San Miguel De Allende is a charming colonial town and renowned arts centre of 100,000 people not a far drive from Guadelajara, Mexico in the province of Guanajuato. The town is set in the high desert, with cool nights and warm days. The Spanish style of architecture offers many charms, including outdoor courtyards and cafes, spectacular churches, narrow cobbled streets, statuary, and fountains. The tropical colour influence is everywhere, in bougainvilla spilling over painted stucco walls, murals, and in traditional clothing and textiles. There is no neon and no traffic lights, fulfilling an ambiance that is truly old world.
Populated by artisans, painters, writers and bohemians, it has long been a haven for creative travellers and has a large ex-patriate English speaking population. A bilingual city, you will be comfortable speaking English and learning Spanish at one of many language schools. Our hostel is at the centre of a growing movement in San Miguel De Allende towards healthy, conscious living that embraces art, expression, self-knowledge and growth. This is a wonderful place full of architectural and human treasures.
(the following article is from www.gonomad.com,
a great alternative travel site)
WHY GO?
Nestled high in the cool hills of the Mexican altiplano, San
Miguel De Allende is one the hippest, busiest, most charming
towns in Mexico. More importantly, this seductive little city
- with clear nights and warm days -- offers the alternative
traveler numerous inexpensive and high-quality opportunities
to study Spanish or the arts. So much so, that many travelers
come to visit and never seem to make it home.
WHEN TO GO
High season runs from December 15 to April1, when the days are clear and sunny, and nights are cool. April through August is low season, with hotter days in the spring and rain in the summer. Still, at 6400 feet above sea level, it is always fairly dry and cool for Mexico: actually rather perpetually spring-like!
If you can, try to be in SMA for Semana Santa - Easter Week.
It gets crowded with Mexican families from Mexico City and
surrounding villages, but the festivities and processions
are some of the best in Latin America. Some folks say they
rival those in Antigua, Guatemala, which makes sense since
SMA is very similar in style.
GETTING THERE
There are daily flights from the US to Léon/Guanajuato
airport on American and Continental from Dallas and Houston,
with connecting flights from elsewhere in the US. Aeromexico
also serves Léon. Take a bus or taxi to San Miguel,
only 90 minutes away. You can also fly into Mexico City and
take a bus for the 41/2-hour drive north.
GETTING AROUND
Walk. Take a local bus (3 pesos), or grab a taxi for further or uphill destinations. Some people like to bike, but the streets in town are cobbled, so unless you like to jiggle and bounce, use your feet.
WHERE TO STAY
Check out Hostel Casa De Allende
for budget digs or for a higher-end, private stay visit Cisne Suite, a self-contained suite in San Miguel de Allende.
BEST ATTRACTIONS
Without question, the Jardin, the central town square, is
the main attraction. Hang out for a few hours, listen to music
from strolling musicians, read beneath a shady tree. Or, go
church hopping and check out the Parroquia, the Oratorio,
or any one of the numerous other churches in town.
BEST UNUSUAL ATTRACTION
For real local flavor, check out the Tuesday Market, a sprawling flea market that takes place all day every Tuesday on the outskirts of town. Buy everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to bicycle repair parts and puppies.
On a hot day, head to La Gruta, a private park on the road to Dolores Hidalgo, with 4 hot spring pools that vary from warm to steaming. Swim the blue canal to the grotto pool and stand in line with everyone else to be baptized by the gushing hot water that flows from a hole in the wall.
BEST ACTIVITY AND TOURS
The best (and cheapest) activity is walking around town. The cobbled streets, colorful buildings, myriad shops, and parks can keep you occupied for days.
However, there are a few tours worth taking. One is the popular Sunday House and Garden Tour which gives you a rare peek at the luxurious gardens and casas hidden behind the imposing Moorish walls of the town. Departs every Sunday at noon from the Biblioteca Publico. $15/pp.
Another worthwhile tour is the Saturday Hacienda Tour, which takes you out of town to visit working ranchos and large haciendas. The Tour is sponsored by the non-profit Centro de Crecimiento and departs from the Jardin at 10:30 am for a three-hour journey.
Tours Mexico Colonial (next door to the Fuji shop by the Jardin) offers daily tours of colonial cities nearby.
