Rosewood Hotel in San Miguel de Allende is a beautiful (and pricey) place to stay right in the heart of San Miguel. But even if you're not a guest, it's well worth a visit to its restaurant, 1826, which is named after the year the town adopted the name San Miguel de Allende in honor of Mexican Independence hero Igancio de Allende. The crispy corn empanadas with shredded chicken and Oaxacan cheese are a delicious treat.
Rooftops are a big deal in San Miguel houses and the first day I arrived at my friend's vacation rental I fell in love. I was up there every morning and night! It's a charming, sleepy town with lots of little art galleries, old churches, and the perfect weather year round.
While watching a bull meet its grisly end is not everyone's idea of a pleasant afternoon, the costumes and fanfare accompanying a bullfight are worth the price of the ticket. This bullfight in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, MX featured a column of young men dressed as matadors who taunted the bull till it charged, slamming the first young man back into his colleagues who absorbed the blow. In a classic macho fashion, the front guy, only marginally wounded, was met with a standing ovation for his bravery. A woman in a silky red dress danced with a marvelously well trained horse. A parade featured the Queen and her entourage in their finery followed by the exquisitely adorned matadors, all accepting roses tossed from the stands. After the bullfight was cancelled due to rain, the ring was opened to the spectators to "play" with a young bull. One man, so drunk he could barely stand, taunted the bull, but then made the mistake of turning his back. The bull charged, a horn passed on each side of the man's waist and the bull tossed him into the air. Stunned, but unhurt, he too came out to bow to the audience who threw full cans of beer at his feet. You never know what will happen in a live sporting event. The consequences in a bullfight can be as rough on the humans as the bull.
So clean, so calm, so beautiful. San Miguel may not have world known attractions but what it does have is worth experiencing.
Before my trip, people had told me about the light in San Miguel de Allende. That it was somehow different, softer, better for painting, in this city. I didn't believe them until I was walking toward downtown from the Jardin Botanico and noticed the way the setting sun was reflecting on the pinks, oranges, and reds of the adobe-style haciendas. Beyond the shops and Americanized restaurants, San Miguel is a city for walking, preferably up in the hills. It's there that you'll discover the color, architecture, and rays of light that have attracted so many artists.
The Tuesday Markets in San Miguel de Allende sprawl widely and draw locals from far away. The markets sell clothes, foods, hardware, knitting yarn, goldfish...basically all the things that one would find in a mall or a big box store. The key difference is that everything gets carted away on Tuesday night.
As if the warm climate, friendly people and sizzling art scene aren't enough, San Miguel de Allende explodes with yummy colors everywhere. You may as well not bother putting your camera away because you will constantly be tempted to pull it out and click a picture.
I was excited to learn of this pyramid site that was just recently opened to the public. Day trips leave from San Miguel and very inexpensive. It's quite a hike but the view of the country and the gorges are beautiful!
Mexicans living near San Miguel de Allende shop at the enormous Tuesday markets for goods of all kinds. A young boy (in the lower right of the photo) was hiding amidst these "foundation garments" as they were flapping in the breeze.
November 2 is one of the most important days on the Mexican calendar - and one of the most colorful for visitors. With history dating back to the Mayans and Aztecs, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an extravagant celebration of life. All over Mexico, people honor not only deceased family, friends and ancestors, but also historical and cultural heroes, like the artist Frida Kahlo seen at top left in this picture. Grave sites are cleaned and decorated with flowers, traditionally marigolds. Altars, called ofrendas, are set up in homes with pictures of the departed, candles, candy skulls called calaveras, and favorite foods, often including a bottle of tequila, mezcal, or a cerveza (beer). In many cities and towns - notably Mexico City, Oaxaca, Pátzcuaro and San Miguel de Allende - large altars are set up around the plaza and the streets are festooned with colorful, intricately cut tissue paper banners called papel picados. Parades, music and other festivities often go late into the night. Dia de los Muertos provides a unique Mexican cultural experience and a celebration of life for all!
We were walking with friends through the streets of San Miguel when we came across this intersection where one street was called "Macias Hernandez." It so happens one of us is a Macias, and the other (my girlfriend in the picture) is a Hernandez.
Buy fresh fruit in the market in San Miguel... there is so much to taste and everything is fresh. Ask a vendor about something you don't recognize, they will likely cut it open for you to taste and if you visit the same seller regularly you are sure to get bonus fruits for free. Sometimes I get bonus watermelons or a kilo of oranges from my favorite guy...
All around Mexico are traveling family Circus'. I was in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in April 2012, and saw a pink Big Top set up on the outskirts of town. I strolled over in the middle of the afternoon, wandered around, and was "intercepted" by the Tiger Trainer. Without language to communicate, because my Spanish is poor and he spoke no English, he was able to understand that I wanted to photograph the circus, inside the Big Top and behind the scenes. He gave me permission and I attended the next two performances before they left San Miguel for another town or city. My husband and I were the only gringos there so it was great to see this from a completely "local" perspective. For those traveling in Mexico, look around and also ask if the Circus is in town. It is a pretty big event if they are it is great thing to watch and experience. I added a link to all of the photos below.
Food in Mexico is far more diverse than many know. Avoid the expensive tourist spots and hit the back roads and the inner market stalls of San Miguel. The fruits are fresh the grills are sizzling, the beers are cold and the atmosphere is so much fun.
You simply cannot get food like this in the tourist bars... If you are visiting San Miguel de Allende, Mexico the first thing you need to do is get yourself OUT of the main square. Find the market, head for the center of it and eat your heart out. There are about 20 different vendors/food stalls filled with amazing eats, from crunchy churros to grilled tortas, fresh squeezed liquados, home brewed coffee, mole with meat and rice and beans, delicious quesadillas and so so so much more. Don't forget to try the hibiscus juice or homemade horchada
Though less well known than in Antigua, Guatemala, the Easter celebrations (Semana Santa) in San Miguel De Allende are every bit as beautiful and intimate. Many of the cobblestone streets are covered with alfombras (colorful carpets of pine needles, flowers and plants). The week is filled with processions and reenactments of the last days of Christ. This photo was taken on Good Friday, where the women dressed in black carry a float (Anda) during a candlelight procession.
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