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San Miguel
de Allende History
 The
town was founded in 1542 by the Franciscan
monk Fray Juan de San Miguel. It was an
important stopover on the Antiguo Camino
Real, part of the silver route from
Zacatecas, Zacatecas. The town featured
prominently in the Mexican War of
Independence. General Ignacio Allende, one
of San Miguel's native sons, was a leading
player in the war against Spain for
independence. Allende, captured in battle
and beheaded, is a national hero. San Miguel
el Grande renamed itself "San Miguel de
Allende" in 1826 in honor of his actions.
As the mineral wealth waned, the many
caravans ceased, and by 1900, San Miguel de
Allende was in danger of dying out. Having
been declared a national monument in 1926
(no neon signs, no new style buildings), the
old Centro district still has the colonial
style elegance of its wealthy past.
In the 50's San Miguel became a
destination known for both its beauty and
for its natural hot springs, the original
known as Taboada. The world famous Mexican
comedian, Cantinflas frequented San Miguel
de Allende in the 50's and 60's, bringing
with him an entourage of film stars, singers
and hangers-on. It was after World War II
that San Miguel began to revive as a tourist
attraction, as many GI's discovered that
their education grants stretched further in
Mexico at the US accredited art school, the
Instituto Allende, founded in 1950.
Art and Traditions
The traditions occupy an important place
in San Miguel de Allende. A good part of the
year is devoted to filling the streets with
colorful celebrations which include music,
dance, parades and even fireworks.
 Some
of the more popular festivities are the
Celtic Week Parade and St. Patrick's Day,
which are celebrated before the arrival of
spring. The saint day of San Antonio de
Padua is on June 13, while the Chamber Music
Festival brings famous musicians from all
over world.For those bullfight aficionados,
there is the traditional "SanMiguelada",
which is San Miguel's own running of the
bulls, inspired by Pamplona.
San Miguel de Allende celebrates its
saint day on September 29. On this day, the
city is decorated with flags and garlands of
spectacular color to commemorate the most
important festivity of the year.
You can also obtain beautifully elaborated
handicrafts made of wood, tin, brass, paper
mache and blown glass. These, along with
antiques, are very sought-after items for
their design, beauty and artistic craft.
Community of Foreigners
 San
Miguel de Allende breathes a cosmopolitan
air due to the influx of people from all
over the world that have come to live here.
The climate is warm during the whole year
and its thermal waters and the beauty of its
architecture has made a great community of
foreigners in the city.
A good part of the population of San
Miguel de Allende is foreign, largely of
American or Canadian origin. Many have
chosen to retire here, taking advantage of
free time and the tourist industry to start
businesses, benefitting the community of San
Miguel on the whole
Restaurants & Dining in
San Miguel
In San Miguel de Allende, the cuisine is
extremely varied and rich. It incorporates
the cuisine of its neighboring states like
Queretaro, Jalisco, Michoacan and San Luis
Potosi. Given its geographic situation, this
zone is ideal for organic vegetable
cultivation (artichokes, asparagus and
broccoli) and it is well-known for its dairy
production.
 Very
traditional in these lands is the "Fiambre
estilo San Miguel" (San Miguel style cold
cuts). It consists of beef, chicken, pork,
fruits, vegetables, oil and vinegar. The
"Enchiladas Mineras" (Miner's Enchiladas) is
another regional dish that cannot be missed.
For dessert, nothing is better than some
delicious "tumbagones", a traditional fried
sweet that is normally served with coffee.
There are also strawberries with cream from
nearby Irapuato as well as cajeta (Mexican
Butterscotch) from Celaya, charamuscas (a
hard, caramel candy that is yellow in color
and is sold in a variety of forms; in San
Miguel de Allende, it is usually sold as
mummy figurines), piloncillos quemados
(caramelized brown sugar sweets), jamoncillo
(sweet made of finely ground seeds such as
pumpkin, pine nuts and peanuts mixed with
milk and sugar), alegrias (sweetened and
popped amaranth seeds) and cocadas (a grated
coconut sweet, made with egg, sugar, milk
and sometimes with pineapple).
Nightlife
The nights of San Miguel de Allende are
very diverse and in this city, you can find
bars, restaurants and clubs for all ages and
preferences. There is also the option of
taking a nighttime walk through its bohemian
streets where you can find for yourself, the
essence of this magical colonial town.
 In
San Miguel de Allende, it is common to
celebrate national heroes and patron saints,
squeezing in a little fun on the side. A
good example of this is the traditional "callejoneadas"
(get-togethers in the streets that involve
singing and dancing), typical to the state
of Guanajuato. The Angela Peralta Theater is
a great opportunity to enjoy great concerts
and the most varied music festivals.
