Chandra’s guidebook for San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel is a historic city and most streets are still cobblestones thus having comfortable and stable shoes is a must. Also, when walking around, I advise keeping an eye on your immediate surroundings as you will encounter uneven sidewalks, holes, and after a rain, slippery streets, etc.

If you enjoy hot springs, you can easily visit within 15-20 minutes (via car) from our property. Or, you can purchase a pool pass from one of the local hotels. My recommendation is to visit La Gruta (closed Mondays and Tuesdays) on a Wednesday. Lockers to store your belongings are available starting at 8AM. Make sure to bring a 50 peso note to rent a locker and they will return your 50 pesos when you return the key. I do not recommend visiting on a weekend as the hot springs can be quite crowded.

This is especially important in the winter months, which can be quite cool in the mornings and evenings and warm during the day. I always suggest bringing a light weight down jacket as they are easy to pack, airplanes are often too cold and in the winter months, you will be glad to have it.

From our property, you can walk all over San Miguel and should you decide you want a vehicle, cabs, Ubers, private drivers are generally quite easy to come by or arrange. For excursions outside of town, it's easy to set up transportation. Net/net, I do not recommend having a car in San Miguel.

This region has become quite popular for producing wine and there are several wineries within 30-minutes or so from our property. We have visited Tres Raices and La Santisima Trinidad and recommend both. Tres Raices feels more modern and La Santisima Trinidad reminded me of being in Tuscany. The wineries require advance reservations.

If you enjoy art, Galeria Atontonilco has an extensive collection of Mexican folk art for viewing and many for purchase. Reservations are required thus visit their site, or call to set up a time to visit.

Visit the Saturday organic market at Mercado SANO to stock up on fresh produce, enjoy breakfast or lunch, pick up a freshly baked pastry, etc.

Visit Santuario de Jesus Nazareno Atontonilco (open at 10AM), often referred to as the Sistine Chapel of Mexico. It's a small church and you can easily be in and out in 15-minutes, or spend more time if you wish.

Doce18 is a concept house on Reloj, just off the Jardin. You will find clothing and accessories from Mexican designers in the main storefront and in the back, there is a champagne bar, mezcal tasting room, macaroons, chocolate shop, spices, etc. Make sure to walk all the way around the space.

Benito Juarez Parque is 5-minutes walking from our property and is the largest park in San Miguel. It's a lovely place to sit and enjoy nature, walk on the paths, etc. If you are here during the first part of February, make sure to check out Candelaria where local nurseries bring their flowers, plants, trees and set them up around the park. There are other festivities during this event i.e., live music, food, etc.

If you enjoy art, make sure to visit Fabrica to see the different artist's studios and their works. This is a historic building and used to be a textile factory. The first Saturday of the month, they usually host an art walk in the late afternoon/early evening.

If you enjoy interior design, make sure to visit Distrito Soma. You will find several galleries with home furnishings, lighting, restaurants, and more.

The streets in San Miguel are mostly cobblestone thus good/stable shoes are a must. It is also important to watch where you are walking as sidewalks/streets can be quite narrow and are not always maintained to the standards you may be more familiar with i.e., there may be unexpected holes, etc.