Las Ciudades Hermosas de Mexico: San Miguel de Allende
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Finally….about six weeks later, I am finally completing my Guadalajara trip report, which also encompasses the Spanish Colonial cities of Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende. As I said in my Guanajuato report (read it here), I was more charmed by that city, a brightly colored university town full of European-style plazas and cafes, than by the more famous San Miguel.
But San Miguel has its own appeal, supported by the expats and foreigners from the US and Canada who retire there. The climate is ridiculously pleasant – about 80 degrees during the day, then dropping down to the 60s at night. Artists swear by the light, and you are bound to see at least a few people with easels propped up in the main square.
Logistics: I very rarely travel on organized tours, but this was a post-conference tour organized by SATW. Our group of 19 photographers, writers and bloggers had a nice-sized bus, plenty of built-in free time and a great guide, Ricardo Izaguirre, from Guadalajara-based Vision Tours.
In San Miguel, we stayed at the Best Western. If on my own, I would have chosen someplace closer to the city center, as the Best Western is a little out of the way. San Miguel is also full of smaller inns and B&Bs, which could have made a more authentic experience. On the plus side, it did have a good wi-fi connection.
Highlights
La Parroquia de San Miguel archangel. “It looks like a Disney castle!” What does it say about Americans that this was our first thought upon seeing the pink neo-Gothic church that dominates San Miguel’s main square. But it does, indeed, look like something fit for a cartoon princess.
The facade, with all of its spires, arches and flourishes, was inspired by the Gothic cathedrals of Europe but wasn’t built until 1880. The architect, Zeferino Gutiérrez, had never been to Paris to see Notre Dame. But he had seen postcards – and that’s how he allegedly came up with his design. The original church dates back to 1683.
Pink sandstone gives the building its rosy hue, although the spires on top have been ”brightened” with paint – a controversial act by a previous town manager, our guide said.
The interior of La Parroquia is more neoclassic, with a statue of St. Michael the Archangel above the main altar. Murals are painted throughout the chapel.
The most revered statue in the chapel is of Cristo de la Conquesta (Christ of the Conquest). Letters from the faithful were attached to the icon, which is made of cornstalks and orchid blooms.
We were able to go downstairs into the crypt, where several leaders of the Mexican independence movement are buried, including Felipe Gonzalez and General Anastasio Bustamente, a former Royalist who switched sides and eventually became president of Mexico during three different terms.
Architecture. Much of San Miguel is preserved. That’s because the Mexican government gave San Miguel status as a national historic monument in 1926, meaning that modern construction was not allowed in the city center to preserve its atmosphere. So there’s no traffic lights, neon, billboards or other eyesores. The police, in their Mexican guard uniforms, add to the back in time quality. Watch out while walking on the cobblestones – the sidewalks are narrow and the streets are uneven.
Street life. San Miguel’s main square is called El Jardin, and you can spend hours sitting on a wrought-iron bench and watching the world go by. In the daytime, the square is full of expats, sightseeing and reading English language newspapers. Come 3 p.m. and the square fills with kids on their way home from school, grabbing snacks from the street vendors (I like the corn on the cob myself). In the evening, La Parroquia is lit up and families, couples, and groups of friends stroll the square and main avenues.
El Charco de Ingenio Botanical Gardens. North of San Miguel, these gardens are considered one of the most comprehensive in Mexico and have samples of rare and endangered species of cacti. We took a tour with the cute ranger shown in the photo above. It’s worth a short stop, if you can drag yourself away from San Miguel’s charming center, although honestly I would have had more fun sipping a cafe on El Jardin.
Shopping
San Miguel is famous for its arts and crafts, and you can spend hours wandering through the shops. Don’t expect too many bargains, however – this is where moneyed expats go to find furniture, tile and objects d’art for their restored casas, so the prices are not much less than you’d find in the States. I did buy a small sacred heart icon for my wall, and seriously considered a table decorated with Mexican lottery figures in a gallery at the Fabrico la Aurora complex. It all makes you dream of a time when you can ditch your dayjob and buy a casita of your own to decorate (and there are plenty of glossy real estate magazines around for those who are so inclined).
Food
While there are no shortages of places to eat and drink in SMA, we didn’t seem to hit the jackpot – until we tried La Bugambila, the town’s oldest restaurant. We ate lunch out on the central courtyard, a pleasant place that seemed to draw other tourists. My tortilla soup and enchiladas were excellent; however, others in our group raved about the Chiles en Nogada, apparently a seasonal specialty comprised of a poblano chile filled with beef and nuts and covered with a cream sauce. If they have it, order it!
Nightlife
Transplant Doc Severson was playing in a nightclub while we were there and some members of our group thought about seeing him. And I had read that SMA has more clubs and nightlife than many Mexican towns its siez. But my pesos were running low, so instead we hit one of the dive bars on the road back to the Best Western. Our bartender was gracious; however, the cucharacha we saw on the bar? Not so much.
To read about the Guadalajara portion of the trip, click here.
To read about Guanajuato – my fave part of the trip – click here.
To read about Dolores Hidalgo, seat of the Mexican War of Independence (and one of the few places to try shrimp ice cream), click here.
To read about the Mexican pilgrimage towns of San Juan de los Lagos and Atotonilco, click here.
To read about my May trip to Cancun and Playa del Carmen, click here.
3 Comments
San Miguel is a great town. Well worth the visit.
The chiles in nogada that they serve at La Bugambilia are wonderful. Ask to speak with the owner Mercedes. She is a gracious host and a true San Miguelense. She has much to share about the town.
I would also recommend seeing Doc play the Bella Italia restaurant. For the price of dinner you get see an amazing show.
ha ha. Most people not only think it’s worth visiting, but it’s worth living in there…