Last Updated on: 13th March 2024, 11:54 pm
San Miguel de Allende is a charming colonial-era town located in central Mexico’s Bajío region. Known for its well-preserved architecture and vibrant art scene, the town is also one of Mexico’s top expat havens. The following San Miguel de Allende guide covers the best that the town has to offer, from churches to art galleries to a botanical garden.
San Miguel de Allende was even declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 for its well-preserved colonial-era architecture. Many today, however, complain that the town’s popularity and overtourism have resulted in an atmosphere more akin to a theme park.
Learn a bit more about the controversy surrounding San Miguel at the end of the guide, in addition to practical info on transport and where to stay.
San Miguel de Allende: A Brief History
Originally inhabited by the semi-nomadic Chichimecs, the 16th-century friar Juan de San Miguel would arrive and build a chapel, dedicating the new town to San Miguel, or the Archangel Michael.
Like many towns in the Bajío region, San Miguel de Allende functioned as a military outpost in its early days, as skirmishes between the Spanish and the Chichimecs went on for decades after the fall of the Aztec Empire. The Chichimeca War, in fact, lasted no less than forty years (1550-90).
San Miguel de Allende was situated along major trading routes between prominent mining towns, such as Guanajuato, Mineral de Pozos and Zacatecas. And during the colonial period, it also became home to a thriving textile industry.
The town would reach its peak in the mid-1700s, and much of the architecture from this period survives to this day.
Later in the 19th century, San Miguel de Allende would play an important role in the independence struggle against Spain. With the war of independence first declared in nearby Dolores, the new insurgent army soon arrived in San Miguel de Allende, making it the first Mexican city to achieve independence.
But following the long war and the decline of the regional mining industry, San Miguel de Allende would gradually turn into a ghost town. Realizing the need to protect its beautiful homes and churches, the Mexican government even had to step in at one point.
Foreign artists then started coming to the town as early as the 1930s, establishing art schools such as the Escuela de Bellas Artes. And the town’s growing reputation as an art haven began to attract more and more young artists, thus revitalizing the economy.
As we’ll go over below, the town’s art scene continues to be a major drawing point to this day, while San Miguel remains one of Mexico’s most popular cities for foreigners.
Central San Miguel de Allende Guide
Exploring the City Streets
While San Miguel de Allende does indeed have plenty of attractions to seek out, as with many historical towns, one of the top things to do is simply wander around.
In addition to the famous landmarks covered below, you’ll find plenty of gorgeous buildings from the 18th century or earlier just about everywhere you go.
A lot of architecture in town was influenced by both Baroque and Neoclassical architecture, and many of the buildings have been painted with a vibrant mix of colors.
Just be forewarned: San Miguel de Allende is a hilly town, and you’ll often work up a sweat walking up and down the steep cobblestone streets. But if you have the stamina, don’t miss ‘El Mirador’ on a hill in the southeast part of town.
Alternatively, as we’ll cover below, another great vantage point can be enjoyed from the El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden.
La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel
Standing in the center of town, and visible from just about everywhere in San Miguel de Allende, is La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel. Originally built in the 17th century, its current Gothic facade was added in 1880 by architect Zeferino Gutierrez.
The structure, characterized by its twin spires and intricately detailed facade, serves as San Miguel’s unofficial symbol. Rather than an exact copy of a Gothic European cathedral, it almost appears as a Disney reimagining of one.
The statue out front represents Bishop José María de Jesús Diez de Sollano y Davalos. Born in San Miguel de Allende in 1820, he served as the first Bishop of León, Guanajuato’s capital city.
Getting a clear view of the statue with the church behind it is a real test of patience, as it seems to attract a constant line of selfie takers. And things can get especially hectic in the adjacent town square on weekends.
More Churches
While La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel attracts most of the attention, the town has no shortage of other historical churches to check out.
Highlights include the Templo del Oratorio de San Felipe Neri, an 18th-century Baroque church dedicated to a prominent Italian priest.