Shopping
San
Miguel de Allende is one of the most
looked-for tourist destinations in the
entire world. It is known for its beautiful
pieces of art made of brass, paper mache,
wool, blown glass, carved rock and ceramic.
San Miguel is often compared to a large
market where you can find valuable pieces of
art, lovely furniture, mirrors, candelabras,
wrought iron items, wax figurines from
Salamanca, wall tiling from Guanajuato and
Talavera Ceramic from Dolores Hidalgo.
 Handicrafts Market: In
this traditional handicrafts market, you can
find a large variety of typical regional
products for souvenirs, everything from the
beautiful pieces of silver, Talavera ceramic
decorations, paper mache and wrought iron
items. The market is located in the downtown
area, with several access points, off Loreto
Street, the famous clock or Hidalgo Street.
 Art Galleries: In
San Miguel de Allende, there are a number of
art galleries where artists exhibit and sell
their work, making this a unique opportunity
to get an original high quality piece of art
from Mexican artists.
Plaza La Luciernaga: This
is one of San Miguel de Allende's few malls,
an elegant little outdoor mall where you can
find coffee shops, fast food restaurants, a
supermarket, a movie theater and clothing
shops.
San Miguel
de Allende Weather
Fahrenheit
Celsius
Getting to
San Miguel
By Plane:
San Miguel de Allende has two nearby
international airports. The Aeropuerto del
Bajio (airport code: BJX) is located 170 km
(about 110 miles) from San Miguel, between
the cities of Leon and Guanajuato, the state
capital.
The recently opened Aeropuerto
Internacional de Queretaro (airport code:
QRO) is about 70 km (40 miles) from San
Miguel de Allende.
A third option is the Benito Juarez
Airport (airport code: MEX) in Mexico City,
which is about 4 hours from San Miguel de
Allende. The Mexico City airport has a
larger choice of flights and is served by a
broad range international airlines from
across the world.
By Bus:
To/From Mexico City: It's a 4-hour trip
to San Miguel from Mexico City's Terminal
Norte, on a first-class bus (with one stop
in Queretaro). Primera Plus, Satelite, ETN,
and Omnibus de Mexico all have one to six
deluxe buses per day. Flecha Amarilla and
Herradura de Plata have buses that leave
almost every half hour (most are
first-class).
To/From Guanajuato: Flecha Amarilla has
nine buses a day to San Miguel.
To/From Queretaro: If you arrive in
Queretaro by first-class bus, go out the
front door and cross to the opposite
terminal. Buses for San Miguel leave about
every 20 minutes during the day, and every
1-2 hours in the evenings. You can choose
between Satelite, Flecha Amarilla, and
Herradura de Plata. The trip takes about one
hour.
San Miguel de Allende's Central de
Autobuses, (the bus station) is 1 1/2 miles
west of town.
Taxis from the bus station to the center of
San Miguel are about 20 pesos during the day and
usually 25 pesos at night into town and
available at all hours. |
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Attractions
 A
walk through San Miguel de Allende is an
attraction in itself, from the beautiful
colonial mansions and the impressive temples
to the fascinating Historic Center where
you'll find a number of details that will
capture your attention.
Apart from its intense architecture,
visit the museums, theaters, cultural
centers, art galleries and the bullring. San
Miguel de Allende is also home to many
natural attractions such as thermal springs,
a botanic garden and beautiful fresh water
springs.
For adventure, are more than 680 miles of
roads that you can cover by foot, mountain
bike, horseback or ATV. In San Miguel de
Allende, there is something for everyone,
including a golf course designed by Jack
Nicklaus and a number of spas for the
ultimate relaxing experience.
Parroquia
de San Miguel Arcangel
 The
original construction of the Parrish of San
Miguel de Archangel dates back to the 17th
century but the facade itself was completely
rebuilt in 1880 by Zeferino Gutierrez, who
was inspired by the cathedrals of Europe.
This created an impressive neo-gothic style,
making this Parish one of the most
photographed cathedrals in all of Mexico.
El Jardin
 In
the heart of San Miguel de Allende, discover
beautiful gardens with wrought iron benches
and a traditional kiosk. It is ideal for a
nice chat in the shade of the laurel trees
or even for a little chat via internet
(wireless service available here) on your
laptop.
Casa Mayorazgo de la
Canal
 In
this neoclassic style mansion lived a
well-to-do family called the De La Canal.
The main attraction of this house is the
front door, which was beautifully carved and
symbolized the status of those who lived
there. It now houses a bank branch.
Templo de la Concepcion
 The
locals call it "Las Monjas" (the Nuns) due
to the fact that it belonged to the Order of
the Immaculate Conception. The church was
built between 1755 and 1842. In 1891, Zeferino Gutierrez built a cupola that was
inspired by the Church of Saint-Louis des
Invalides in Paris.
