What are the best things to do in and around San Miguel de Allende?

The best thing you can do in San Miguel de Allende is to go to the El Jardin (the town square). Free public, cultural events are offered there continuously. The main kiosk turns into a danzón and salsa dance floor on Sunday´s.  

 

Another popular activity in El Jardin is to people watch. It is a very colorful sight to observe the locals, tourists, expats, and burros (donkeys) passing by.  I suggest doing it at different times during...

The best thing you can do in San Miguel de Allende is to go to the El Jardin (the town square). Free public, cultural events are offered there continuously. The main kiosk turns into a danzón and salsa dance floor on Sunday´s.  

 

Another popular activity in El Jardin is to people watch. It is a very colorful sight to observe the locals, tourists, expats, and burros (donkeys) passing by.  I suggest doing it at different times during the week and day. For instance, in the mornings the Jardin is referred to as “The Gringos’ Lounge” because a lot of the older expats sit in the Jardin and chat with their newspapers in hand. In the afternoons, you will find more Mexican families and couples in the Jardin. Going to the Jardin is really a wonderful place to experience life in San Miguel while you take in the beauty of the parroquia (the main church) and the sights and smells of the local businesses.

 

Aside from the Jardin, San Miguel is known for its festivals, fairs, celebrations, music concerts, and art festivals. There is something going on here every weekend. When I first moved here, I had my La Atencion newspaper with me and I always read the Que Pasa section to find out about all of the events for that particular weekend. I decided which ones I wanted to attend, whether it was the violin concert, the art walk in Fabrica La Aurora, a book reading, or a Day of the Dead celebration. San Miguel is known for its cultural and art activities. There is always so much going on and so much to choose from.  

 

(Hilly street overlooking El Jardin, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

One of my favorite things to do in San Miguel de Allende, because it is also one of my passions, is to eat well. San Miguel de Allende, for some reason, has become a gastronomical destination within Mexico. For such a small city as San Miguel, the amount of restaurants and the variety and quality of the restaurants that you would see in town is amazing. That is one of the highest points of San Miguel de Allende.  Here, you could find a Peruvian restaurant, a good meat restaurant,...

One of my favorite things to do in San Miguel de Allende, because it is also one of my passions, is to eat well. San Miguel de Allende, for some reason, has become a gastronomical destination within Mexico. For such a small city as San Miguel, the amount of restaurants and the variety and quality of the restaurants that you would see in town is amazing. That is one of the highest points of San Miguel de Allende.  Here, you could find a Peruvian restaurant, a good meat restaurant, an incredible hamburger restaurant, a French restaurant, etc. Eating and trying out these different foods is one of the things that I enjoy the most about being here in San Miguel de Allende.

 

The hot springs also make San Miguel de Allende so special. We have natural hot springs located about 9 miles north of the city of San Miguel de Allende. These hot springs are amazing. The water is crystal clear, they are not sulfurous so it doesn’t smell or taste like anything. People say these hot springs are even therapeutic. You could go there if you have arthritis or some skin problems and you’d get better. But just the fact that you could go to the hot springs by yourself and just enjoy nature and enjoy the water coming at an incredibly high temperature is something really amazing, too.

 

I like to play golf a lot. To me, that is one of the best things that I enjoy the most here in San Miguel de Allende. I belong to the Malanquín Golf Club. Malanquín has an exchange program, where if you are a member, it allows you to play at twenty-eight different golf courses that are not farther than 2 and a half hours away from San Miguel de Allende. Some of them are just 45 minutes away like the ones in Celaya or Queretaro. If you are a member, you can go and play for free in any of those golf courses for no additional charge.

 

Overall, just walking around the streets of San Miguel de Allende without needing to go anywhere specifically is a nice thing to do. You could go into the galleries, art museums, small stores, etc. and you could meet people in the streets.

 

(Outdoor cafe, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.) 

There are endless places to go look at nature in San Miguel de Allende. I like hiking in the foothills a lot, and I also like the hot springs. There are great natural hot springs just outside of town. There is thermal water coming right out of the ground- something that I think a lot of people in the States have never experienced. 

 

We like to walk so it’s a great town if you’re into exercise. If you like the sun, it’s always sunny...

There are endless places to go look at nature in San Miguel de Allende. I like hiking in the foothills a lot, and I also like the hot springs. There are great natural hot springs just outside of town. There is thermal water coming right out of the ground- something that I think a lot of people in the States have never experienced. 

 

We like to walk so it’s a great town if you’re into exercise. If you like the sun, it’s always sunny here. It’s never swelteringly hot – the hottest it will get is 90 Fahrenheit, and if you’re in a shade with a cold drink, you’re fine. I really like the fact that the weather is never forbidding. 

 

I have serious allergies and asthma, and so not having to use central air or central heat has made my respiratory problems so much more manageable. When I lived in Florida and in Texas, and it was either you’re in AC or you’re in heat, it was very detrimental to my respiratory condition. I think that it’s healthy to live at a high altitude, too, if your body has to acclimate and work at a more efficient rate than if you live at sea level. 

 

I’ve been all over Mexico, and I’ve never felt the same warm vibe in San Miguel de Allende from people living anywhere else. That may be because I’m from here, so there’s an extra implied value from people already knowing my face. There’s so much warmth in San Miguel de Allende. The only town in the States that I remember giving me that feeling was Boulder. When I was in Boulder, people who didn’t know us would say hi to us and help if my wife had to carry too many bags. People are very human here in San Miguel de Allende, and I enjoy it. Visually, there’s just a lot of beauty- not just architecture. From our house, we can watch sunsets. 

 

San Miguel de Allende has a magnetic feel to it. It’s driven me crazy many times in my life and I’ve moved away, but wherever I go, I always feel like I want to be back here. That’s a phenomenon that I’ve heard lots of people talk about. There are people who grew up in San Miguel de Allende, and there are people who didn’t, but it gets in your blood and you’ll love it. It makes you feel that you want to be here.

 

(Thermal pools at Rancho Los Labradores Hotel, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

The best thing to do in San Miguel de Allende is to walk around the town. It’s funny because we get a lot of people who come to San Miguel de Allende, and you either “get it” or you don’t. There are people who come in and just after walking around say, “I had the best day walking around. There are markets and shops, squares, music and food. It’s beautiful. I love it.” 

 

There are other activities you can do in...

The best thing to do in San Miguel de Allende is to walk around the town. It’s funny because we get a lot of people who come to San Miguel de Allende, and you either “get it” or you don’t. There are people who come in and just after walking around say, “I had the best day walking around. There are markets and shops, squares, music and food. It’s beautiful. I love it.” 

 

There are other activities you can do in San Miguel de Allende- you can go to the hot springs, or to the Aurora Factory and look at art, you can go horseback riding, bike riding, you can go get on hot air balloons, you can do cooking classes- they’re amazing, and things to keep you busy and have fun, but the best thing is just enjoying the town, walking around, meeting people, and sitting in the square.

 

(Rooftop view of the San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)