What's the best way to get around in San Miguel de Allende?

The best way to get around in San Miguel de Allende is by foot or by taxi, because parking is painful and there is increasingly more traffic in town. There are few parking lots for the amount of traffic in San Miguel, and they are increasingly full.

 

People who move to San Miguel often come down with a car or purchase one once they are here. When they travel to Centro, they normally leave their cars at home or in a parking lot outside of town. 

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The best way to get around in San Miguel de Allende is by foot or by taxi, because parking is painful and there is increasingly more traffic in town. There are few parking lots for the amount of traffic in San Miguel, and they are increasingly full.

 

People who move to San Miguel often come down with a car or purchase one once they are here. When they travel to Centro, they normally leave their cars at home or in a parking lot outside of town. 

 

Traveling by cab is the most affordable and efficient way to get around San Miguel. This is especially true during peak hours or on the weekends when there are more tourists in town and the traffic increases. Taking a taxi anywhere in Centro costs 35 pesos (US $2). This is considered the base cab fare. If you are going from Centro to the La Luciernaga mall, the cost would be $40 pesos.  Prices increase as you travel further away from Centro. 

 

San Miguel has narrow cobblestone streets. You don’t want to come to San Miguel unless you have a really good pair of walking shoes. I tell people to buy a good pair of Keens (American shoe brand from Portland, Oregon known for being comfortable and sturdy), because most of the shoes sold in San Miguel don´t have very good traction.

 

San Miguel is a city of hills, cobblestone streets, and uneven walk ways. It is very important for people to think about balance and pay attention to where they are walking. People trip, slip and fall every day here. In fact, it is very common for older people to fall and break their hips or shoulders. 

 

If you are in a wheelchair or you are handicapped to some point, San Miguel might not be a good place for you. There are a couple of things to consider in San Miguel. One is the altitude. We are 6,200 feet above sea level. The other is that you need to be able to walk to get around town unless you live in a gated community outside of San Miguel and just don’t come into town very often. 

 

When people move to San Miguel they are relatively healthy and as they get older, like all of us, their physical abilities diminish. When newcomers first arrive in San Miguel, it is important for them to consider how they might be affected in their later years by the cobblestone streets, walking distances to Centro, steep inclines, and two to three story homes.   

 

(Cobblestone street in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

The best way to get around in San Miguel de Allende is on foot because there are a lot of one-way streets here. Many times you can go faster from one place to another by just walking rather than driving. There are also enough taxis in San Miguel de Allende if you need them. There is a large parking lot in town but we have small narrow streets because San Miguel is a colonial town. It is easy to drive here once you get used to the narrow streets but there is a learning curve where...

The best way to get around in San Miguel de Allende is on foot because there are a lot of one-way streets here. Many times you can go faster from one place to another by just walking rather than driving. There are also enough taxis in San Miguel de Allende if you need them. There is a large parking lot in town but we have small narrow streets because San Miguel is a colonial town. It is easy to drive here once you get used to the narrow streets but there is a learning curve where people ask, “Is this a one-way street?” It is amazing how patient the drivers are here as nobody is honking their horns. They are being really patient. That is the beauty of being here. It’s not to be in your car and have a smaller carbon footprint while walking around. 

 

When people ask how long it takes from the house that I am showing them to the center of town, I answer them, “Well, it takes anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour depending on how many people you meet!” because you could run into someone on the street who invites you for coffee. But in general, the easiest way to get around San Miguel is by foot. It is also the most charming and most economical way to get around here. I think that a lot of people from the States like that fact that they can leave their car. 

 

If you want to go to Costco, there are services in town for which you can write a list of what you want to buy from places like Costco and Home Depot. They go every Thursday. They will pick up what you want for you and they charge 15% of your ticket. Every time I go to Costco I buy around US $150 more stuff than I needed so that is lovely if they can just go for me. 

 

If I want to travel around Mexico, the buses here are “fab” so I can take those buses. I really do not miss having a car and as a real estate agent, that says a lot. My driver charges 130 pesos an hour and is on demand. I meet with my clients and he stays in the car. He finds a place to park and he is magically in front of the house when I am done. I don’t have to call him.

 

(Pictured: Ivy del Pozzo walking in San Miguel de Allende.)

Readers, part of why many of us move to San Miguel de Allende, is that we can walk almost everywhere; it’s the best way to get around.  But the fun thing about this town is that people move down here and reinvent themselves. That staid button-down banker from Kansas moves to San Miguel, grows a ponytail and tears through the cobblestone streets on a quatromoto (the four-wheel ATV), or the conservative grandparents streak their hair and ride a scooter everywhere. There...

Readers, part of why many of us move to San Miguel de Allende, is that we can walk almost everywhere; it’s the best way to get around.  But the fun thing about this town is that people move down here and reinvent themselves. That staid button-down banker from Kansas moves to San Miguel, grows a ponytail and tears through the cobblestone streets on a quatromoto (the four-wheel ATV), or the conservative grandparents streak their hair and ride a scooter everywhere. There are many creative ways to get around San Miguel—the key is to have fun doing it!