Patronato Pro-Ninos, a local non-profit, also offers walking tours of San Miguel on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays departing from the Jardin at 9:15 am. Donation. www.patronatoproninos.org
If you want to take a more in depth tour of nearby towns and villages, check with the Instituto Allende, which offers arts and culture tours of Dolores Hidalgo, Pozos, Queretero and Guanajuato.
BEST ALTERNATIVES
You found it! Hostel Casa De Allende hosts workshops, yoga classes, and retreats along with offering organic food and an alternative health and healing tienda (store). In addition, San Miguel is one of the best places in all of Latin America to learn Spanish or take art classes. Take your pick and study 'til you drop! For more information on Alternative San Miguel, see Alternative Mexico: Living the Good Life in San Miguel.
Spanish Schools
* Centro Bilingual De San Miguel; the top Spanish school in SMA.
* Instituto Allende
www.instituto-allende.edu.mx
* Warren Hardy Spanish
www.warrenhardy.com
* Centro Mexicano de Lungua y Cultura de San Miguel
www.infosma.com/centromexicano
For a list and contacts of independent tutors, see Atención or the Insider's Guide to San Miguel.
Art Schools
* Bellas Artes (El Nigromante)
Tel: 152-0289
* Instituto Allende
www.instituto-allende.edu.mx
* Academia de Fotografia
Tel: 152-2246
Individual instructors in various media include Marguerite Dawit, an Art Institute of Chicago trained artist who offers affordable weekly and monthly courses in painting and drawing in her lush compound north of town.
Other classes available include cooking, salsa and Flamenco dancing, yoga, guitar, riding, and more!
BEST ENTERTAINMENT
Again, the Jardin offers some of the best free entertainment in town. Strolling musicians, dancers and others regularly perform. During holidays and fiestas, the Jardin is the center of all activities.
But for more formal entertainment, see the performance schedule at Bellas Artes, which often includes concerts, dances, and plays. There are also art openings at various galleries, lectures at the Biblioteca (in English), and occasional English plays and readings around town. Also, look for posters for bullfights at the Plaza Del Toros. See Atencion for weekly events.
For movies, make sure to check the nightly roster at the Villa Jacaranda Cine Bar, or the Biblioteca Cinemateca. For live music, hang out Mama Mia and Agave Azul, local restaurants/bars that have nightly music ranging from Salsa to Gypsy to American Blues!
BEST EVENTS
San Miguel is known nationwide for being a town where the fiestas never stop. At any given time, there is likely to be some saint's day or other celebration turning the town into a party.
The main events include:
* Pamplonada: At the end of September. The Running of the Bulls in honor of Saint Michael's Day.
* All Soul's Day (Day of the Dead) on November 2. Halloween Mexican Style.
* Feast of Our Lord of the Conquest (first Friday in March): Indian dancers from the nearby villages celebrate by the Parroquia.
* Semana Santa: Holy Week preceeding Easter. Processions and processions and processions!
* Los Locos: A unique local festival that is reminiscent of Carnival, with masked parades, clowns and music.
COMMUNICATIONS
If you need to get in touch with the folks back home, there are at least 7 cybercafes with reliable connections, and phone cards to call outside Mexico are cheap.
* Estación Internet
High-speed connections right across the street from the Jardin. Convenient and open daily.
* Internet San Miguel
In the centro with high-speed connections, printer, scanner and laptop ports. Serves coffee and drinks. Open late daily.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
San Miguel is an unbelievably safe town. However, the usual precautions apply, especially for single women late at night.
Because San Miguel is located at a very high altitude (over 6400 feet), and is very dry, wear sunscreen, take care with exertion and make sure to drink lots of water.
Speaking of water, this is Mexico. So, while you can be assured that the better restaurants use purified water for cooking, washing, and ice, you should always drink bottled water and wash veggies in a disinfectant (which you can get at any farmacia) and peel your fruits. Also, be careful about eating from the many street vendors.
RESOURCES
http://www.infosma.com
All about San Miguel, including lodgings, events and more.
Absolutely make sure you purchase a copy of the Insiders Guide to San Miguel by local expat, Archie Dean. Available locally only, it is an indispensable, updated guide to all you would ever need to know about living, studying, eating, shopping, and more in SMA. You can buy it at the Biblióteca or just about anywhere else in town.
For a colorful, sensual account of an expat writer and artist relocating to San Miguel, read Tony Cohan's, On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel.
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