the fields and sell it in the gift shop.

On the same property sits Vinedos San Francisco. It’s just as pretty but with a little different vibe. We recommend go to one for lunch and one for just a glass of wine or a small tasting. There is also a hotel on the property if you’d like to stay longer to try all 3 wineries.

Just like you were in Tuscany!

A little fun “stomping” some grapes.

One last picture of the beautiful Vinedos San Lucas.

Probably our favorite winery in the area is Tres Raices. This beautiful winery is an easy 30 minute drive from the center of San Miguel de Allende. Like most of the wineries in the area, there is a hotel and restaurant on the property. They also offer tours and tastings for a fee. We mostly go for lunch (the food is great!) and try a couple of different wines with our group.

Such a lovely setting in the picture perfect weather of San Miguel de Allende.

Cheers!

For a beautiful, relaxing afternoon, make time to visit the local wineries in San Miguel de Allende.

#9 - Immerse Yourself in the Culture

In a city full of such history, there is so much culture to enjoy. There are many holidays that are celebrated in Mexico, with roots back to both the Spanish and indigenous people of the country. And, on a day as seen below, we could not pinpoint a holiday, simply a celebration of music and dancing for all to enjoy.

Throughout the city there are markets, festivals and celebrations all year long, all part of what make this city so unique and special.

Pink Floyd Cover Band: A FREE Concert in the Park

Do your research ahead or ask around once you arrive. There are so many free and inexpensive cultural things to see while visiting.

This Pink Floyd cover band was in the park on a beautiful evening under the stars and the concert was totally free.

#10 Fulfill Your Curiosity Peeking Behind the Doors

It is a well known saying in San Miguel de Allende, “you never know what’s behind the door.” Many doors are ornate and decorated as seen in the storefront door below. There are lush gardens, restaurants, hotels and shops found behind the doors.

For example, behind this door is a beautiful boutique hotel with a lovely rooftop restaurant.

Behind this door is a beautiful garden and art gallery.

Don’t Go in This Door!

Yes, there are many beautiful doors and entrances throughout the city. However, some are residences, meant to just be admired from the street. (Unless you’re lucky enough to know the owners!)

If you haven’t booked your trip yet, what are you waiting for? San Miguel de Allende is a beautiful city with lots of culture, history and fabulous food just waiting for your visit!