Yet another beautiful (and quite massive) Baroque church built in the 18th century is the Iglesia de San Francisco, dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi.
Also in the center is the Templo de Nuestra Señora de la Salud, or the Church of Our Lady of Health. Built in 1735, it represents the Churrigueresque style that developed in 17th-century Spain.
Museo Histórico Casa de Allende
San Miguel de Allende was the birthplace of one of the most important heroes from Mexico’s war of independence against Spain: Ignacio Allende, after whom the town has since been partially named.
And the house where he grew up now serves as San Miguel de Allende’s main history museum. It’s open from Tuesday-Saturday and costs about $70 MXN (as of 2024) to enter. Unfortunately, they charge extra if you want to take photos.
Ignacio Allende (1769-1811) was born into a wealthy family and later studied at the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico. He’d then go on to become a successful businessman before eventually joining the movement for Mexican independence.
Fighting alongside rebel leaders such as Miguel Hidalgo and José María Morelos, he served as a captain and proved to be a key leader in the war. Sadly, however, he was eventually captured by the Spanish in 1811 and executed.
Exploring the house, you’ll encounter various rooms set up how they would’ve appeared in the 18th and 19th centuries. And while much of the focus is on Ignacio Allende’s life, you’ll also learn about San Miguel’s history as a whole.
Casa de Cultura
Also right by San Miguel’s central square is the Casa de Cultura, a cultural space that regularly hosts temporary art exhibitions. Entry is free, and while the exhibit area itself is small, the real reason to come is to admire the impressive historic building.
Museo La Esquina del Juguete Popular Mexicano
Another interesting museum to check out in town is the Museo La Esquina del Juguete Popular Mexicano, which is dedicated to toys and popular art in general.
Spread across a few floors of an old building, the museum houses a collection of over 4,000 toys that were collected over the course of 57 years by the museum’s founder.
Not solely focused on the Central Highlands region, some of the toy collections come from as far away as Chiapas. Other rooms, meanwhile, are entirely focused on Mexican Lucha Libre (pro wrestling).
At the time of writing, the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday and costs $70 MXN to enter.
El Charco del Ingenio
If you’re a nature lover, the top attraction in this San Miguel de Allende guide is a trip to El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden. But as it stretches out to over 85 acres, don’t expect to see everything in a single visit.
Upon entry, the staff will hand you a map and help you plan a route based on your interests and how far you’re willing to walk.
Speaking of walking, El Charco del Ingenio is walkable from the center of town, though it’s about 7 km away. While it’s possible to simply take a cab or Uber, I’d recommend walking if you have the stamina. But why?
During my first couple days in San Miguel de Allende, I couldn’t figure out why it was so popular with older expats, especially given the raucous party atmosphere of the town center.
But during my walk to the botanical garden, I passed through some beautiful and quiet residential areas along the way which helped me see another side of San Miguel and understand its lasting appeal.
As I explored El Charco del Ingenio, I set my sights on a few of the landmarks the staff had recommended to me, such as a greenhouse and a dam built in the 1920s. But as I visited during the dry season, the reservoir was completely dry,
Though I missed them, the botanical garden is also home to things like a butterfly house, old hacienda ruins and a bird observation trail.
Incredibly, the botanical garden is home to more than 3,000 plant species from all over Mexico, including cacti, succulents, wildflowers and various medicinal plants.
And aside from admiring the plants, the best thing to do at El Charco del Ingenio would have to be walking along the canyon, from which you can enjoy some of the park’s most stunning views.
Somewhat annoyingly, however, despite the absence of signage or ropes prohibiting visitors from walking close to the edge, park staff occasionally walk by and scold those who aren’t on the main trail. A true hiking experience this is not.
Eventually reaching the western edge of the trail, you can enjoy a stunning view of San Miguel de Allende below. It’s easily one of the highlights of the visit to El Charco del Ingenio.
Looping back around, you can stop at some modern monuments, like the ‘Plaza de los Cuatro Vientos.’ In addition to some large crosses, one interesting stone monument was built in the shape of a spiral.
