San Miguel de Allende is a picturesque little town in central Mexico that is consistently named one of Mexico’s top rated travel destinations. With its nearly perfect weather year round — temperatures range from a comfortable 76ºF (24.4ºC) to 52ºF (11ºC) — to its rich culture, creative energy and beauty, San Miguel de Allende has something for everyone. The city was populated by indigenous people before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 16th century and it retains much of its historic architecture. With the refreshing absence of traffic lights, parking meters and billboards, the city seems untouched by time and the pressures of modern society.
Why San Miguel de Allende Attracts Tourists
San Miguel de Allende has grown in population and as a tourism destination, but has attracted artists and writers since the late 1930s. Numerous art schools were also created, which in turn began to draw more people into the town to study and to live. Today, thousands of people come to San Miguel de Allende each year to learn Spanish, study art, or take Mexican cooking classes. This spurred the establishment of tourism, with hotels, shops and restaurants being built to accommodate the growth in visitors. Many Americans who studied in San Miguel would later come back to retire; which was the beginning of the town’s reputation as an “American enclave in Mexico.”
Cruise down cobblestone and tree-lined streets and take in the colonial architecture and it’s easy to see why so many people come to San Miguel and never want to leave. You’ll fall in love with this ancient, beautiful city. Vibrant neighborhoods, deeply rooted in cultural history, have grown to attract musicians, artists and writers to its Mexican folk traditions, fiestas and religious celebrations.
The Artistic Legacy of San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel’s picturesque streets and architecture have inspired generations of artists, notably, Frida Kahlo, who hosted her famous salons here. The city’s artistic influence continued to expand over the years and it became a site of the hippie counter-culture movement in the 1960-1970s.
Families will find that San Miguel de Allende is not just a feast for the eyes but for all the senses; the town contains vegan and organic cafes, upscale restaurants and hotels, and a wide variety of bars and night clubs. San Miguel also offers incredible shopping, with its numerous stores, boutiques, art galleries and furniture and home décor shops selling countless Mexican handicrafts. Nightlife ranges from DJs or loud bands catering to the young, to jazz clubs, sports bars and even those that specialize in traditional Mexican music such as mariachi.
The main attraction of the town is its well-preserved historic center, filled with buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. This and the nearby Sanctuary of Atotonilco have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Museums are a popular; the Oratorio de San Felipe Neri has more than 30 oil paintings, and is housed in beautifully preserved buildings. Art museums and history museums provide a host of entertainment options for the entire family.
Trip Planning Details for San Miguel de Allende
Accommodations range from a four-star hotel in an old monastery to charming and comfortable bed and breakfast establishments, mostly located in old buildings with quaint courtyards, often adjacent to the city’s central cathedral square. This square is the place where the locals and the tourists gather to stroll, to shop, to sit in the park and watch the rest of the world go by while summoning up the energy to walk to the local Library.
Notable hotels in the city are the upscale Rosewood San Miguel de Allende and Casa Quetzal. The Casa de Sierra Nevada is a luxury hotel and spa, complete with a cooking school. The Villa Mirasol Hotel is one of several, more affordable hotel that have been well-received with past visitors.
This closely knit community draws people in with their rich and colorful history and culture. Coupled with the city’s artistic ties and beauty, San Miguel de Allende is a perfect getaway for families looking for an authentic Mexican small town holiday.
For more information, look at the Visit Mexico tourism office’s San Miguel de Allende information page.
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A destiny I will never forget.
This was by far, the best vacation I have ever been on. I hope be awarded the scholarship so that I can go on to college, graduate with honors, and get a great job so that one day I can show my family what a great place Yellowstone National Park is. Thank you for considering my application!
I hope you enjoy my essay. Thank you for your time.
My favorite city so far!
It's such a beautiful place!
my trip.
Hey Everyone,
Thanks for checking out my blog. 🙂 I hope you enjoy.
With Much Appreciation,
– Zoe McDowell
hello
I have run short on space, yet I managed to squeeze in about 3/4ths of my trip.
Lordsburg and Demming are in New Mexico (I guess I should have edited that), and there are numerous other details I would have liked to have included….
If you're interested in traveling in my footsteps, I highly recommend the Togwotee Lodge and Resort, which is where we stayed during our trip.
While visiting Paris the summer I was fourteen, I was captivated my by its beauty. The city's rich culture, diverse people, and turbulent history fascinated me and captured my imagination. It was there that I discovered the wonder of adventure, and my never-ending love of Paris.
this is my actual scholarship submission. PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE THE PREVIOUS ENTRY. THIS IS MY SUBMISSION. THANK YOU.
This was the most incredible vacation ever! All my classmates who attended agreed and have remembered every memory from Washington D.C. Thank you School Tours of America and my special sponsors Mrs. Nobel and Mr. Fitch.