Templo de Nuestra Senora
de la Salud
 This
temple dates back to the 18th century and
was formerly a chapel for the School of San
Francisco de Sales. From the porch,
contemplate the carved conch shell, with a
single eye inside a triangle, a symbol of
the omnipresence of God and not, as
popularly believed, to be due to the
church's supposed powers of curing eye
ailments.
Templo de San Francisco
 The
construction of this church took 20 years to
complete, reflected in the different
architectural styles that adorn the facade,
which is of Spanish Baroque influence. The
Neoclassic bell tower, however, was built in
1799.
Museo de
la Casa de Allende
 Ignacio
Allende was born here and it has now become
a museum, completely dedicated to this
important figure in the history of Mexican
Independence. The Baroque-style building
dates back to the 18th century and was
detailed with carved stone and wrought iron
like the houses of the rich Spanish
nobility.
Cultural Center "El
Nigromante"
 In
San Miguel, it is only known as "Bellas
Artes" (the Fine Arts) even the full name is
the National Institute of Fine Arts. This
center offers sketching, painting,
sculpture, music and dance and is also known
for the incomplete murals of Mexican artist
David Alfaro Siqueiros. It houses a museum,
auditorium, two art galleries and a cafe.
Biblioteca
Publica
 This
is considered the second largest library in
Mexico with publications and texts in
English. This lovely building has a quaint
interior patio, a reading room, an
auditorium and a computer room with internet
access.
Santuario de Atotonilco
 This
church is located in the town of Atotonilco,
which means "place of hot water" because of
the hot springs located nearby. The town
itself is located just 8 kilometers from San
Miguel de Allende. The church was founded by
the Father Luis Felipe Neri de Alfaro and
has been a place of worship and pilgrimage
since its construction, in 1740. It consists
of 6 adjoining chapels, 206 pieces of
religious art, and incredible murals and
frescoes on the walls and ceiling. This
church was also featured in the Mexican War of
Independence, because the priest Miguel
Hidalgo took the standard of the Virgin of
Guadalupe from the altar and carried it into
battle.
Cante Botanic Garden
 In
this research center, there are over a
thousand species of cactus, with
microclimates and even an orchid greenhouse.
In the surrounding areas, there are various
spa hotels and thermal water springs.
Thermal Springs
 The
area features delicious thermal and alkaline
water springs such as Cieneguita, Montecillo,
Atotonilco, Taboada and the Cortijo. There
are sulfurous waters of temperatures up to
102 degrees.
Plaza de
Toros
 San
Miguel de Allende features the Plaza de
Toros Oriente, where you can admire great
matadors in their traditional bullfighting
regalia in a showdown between man and beast.
The plaza was built in 1956 and can hold up
to 3,000 spectators.
El Charco del Ingenio
 These
are the remains of a colonial aqueduct
and a reservoir where native and migratory
birds can be seen. Beautiful paths, ideal
for both biking and walking, wind through
the gardens leading you to areas designated
for rock climbing on the canyon walls and
wonderful lookout points for birding.
Sanmiguelada
 One
of the traditional "fiestas" of San Miguel
de Allende is the Sanmiguelada, (a term
which comes from the famous Spanish party
"Pamplona"). Every September since 1973, on
the third Saturday an event is organized
where more than 20,000 brave people from all
over the country gather in the downtown to
confront a dozen bulls.
Teatro Angela Peralta
 This
stunning theater was inaugurated in 1873
with a performance by the world famous
Mexican opera singer, Angela Peralta. The
theater, although originally designed as an
opera house, is actually an elegant meeting
point for national and international artists
who come to participate in renowned events,
such as the International Guitar Festival,
the Jazz Festival and the Festival of
Chamber Music.
Oratorio de San Felipe
Neri
 Constructed
in 1712, this stunning church is built on
the site of an old chapel. It is a very interesting
building because of its incredibly ornate
decor that includes both golden walls and
altars.
Parque Benito Juarez
 This
beautiful park was founded at the beginning
of the 20th century and has a very French feel to
it, featuring ponds, fountains, bridges,
wrought iron benches and wide pathways.
There is also a playground and picnic area.
It's a very leafy, green park, home to a
multitude of trees from the region,
including mulberry, custard apple and
walnut.
Instituto Allende
 The
De la Canal family built this home in the
17th century as their retreat from the city.
This old mansion features beautiful patios,
a modern art gallery, a restaurant, and a
private chapel that exhibits colonial
frescoes. In 1951 the whole building was
converted into an art institute and now
offers courses in silverwork, ceramics and
Spanish. |
