While budget and San Miguel de Allende don't normally go in the same sentence, we are living off a backpacker budget right now and have managed to enjoy the "Heart of Mexico." Read on for our insights!
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San Miguel de Allende; UNESCO Heritage Site, colonial silver town, birthplace of the Mexican revolution, and Gringo capital of the world. Say what you will about old white Americans, but they sure know how to pick a beautiful town to retire to.
San Miguel de Allende first became notable in the early 1800’s when Miguel de Hidalgo famously gave his grito (cry for independence), and then marched the flag of the Virgen de Guadalupe down to Queretaro. It later became very rich after silver was discovered in the desert mountains of the state of Guanajuato. Then, mysteriously… it was abandoned, and left as a ghost town for a quarter century until a variety of Mexican and American (and Mexican-American) artists took notice of its beautiful colonial architecture and started an art institute and artist commune. It remained an artist haven until the late 1990’s when American retirees took notice of its cheap prices and artsy vibe and started retiring there.
Today, San Miguel maintains its artistic tradition on the backdrop of one of the most beautiful colonial towns in Mexican, though these days the art is aimed at a somewhat higher tax bracket. But no matter, you can still travel to “El Corazón de Mexico” for cheap and enjoy one of the most famous formerly off-the-beaten-track destinations in Mexico.
Getting there:
San Miguel is easily accessible by bus or car, sitting only an hour-ish from Queretaro, 3 hours from CDMX, or two hours from Guanajuato/Leon. Despite the state of Guanajuato’s current reputation for crime, the city of San Miguel de Allende is extremely safe, owing to its high population of extranjeros. Simply grab a bus from the Queretaro bus terminal (or Leon or Guanajuato, depending on where you are coming from). There should be a bus once an hour.
Planning your stay:
How many days should you take to see San Miguel? The first few times we visited were just daytrips from the city of Queretaro, but if you add in all our recommendations you could spend the better part of a week! If you are looking to spend the night on a backpacker budget, I recommend La Catrina Hostel and Breakfast which is a very affordable, centrally located, and clean stay with an included continental breakfast. Of course, you can also find some of the highest-end hotels in Mexico here, but that’s for another kind of blog haha
ART AND CULTURE
The first stop to see the beautiful culture of the town is the streets themselves, built in the 1800 and vibrantly colored, you can spend hours wandering around the tiny colonial alleyways and checking out the architecture. A fun game is peering into the hidden inner courtyards of some of the grander houses- you never know what you might see. If you only go one place, it's gotta be the beautiful and famous parroquia. No matter the hour of the day, the big pink church is impressive and the plaza is a lively place. I prefer it best at sunset, when the mariachis come out to play and it's quite likely you'll catch a marriage proposal in this romantic setting!
Here is where to go for San Miguel’s art scene.
Mercado de Artesanías: The artisan market is a go-to stop in any Mexican city, and this is no exception. San Miguel hosts artisans from all over Mexico, focusing primarily on the goods coming from the Bajio states of Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Queretaro, and San Luis, but I met artisans who had come from as far as Chiapas to sell vibrant textiles, ornate jewelry, and distinctive regional dolls. The prices are higher because it's a pricier city, but nonetheless worth the stop.
Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramirez: Like everything cool in San Miguel, the centro cultural was once something very different; in this case a former convent has been repurposed into an art school and cultural space. The beautiful central courtyard is filled with cool art students sipping coffee, and artists and book sellers displaying their goods. Various rooms host rotating pop-up art shows for a more contemporary feel, and you can pop into a back room to see a huge unfinished mural by Siqueiros, my favorite of the muralists.
Parque Benito Juarez: Strolling through this green space is a welcome retreat from the cobblestone and orange painted streets of the centro, and as always it’s FREE to enjoy a park! You can find a variety of sculptures and sometimes artists posted up and selling their artwork on the sidewalk. If you are trying to take a little rest between walking and shopping, the parque is the perfect place to read a book or peoplewatch.
Parque El Chorro and the Casa de la Cultura: Just a half block away, you can’t miss Parque El Chorro which is really just a series of stacked, outdoor patios that extend from the Casa de Cultura. The Casa de Cultura is a staple in any town in Mexico, as it is a public space for workshops, art classes, music classes, and the like. Multiple times I have come across a handful of dance groups practicing on one of the many outdoor patios. It is hard to describe or capture this place in a photo, but just make sure you stop by and past the beautiful red arches and picturesque building.