My trip to new york was wonderful. I even c reated a website to prove it.
http://nothinglikenewyork.shutterfly.com/
I almost did not go on this trip, worrying about what could go wrong, that summer would nearly be over when I returned, and how much it cost. But, I decided to take this trip to see a few of my German friends and their families, not knowing when, otherwise, I would see them again if I didn't take this opportunity. Now that I have returned home, I am very happy to have taken this trip.
My name is Inemesit Effiong.I am an avid reader and an ardent Colin Firth fan. I love outdoor activities, writing poetry, and volunteering. I have had the privilege of volunteering with several clubs like National Honor Society, Rotary Club, Interact Volunteer Club, and The Bridge Run. I enjoy watching Jeopardy with my father (mostly because of Alex Trebek) and I hope to pursue Nursing as a major. I entered this contest because I love exploring and I fell that my experience is very relatable, especially to teenagers my age, who would like to travel abroad, but lack the means or opportunity to do so.
This is a blog about my trip with my mother to New York City
I encourage you, go on a mission trip! You will never regret it. If anything it can help you to figure out your place in this world.
I raised money for this trip during the course of my Freshman year, first by a Bake Sale, which raised over $700, then by giving out poetry that I had written in exchange for donations. They expereince broadened me as a leader and created lasting friendships with other cultures.
This was my Italian experience. It was extremely fun and I can’t wait for the time when I get the chance to return.
Hope you enjoyed my essay! Just wanted to share my beliefs and personal experience. 🙂
Hopefully you can enjoy my post! It's what I believe and is my own personal experience. 🙂
My scholarship entry!
Im glad to share my families trip with you. I hope this inspires you to go on a trip with your family to Hawaii.
My vacation to Spain in general was one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done. The culture was rich and the archetecture was far more ornate than anything I've ever seen in the United States. I will defenately go back there some day if I am fortunate enough.
This particular blog was submitted as a scholarship essay to myfamilytravels.com, enjoy!
I truly am grateful for the wonderful opportunity I had to travel to Hong Kong for a month! I'll definitely think about living in Hong Kong in the future!
I hope people can read this travel blog and see for themselves how great the aftermath of war is. Because of war, these children have to suffer every single day. ):
This blog was very fun to write, it let me reevaluate what had happened during the trip and laugh about it once again. Maybe it will inspire someone else to do what what my family did and go through the indescribable little horrors that we all went through. Happy traveling!
If you have ever wondered what a BIG city is, than New York City is the place for you to go! i had a blast there! Check it out!!
I had alot of fun writing this essay.
Europe is a great place to visit!
it looks cool!
Here is my scholarship for the Teen Travel Writing Scholarship of my journey to Alaska!
My trip to London.
I discovered that I was a pretty good photographer while on this trip. I now take all the family vacation pictures!
My trip to Yellowstone was truly amazing! Yellowstone is a must-see for all nature lovers and hikers!
The wedding took place on August 6, 2011.
this was a wonerful trip with friends & family
My experience was amazing here!
My essay describes the emotional connection to the effects of a storm which would seemingly ruins a trip to Lake Michigan.
I wish I could have written more about Germany, but summing up a vacation such as that in only 600 words seemed impossible to me. I would have never guessed I would have learned so much about myself there. We did activitivities I would never seen myself doing in a million years. Many of the students that went on the trip I would not normally be friends with, but at the end of the day no matter how different we were from one another, we were all friends and family to eachother and still keep in touch till this day. I don't know when I will be able to go on such an amazing adventure again, but my advice to whoever comes across this is, if you have the oppritunity, take it. Even if you are apprehensive, take the risk because I'm willing to bet you will learn so much more.
Thank you all for reading this and best of luck to everyone who entered this contest!
We love going to the Hawaiian Islands. Maui was one of our favorites. Molokini Crater is just off of the Maui coast. I couldn't believe at the variety of fish we snorkeled with–we even glimpsed a reef shark! Snorkeling at Molokini Crater was a great experience and was the inspiration for this short essay.
This is my scholarship essay, please confirm that it has been entered. Thank you!
The reason for my visit to Nigeria was because of a death in my family. In the attatched picture, I am in the middle, surrounded by my family members as we walked toward the area where the ceremony was to be held. The whole experience of visiting Nigeria a third time (but as a teenager) opened my eyes and made me realize that there are things in the world bigger than just me and my problems, and it's my job to find a way to give back before time runs out.
This was my family trip to Missouri…never forget how important learning and family is.
I am a young international traveler interested in seeing the dynamics between different cultures acted out out not only through travel but through international relations on a global stage. Trips to Belize and across the world have cemented my belief that nations working together is for the good of everyone on earth.
I wrote this for the Scholarship writing contest.
This is my entry for the FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholorship!
I hope that everyone can learn a little about this unique country from my blog. There are so many more things I wish I could say, but space is limited!