San Miguel de Allende

This trip was unlike any trip I’ve been on. We were celebrating our friend getting married in San Miguel de Allende!

We flew out from Chicago, had a layover in Houston, and arrived at the Queterero airport on Friday. QRO is about a 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minute drive to San Miguel.

We spent the first 2 nights at Hacienda Real De Corralejo, where we would celebrate the bride and groom. The bride and groom’s family rented out the entire hacienda for the wedding weekend.

While at the hacienda, we attended the rehearsal dinner at the hacienda, the wedding ceremony at Parroquia San Miguel Arcángel, and of course the wedding reception that took place at the hacienda as well.

The property is very large – it has 2 swimming pools, a restaurant, a banquet hall, and over 30 rooms. It is located 25 minutes from the center of San Miguel.

After the wedding weekend, we decided to spend some extra days in the heart of San Miguel.

About San Miguel

San Miguel de Allende is a historic city, and is proclaimed a World Heritage City by UNESCO. San Miguel also played a vital role during the Mexican war of independence which contributed to its historical and cultural significance.

San Miguel de Allende is located in Central Mexico, in the state of Guanajuato. To paint a better picture, it is located 170 mi from Mexico City.

There is a large expat community living in San Miguel – making up about 10% of the total population living here. You can find a lot of Americans or Canadians living near the center.

San Miguel de Allende was ranked as #2 city in the world in 2022 by Travel and Leisure!! You can learn more about other ranked cities here!

The airbnb we stayed at is located in downtown San Miguel (linked here). It is located by many restaurants, and shops, and is less than a 5 minute walk to Parroquia San Miguel Arcangel. The views from this airbnb are marvelous!

One quick note about staying in San Miguel is that you will hear the church bells every 15-30 minutes if you’re staying anywhere within el centro.

Getting around

San Miguel de Allende is a very walkable city. I would not recommend driving, as the roads are cobblestone. Uber is difficult to request in this part of Mexico. So, if you do need a lift, you will need to hail a taxi. For reference, most taxis cost us about $250 pesos. However, walking in San Miguel is the best way to explore the city anyway! So I wouldn’t worry about taxis or ubers unless of course you are traveling outside of el centro.

Things to do in San Miguel

Visit Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel. This is San Miguel’s tallest building, and is a good reference point when navigating the streets of San Miguel, as you can see it from almost everywhere. Since we were in San Miguel for my friend’s wedding, we were lucky to sit in the church during a live mass. The exterior is what makes it noteworthy though. So head to el centro and make sure to snap some pics of the cathedral!

Mercado de Artesanías is a 3-part artisanal market. Here you can purchase beautiful hand-painted ceramics, herbal teas, flowers, silver jewelry, and even one of the hanging stars that you will see on the beautiful streets of San Miguel. I cannot recommend this market enough for buying your souvenirs.

Parque Benito Juárez is a great place to relax and enjoy the greenery! The park is filled with gardens, sculptures, and fountains. There is also some local vendors near the entrance if you feel like snacking!

Escondido Place is one of my favorite experiences in San Miguel. Escondido Place is 1 of 3 hot springs located in or near San Miguel. Escondido place is located 20-25 minutes from the city center, and is the perfect day retreat! Admission is only $190 pesos per person. It is open 8am-5pm year round! Most of the other hot springs are open 5 days a week, so a large reason we chose Escondido Place is because it is open on Mondays.

More about Escondido Place

There are 10 pools total located in Escondido place. The front of the park is mainly pools that are not warmed. The back of the park is where the hot springs are located! You will know you are in the right place when you start to see rock formations. Keep going and you will soon enter warm waters!

Note: you have to bring your own towels!! We unfortunately did not know this prior to arrival, so we just dried off in the sun.

There are lockers, but you have to bring your own locks. You can also use the hanging racks for your belongings, which are located outside of all of the cave entrances – that is what we did.

If you’re looking for some extra relaxation, you can head to the Spa which is located to the right of the entrance. We headed straight there in order to book an appointment for later. Openings are not guaranteed, so it is recommended to book an appointment!

Overall, we were thrilled with Escondido! We spent 5 hours here, and just could not get enough!

Food Recommendations

La ventana: An incredibly cute and picturesque spot for some quick coffee or a parfait!

Ki’bok: Very cozy atmosphere, serving classic breakfast items.

Lavanda Cafe: A MUST TRY when in San Miguel. The cafe is named Lavender for a reason, so you MUST TRY the lavender latte. The food is also incredible!

El Correo: This is a great restaurant for some delicious and authentic Mexican food! It is a small restaurant but it does wonders for your taste buds!

Zibu Allende : Since San Miguel is considered a Gastro Hub, we decided to splurge and check out Zibu Allende on our last night. The menu is a Mexican-Thai fusion restaurant! This is one of the nicest restaurants I have ever been to, and the staff is phenomenal.

Where the best views of Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel can be seen from

Restuarante Cielo: This is the perfect place to start your evening in San Miguel! Drinks are phenomenal and the views make them taste that much better!

Luna Tapas Bar: This bar is located in the Rosewood hotel, which has an exceptional view of the city. The staff even provides all guests with blankets for extra warmth during the cooler evenings. I highly recommend you check this place out!

Nightlife

Nightlife is typically in full swing from Thursday-Sunday night in SMA. During the weekdays, however, I would not expect much nightlife going on.

Some hot spots include Quince, Selina, and Botanero Veintiuno.