La Fabrica: Built originally as a textile factory, La Fabrica was repurposed in the 50’s as an artist haven, for vagabonds and artistic types to have total artistic freedom. Today, it is a massive collection of studios and art galleries, and you can spend all afternoon wandering from room to room, talking to the artists themselves, and pretending you have the money to buy anything. One particularly high end gallery was selling a Rothko and a Pollock. My personal favorites were the various antique shops, filled with all sorts of trunks and tables and strange little statues.
Get outside: A visit to Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden will nicely complement your day traversing the colonial center of San Miguel. Just 2km from the town center, it is actually within walking distance though I recommend driving/ taking a taxi there and enjoying the leisurely 25 minute downhill walk back. This is one of a handful of “ethnobotanic” gardens featured throughout Mexico, on the same list as the botanical garden of Oaxaca City and others. That means these gardens predominantly highlight endemic flora instead of housing a huge collection of exotic species. For just 50 pesos ($3 USD) entrance fee, you could literally spend the whole day in this garden! They do offer a guided English walking tour on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am-12pm that will set you back 200 pesos per person, but I went solo mode on this one!
The place is fairly big and has so much to see, as it is a natural area surrounding a small lake. Within the garden, you can find a museum that talks about the predominant plant and animal species in this region of Guanajuato, you will find several kilometers of trails, a beautiful greenhouse, a solar observatory, an old ruin from a water mill, and a lot of areas where they rescued native plant species from development sites! Seeing Charco del Ingenio was very meaningful for me personally because in my job here in Mexico I help conserve and reforest sotol (desert spoon), one of the key species featured in this garden. The sotol plant is a protected species with great cultural value to the traditions of the indigenous Otomi- Chichimeca people of the region, and many of the signs throughout the garden are written in English, Spanish, AND Otomí.
ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY
Surprise surprise, this historic Mexican silver mining town has a long, complicated, tumultuous, and ongoing history. There are a variety of spots to hit to see full range of what San Miguel has to offer, starting, once again, with a walk through its historic streets, where you can see the wonderfully preserved colonial style at every turn. If you want to see even more important history and take a little day trip away, here are my top recommendations for my fellow history nerds.
Santuario de Atotonilco: For those of you big on churches, this is a must see. The best example of "syncretism" (sincretísmo) that you might see in Mexico, it has apparently been called the Sistine Chapel of the Americas for its vibrant ceiling paintings. Built on top of hot springs used for indigenous healing and spiritual practice, the Spaniards built a big chapel on top of it, and decorated the ceilings with vivid (and brutal) murals. It remains an important religious center in Mexico, and thousands annually perform the exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, which you should look up for yourself.
Cañada de la Virgen: While central Mexico may not have the same fame as Mayan country for its archeological zones, Cañada de la Virgen is an essential visit, both for its unique structures and imposing surroundings. Built (probably) by the Otomi or Tolteca (or both?), it is still in the process of excavation, and several of its mysteries are unique across Mexico. It is one of the most recently opened archeological zones in Mexico. Located about 45 minutes from San Miguel, it is a great opportunity to check out the views of the semi-desert. It sits on a wide, dry plain alongside a menacing gorge at the bottom of which are an exceptional assortment of mushrooms, I am told.
Dolores Hidalgo: Just a short drive/bus ride away, Dolores Hidalgo is a small city and pueblo magico where the ‘grito de independencia’ - the cry for independence- actually first took place. The locals are very proud of this fact, and a day trip to Dolores is sure to be full of lots of interesting information about the Mexican revolution. It's also a nice escape from the more touristy and expat-filled San Miguel, and can be a nice way to get a sense of smaller town Mexican life. As with many smaller pueblos, I recommend you visit on a SUNDAY, the family day and market day where the town square comes alive! Make sure you don’t leave without seeing the famous bell rung for independence, and eat a delicious water-based ice cream (nieve) that Dolores is so famous for! Yes, we’re talking tasty flavors like cactus fruits, lavender, and my personal favorite sweet corn :)
Mineral de Pozos: An abandoned hacienda ghost town surrounded by lavender fields, this is a great place to walk around, take pictures, and live out your instagram influencer dreams. Beyond this it is beautiful, and you can find a variety of fancy restaurants at which to eat and take in the views. We haven't been quite yet but it's on our list!
And of course, your natural next stop should be a trip to Guanajuato, Guanajuato, my favorite city in Mexico, which you can read about here.
If you have any other positive experiences or recommendations for San Miguel, please share in the comments below!
