Located in the highlands of central Mexico, far from the coastline, San Miguel de Allende is a jewel of a city with cobblestone streets and a thriving artistic community. With its hot-but-not-scorching climate, Spanish colonial architecture, steep hills, elegant buildings and colorful façades in a palette of golden yellows and ruby hues, it feels like a storybook setting.
Add San Miguel’s striking light to the scene, and you have a city that can cast its spell over you and capture your heart. This artistic enclave and food-focused haven is not easy to reach, which has helped it remain relatively insulated and authentically Mexican. The culture and surroundings are enough to seduce visitors, inspiring dreams of moving to the city. And many do—permanently! Twenty percent of San Miguel’s population consists of expats from the U.S., Canada and Europe; the region became an expat hub for American and Canadian artists in the 1950s.
Of course, it isn’t just expats who adore the city. San Miguel is also of great significance to Mexicans. It was the first town to declare independence from Spain during the Mexican War of Independence in the early 1800s. The city is the birthplace of Ignacio Allende, after whom it was named—an officer in the Spanish army who switched sides and fought for Mexico.
You can still feel the romantic, unspoiled charm of years gone by as you walk through the narrow streets. Its preserved, old-world character is part of the area’s allure. In 1926, San Miguel was declared a historic monument city, and laws were passed to protect it from modern development. As a result, the city still has no traffic lights or neon signs.
Forty-eight hours in San Miguel de Allende is not enough to see everything, but here we share some swoon-worthy, not-to-be-missed highlights.
Explore the city
Start the day with a tasty breakfast. San Miguel de Allende is rich in history and culture, and its cuisine is remarkably sophisticated. In local restaurants, the food is full of flavors that awaken the senses.
After breakfast, it’s time to explore the city. Visit Bellas Artes, a government-funded art school. Its official name is not quite so succinct: Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez “El Nigromante.” The school is an oasis of peace, quiet, learning and artistry in the middle of the busy town. It is free to enter and explore, and it is truly beautiful. Spending an afternoon there, you might hear a student strumming a guitar in the interior courtyard or birds chirping outside, creating their own sweet orchestra.
Have lunch, then meander through the archways leading to galleries and classrooms. These spaces are filled with young students learning ceramics, drawing, painting, photography and printmaking, as well as older expats learning age-old weaving techniques used to make Mexican blankets on a loom.
A little bit of history
The building was originally constructed between 1755 and 1765 as the cloister of the Convent of the Immaculate Conception, known as Las Monjas. Yes, it is a convent-turned-art-school, rich in history and representative of two core traditions of San Miguel: art and Catholicism.
On the courtyard’s pinkish-peach walls, visible as you climb the stairs and peek beneath an archway, are murals painted by early students at the school in the 1940s. They depict Mexican families engaged in everyday activities, such as washing clothes at the water’s edge or weaving a blanket.
Along the north wall of the cloister, in a space that was once the nuns’ refectory, is the most famous, although unfinished, work of art in San Miguel de Allende—a powerful abstract mural created by David Alfaro Siqueiros, one of Mexico’s most famous muralists, and his students. The colorful work creates the illusion that the room is larger than it is, and you can experience it from every vantage point in the cavernous space.
Shop in Mercado Ignacio Ramirez
Your next stop is Mercado Ignacio Ramírez, where you can enjoy one of the most authentic local experiences the city offers. This vibrant market is located in Centro, close to the large equestrian statue in Plaza Cívica. Markets are an important part of everyday life in San Miguel de Allende.
The colorful Ignacio Ramírez market reflects the city’s rich culture and gastronomy and will undoubtedly create sensory overload—in the best possible way. The market extends both indoors and outdoors and is predominantly focused on food. There are rows of neatly arranged displays of fruits and vegetables piled high, more than 30 varieties of chiles, more types of peppers and grains than you may have known existed, butcher stalls and flower vendors.
Try local food
In a side annex of the market, you will find traditional, home-cooked, ready-to-eat dishes. Here, women make tortillas and gorditas, shuck and grill corn over an open fire, and slice mango and jicama before dusting them with chile and fresh lime and scooping them into a plastic bag for you to take with you.
If artisan crafts are what you are after, you can visit Mercado de Artesanías, located just behind Mercado Ignacio Ramírez. Together, Mercado Ignacio Ramírez and Mercado de Artesanías make the area ideal for one-stop shopping.
Visit local galleries
The next day, you can spend time visiting local galleries. If your taste leans toward fine and contemporary art, make sure you do not miss Fábrica La Aurora, about a 15-minute walk from the center of town.
Formerly a turn-of-the-century textile mill producing fine cottons, the building has been restored and transformed into a vast art and design center. It houses more than 50 art galleries, working artists’ studios and stores selling home furnishings and décor, textiles, fashion, jewelry and antiques.
Countless other art galleries can be found throughout the town, and you could spend days wandering through them all. If you want to explore the city, we offer Photography Workshops and Photoshoots.