San Miguel de Allende

Where should I stay?

Where should I eat?

• The Restaurant · Centro · Contemporary international: Chef Donnie Masterton's courtyard restaurant on Calle Sollano, a long-running choice for a special dinner.
• Aperi · Centro · Contemporary Mexican: Seasonal tasting and à la carte menus in the Dos Casas hotel, built around local produce.
• La Posadita · Centro · Mexican: Classic Mexican dishes and margaritas on a rooftop terrace with views of the Parroquia.
• Café de la Parroquia · Centro · Mexican breakfast: A long-established courtyard café known for Mexican breakfasts like chilaquiles and huevos rancheros.
• Lavanda Café · Centro · Café: A small, popular café for good coffee and breakfast; expect a short line in the morning.
• Churrería San Agustín · Centro · Churros: Fresh churros with thick hot chocolate, open late and a local tradition.
• Mercado Ignacio Ramírez · Centro · Food market: The main municipal market, with produce stalls and cheap fondas serving gorditas and enchiladas mineras, the regional specialty.

What should I do?

• Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel · Centro: The pink neo-Gothic parish church that defines the town's skyline, best seen lit up at night.
• Jardín Allende · Centro: The main square in front of the Parroquia, the place to sit, people-watch and hear mariachis in the evening.
• Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez "El Nigromante" · Centro: A former convent turned arts center, with a cloister and an unfinished David Alfaro Siqueiros mural.
• Fábrica La Aurora · Colonia Aurora: A former textile mill now filled with art galleries, design shops and studios.
• El Charco del Ingenio · Outskirts (northeast): A botanical garden and nature reserve with cactus collections, trails and a canyon above the town.
• Santuario de Atotonilco · Atotonilco: A UNESCO-listed 18th-century sanctuary about 14 km away, its interior covered in folk Baroque murals.
• La Gruta Spa · Road to Dolores Hidalgo: Thermal pools outside town, including a warm-water tunnel leading into a domed cave.
• Hot air balloon ride at sunrise · Outskirts: Early-morning balloon flights over the town and surrounding countryside, usually with hotel pickup.