Photogenic San Miguel de Allende (Day Trip)

During my month-long stay in Guanajuato, one of my best friends came for a short visit and we took a day trip to San Miguel de Allende (SMA), about two hours away by bus.

We stayed only one night in this beautiful little town, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. It has a well-preserved and Historic Centre, filled with colourful cobblestone streets and beautiful buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Unlike Guanajuato City, SMA follows a grid plan typical of most Spanish colonial towns, which made for very easy navigation to enjoy the pedestrian friendly Historic Centre. We spent most of our timing just wandering around the streets, admiring all the colourful buildings and their beautiful entrances, including many cafes, restaurants, hotels, and art galleries, as well as some impressive private mansions and haciendas.

While wandering, we also discovered a beautiful local park (Parque Juárez), filled with many exotic types of plants and trees, inviting us to rest our tired legs and take a break from the sweltering sunshine under the tree-canopied oasis. We spent a good hour or two here just sitting and watching park life happen around us, including people walking their dogs, young couples holding hands, and kids playing games in the courts.

We also enjoyed the town's main plaza called Jardín Allende (Allende Garden), one of the main centres for social activity in SMA. You can sit in one of the cafes or ice-cream shops surrounding the plaza and enjoy people-watching or you can take a seat on one of the wrought-iron benches facing the striking neo-Gothic parish church of San Miguel, La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, originally built in 17th century with a traditional Mexican facade. Then later in 1880, Zeferino Gutiérrez, a self-taught architect, designed the current neo-Gothic facade, inspired by postcards he saw featuring Gothic churches in Europe. It is now one of the most photogenic buildings in Mexico.

SMA has become a top vacation and retirement destination for Canadians, Americans and Europeans, and their influence on the culture and overall vibe of this little town in Central Mexico is significant, including the wide-spread use of English, and many high-end hotels, fine art galleries and wide range of luxury gastronomic experiences.

One thing to note is that SMA is significantly more expensive than many other cities in Central Mexico, such as Querétaro and Guanajuato City. That being said, the local restaurant and rooftop bar scene, including quality of food, attentive service and curated ambience are first rate so this will justify the higher prices for many visitors.

Highly recommended for those looking for a bit of luxury, and wanting to make a few splurges that are worth it in a beautiful colourful colonial town in Central Mexico.

However, for those seeking experiences in Central Mexico with more authentic culture, you may want to limit your time in SMA and spend more time in other nearby cities, such as Guanajuato City and Querétaro. These cities feel more authentically Mexican to me.