The First Few Days in San Miguel de Allende

We have spent the last few days in San Miguel de Allende.  San Miguel is a hilltop town located about 260 km from Mexico City.  It is renown for its artisans and tranquil setting.  Most of the buildings are from the 17th and 18th centuries and separated by narrow cobblestone streets and alleys.  The central plaza is a major gathering place for residents and tourists alike.  The city has lots of gringo ex-pats from the U.S., Canada and Europe.  There are countless stories about folks who came for a holiday and never left. 

Former Canadian figure skating champion Toller Cranston retired from skating to live in San Miguel and cultivate a career as a painter.  He passed away at age 65 here last week.

Margaritas Room - Hotel Mirasol - Our Home in San Miguel

Before going on about San Miguel, we have to mention how we got there.  We travelled Premier Plus bus lines for the 3hr. 45 min. trip to our destination.  The bus was simply the very best we have ever travelled on and the comfort easily match many of the business class air travel we have been lucky enough to have taken.  The comfortable seats reclined fully and a padded bench for your legs dropped down from the seat in front of you.  You could relax with your own TV entertainment centre or surf the net on your free Wi-Fi.  The time flew by in comfort and we enjoyed complimentary ham sandwiches, cookies and bottled water along the way.  We highly recommend Premier Plus!

We Were Reluctant to Leave the Gran Ciudad de Mexico

Premier Travel on Premiera Plus

View From the Window

More Bus Views Along The Way

Arrived At The Hilltop Town San Miguel de Allende

Now back to San Miguel.   The city is a UNESCO World Heritage of Humanity site.  It is renown for its architectural variety depicting changes over the centuries.  We spent our first days simply walking around taking in the sites, sipping cold beers sitting in the zocolo , and choosing restaurants and music venues for our five-day stay. We completed a walking tour of the historic centre, fruit & vegetable markets and the artisan market at the Fabrica Aurora.  We ended the day at an Italian/Mexican restaurant, Momma Mia’s, where we enjoyed Italian food with a Mexican flair, while being entertained by a band playing traditional Mexican music.

Even the Trucks are Works of Art - 53 Ford Classic

Main Cathedral

Even Looking Up You Will Find Art in the Streets

Old Gas Pump Not Art - Still Working!

Slightly Lost on Self-Guided Walking Tour

Fabria Aurora - Home to Artisans

On day two we took a taxi just out of town to the Galleria Atotonilco to view, a collection of folk art, antiques and traditional crafts from all over Mexico.  We returned to San Miguel and enjoyed lunch at La Posadita on the roof top dining.

Their House Was a Piece of Art.

Chicken Enchiladas

Chilies Rellano

Roof Top Lunch

It is important to note, San Miguel de Allende has more gringos that one expects to see in Mexico outside of a resort.  As a result, the prices of restaurant meals and drinks are parallel to back home in Canada.  This is not something we are used to but the meals and drinks are fabulous in themselves.

As you have probably concluded by now, San Miguel is a preferred destination of art lovers. Galleries, boutiques and shops selling a wide range of art and handicrafts are so plentiful you cannot walk a block and not have an “art experience”.