San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato: Mexico's colonial heartland

The town

Everything begins at **El Jardín**, the main square shaded by laurel trees and watched over by the **Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel**, whose fairy tale pink towers are the symbol of the town. From here, steep cobbled lanes lead past churches, mansions turned boutique hotels, doorways painted in deep colours and bougainvillea spilling over walls. Climb to the **Mirador** viewpoint at sunset for the classic view over the domes.

The town was a key place in Mexico's fight for independence and was renamed after Ignacio Allende, one of its heroes. Today it has a large community of foreign residents alongside Mexican families, so English is widely spoken, but local life and festivals remain strong.

Art and shopping

Art is everywhere. **Fábrica La Aurora**, a former textile mill, holds studios, galleries and design shops. The **Instituto Allende** and **Bellas Artes** (Centro Cultural El Nigromante) host classes and murals, including an unfinished one by Siqueiros. The **Mercado de Artesanías** lane sells tin work, glass, papier mâché and textiles at gentle prices, and the **Mercado Ignacio Ramírez** next to it is the place for fruit, flowers and cheap lunches.

Food and drink

San Miguel has a strong restaurant scene for a small town, with rooftop terraces overlooking the Parroquia and courtyard dining in colonial houses. Try the street food too: gorditas, tamales and corn on the cob from carts around the Jardín, and churros at night. Wineries in the surrounding Bajío region offer tastings, and the region is becoming known for its wine.

Nature and wellbeing

**El Charco del Ingenio** is a botanical garden of cacti and succulents around a canyon on the edge of town. North of town, several **hot springs** such as **La Gruta** have warm pools and grottoes for a lazy day. The **Santuario de Atotonilco**, a short drive away, is a UNESCO listed church covered floor to ceiling in folk baroque murals, often called the Sistine Chapel of Mexico. **Cañada de la Virgen** is an Otomí pyramid site in a quiet valley, visited by guided tour.

Guanajuato

**Guanajuato**, about an hour and a half away, is a lively university city built in a ravine. Its houses climb the hillsides in bright colours, roads run through old tunnels under the centre, and alleys like the **Callejón del Beso** come with legends. Evening **callejoneadas**, walking serenades led by students in Renaissance costume, are great fun. Visit the Teatro Juárez, the house where Diego Rivera was born, and the city's mummy museum if you dare. Every October the **Festival Internacional Cervantino** fills the city with theatre and music.

Festivals

San Miguel loves a celebration. Late September brings the **Fiesta de San Miguel Arcángel** with dancers, fireworks and processions. Semana Santa, Día de Muertos and Christmas are all special here, and fireworks are part of daily life.

Practical tips

The streets are steep and cobbled, so wear good shoes. Nights are cool most of the year. Buses run comfortably from Mexico City's northern terminal, and Querétaro and León airports are the closest. Guanajuato state has areas with serious crime, so check your government's travel advice and stick to main routes in daylight. See our places to visit for restaurants, bars and stays, and fit San Miguel into a wider route with the trip planner.