The Art Galleries
As mentioned above, San Miguel de Allende has had a close association with the arts since the early twentieth century. Mexican muralists like David Alfaro Siqueiros and Rufino Tamayo spent time in the town, while foreign artists have been basing themselves in San Miguel since at least the 1930s.
Today, the tradition lives on, though given San Miguel’s high cost of living, it’s hardly the place for struggling up-and-comers. Nevertheless, if you want a taste of San Miguel’s art scene, there are a few places worth checking out.
In the center of town is the Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez El Nigromante, which regularly hosts painting, music and sculpture classes.
Entrance is free, and you’ll encounter numerous eye-catching murals along the walls.
To the north of town, meanwhile, is Fabrica La Aurora, a large complex featuring all sorts of galleries and workshops. You’ll find a wide variety of art styles on display, with much of the art having been created by local artists. And if you’re interested, a lot of it appears to be for sale.
Additional Info
As covered in the San Miguel de Allende guide above, it is indeed a beautiful town with lots to do. Furthermore, it’s a good base for day trips to places like Atotonilco, Dolores Hidalgo, the Cañada de la Virgen ruins, and the ghost town of Mineral de Pozos.
But if you have limited time in Mexico and can only visit one colonial town, I wouldn’t recommend San Miguel. Nearby Guanajuato is a much better option (of many), as it still retains much of its original atmosphere.
San Miguel is simply too crowded, too pricey and too touristy to serve as a good first impression of a historical Mexican town.
And this brings us to a controversial question. Is it the large local expat community’s fault that the town is now the way it is?
I think it’s safe to say that they’ve impacted the local real estate market to a certain extent. But while I can’t claim to be an expert on the topic, based on my visit, a large majority of the people I saw walking around were upper class Mexicans (judging from their clothing and cars).
Not just here, but in numerous other Mexican cities, people can be very quick to blame gringos for certain problems like rising rents and gentrification. But the truth is, Mexico has a large upper class that migrates a lot internally and which far outnumbers the country’s expat population.
I also often hear complaints that English is too commonly spoken in San Miguel (something I didn’t personally notice). But what about the countless Spanish-speaking neighborhoods throughout the United States, for example? Why is it only one side that’s supposed to embrace diversity?
In any case, whatever the true causes really are, San Miguel’s high prices and amusement park-like atmosphere do indeed degrade the experience, in my opinion. With so many other more ‘authentic’ places in the Bajío region alone, I’d only include it on your itinerary if time (or money) isn’t a major factor for you.
If you’d like to visit many of the cultural and historical landmarks described above but in the company of a knowledgable local guide, there are plenty of city tours to choose from.
Among the highest-rated is this Historical & Cultural Walking Tour, which takes you to the highlights over the course of just a few hours.
San Miguel de Allende offers a wide range of accommodation options. While many of them would be considered expensive and high-end by Mexican standards, the town does indeed have some budget-friendly options as well.
Some of the highest-rated luxury options include La Valise San Miguel de Allende and L’Ôtel at Dôce18 Concept House, both close to the center.
For around $50 USD per night, Suites Santo Domingo is another popular choice.
And if you’re looking for something even cheaper, you can find numerous affordable Airbnbs within walking distance from the center – just be ready for a potentially steep climb!
The best way to reach San Miguel de Allende is by bus.
From Mexico City, there are several bus companies that operate regular routes to San Miguel from TAPO, with the ride lasting around 4-5 hours.
From Guanajuato, the journey takes about 2-3 hours, from León 2-3 hours, from Querétaro just about 90 minutes, and from Morelia 3-4 hours.
While San Miguel is indeed a popular tourist destination, it’s still a small town, so there aren’t as many buses running per day on certain routes as one might think. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to confirm schedules in advance, either at the bus station or online.
For those coming from further away, the nearest airports are in León or Querétaro, from which you’ll need to take a bus or hire a driver/rent a car.