San Miguel de Allende (SMA) is a charming, colorful city in Guanajuato, Mexico. This beautiful Colonial city is known for its Spanish architecture, stunning cathedral Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, and the rich wine, food, and art scene. We chose to get married in SMA this year because of its charm and Spanish feel, right in the center of Mexico to represent our roots. This travel guide is going to be very useful for our guests and anyone else who wishes to visit this beautiful city.
The weather year round ranges from 41°F to 85°F with rainy season being rom June-September. I highly recommend bringing jackets for nighttime, but the weather is usually beautiful! The city is a hilly terrain with a lot of uphill/downhill walking and cobblestone streets so bring comfortable shoes for walking.
Getting to SMA
Getting to SMA
In order to get to San Miguel de Allende, we flew into Querétaro International Airport from Mexicali. You can fly in from other major cities such as Mexico City and Guadalajara, or from Phoenix/the US but the cheapest option is from Mexicali if you’re looking for budget friendly options.
When you arrive to Queretaro, you’ll drive about 1 hour through beautiful green hills to get to San Miguel. We rented a car, but you can hire a driver or take a Taxi or Uber. The rental company we use is usually Mex Rent a Car because of their great pricing. We rent online in advance and pickup at the airport, we’ve had great experiences with them and usually rent with them in Cancun as well.
If you decide to rent a car, please note that parking in the central city can be difficult and SMA is a walkable city – this is also dependent on what area you stay in and what’s on your itinerary. We opted to rent a car and dealt with finding parking or paying for parking, our itinerary included lots of driving for wedding appointments.
Where to Stay
Where to Stay
There are a number of beautiful options in the city! We were amazed by how comfortable and safe we felt not only in our Airbnb but throughout the city. There are several Airbnbs that are located inside of private residences with security working 24/7.
Our Airbnb was not in the center of San Miguel de Allende, it was slightly outside around 10-15 minutes away which we loved! It was in a beautiful gated community and since we rented a car, we did not have issues parking at our house. Airbnb has amazing options at all price points. I have seen some with incredible views of the cathedral, so it’s worth taking a look!
If you are interested in hotels, these are great options that are well known and have good reviews:
- Amatte Hotel
- Casa 1810
- Hotel Selina
- La Valise
- Quinta Amores
- Live Aqua Urban Resort
- Hotel Raiz Boutique
- Rosewood Hotel
- Casa de los Soles
- Casa de Sierra Nevada
- Casa No Name
- Cuna del Cielo
- Amatte Hotel
- Casa 1810
- Hotel Selina
- La Valise
- Quinta Amores
- Live Aqua Urban Resort
- Hotel Raiz Boutique
- Rosewood Hotel
- Casa de los Soles
- Casa de Sierra Nevada
- Casa No Name
- Cuna del Cielo
Things to Do
Things to Do
First and foremost, the food scene and rooftop bars/restaurants are incredible in San Miguel de Allende. One of the best ranked rooftops in the world called Quince is located in San Miguel de Allende! The architecture in SMA is stunning, walking around central San Miguel will have you busy for hours.
Exploring Central SMA
San Miguel de Allende is most known for the stunning cathedral in the center (El Centro) of SMA called Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel. This church is known for its pink ‘wedding cake’ towers and was created in the 19th century. In front of the church is a beautiful plaza where mariachi plays live and events often take place. You can find a number of restaurants, local shops, and street vendors. I recommend exploring this area as much as possible!
Nearby is also a beautiful park called Parque Benito Juárez that is worth visiting. Driving up a bit further, there is a stunning viewpoint called Mirador that has the best views on San Miguel from up high on the hills.
I also loved the Mercado de Artesanias. This market was incredible, I bought so many beautiful handmade goods. They sell handmade pieces, traditional Mexican arts and pottery, jewelry, and you’ll even find the best food and snacks. I could’ve spent all day here if we had more time! Central San Miguel alone will keep you busy for several days.
Wineries
One thing that I learned while visiting is how popular the wineries are in San Miguel. They are located just outside SMA, surrounded by beautiful green hills and many hotels and wedding venues. Some of the best reviewed wineries include Viñedo San Miguel, Hacienda San Jose Lavista, and Viñedo San Lucas.
Nightlife
The nightlife in San Miguel is for very laid back, many people are out at rooftop bars but there are other great options to explore including Dean Martinis House of Blues, The Mezcaleria, Tupinamba Spanish Bar, and Casa Dragones Tasting Room (mine and Vic’s favorite).
This may come as a surprise to you as it did to us, but there are some bars and clubs in San Miguel de Allende. If you’re interested in this scene, they are usually only open Friday and Saturday each week and the main ones we heard of were El Grito and DUKE.
Activities
San Miguel de Allende has a lot to offer that many people may not know about. There are horseback riding tours, hot air balloon rides, and the iconic La Gruta Spa. There are also day trips available for Grutas Tolantongo, which are very popular thermal pools.
Hot air balloon
Food + Drinks
Food + Drinks
The food scene in San Miguel is incredible. The first restaurant we tried was Quince and I loved it, especially their baklava cheesecake and drinks. Some other rooftop bars we loved were La Unica and Luna Rooftop.There is also a taco truck that we went back to at least three times when we visited located on Calle Hidalgo and Avenida Insurgentes called Andy’s Taco Cart. It was the busiest taco stand and the food was amazing, I would highly recommend!
Breakfast in San Miguel was also amazing, I loved Lavanda Cafe but the wait time can be long since it’s a very popular spot (with good reason!). I love Ki’ Bok, this is a restaurant I eat at every time I’m in Tulum and I was excited to learn there is also a location in SMA. They have amazing coffee, juices, and clean Mexican breakfast options.
For fine dining in San Miguel, there are numerous options available with incredible views and great food/drinks. Zumo, La Doña de San Miguel, The Restaurant, and Luna Rooftop are some great options. As we roamed the streets, we came across tons of local restaurants and street vendors that were great as well. Sai-ko for sushi, Plaza Atrio and Tres Marias are some other great choices, but overall, you truly can’t go wrong in San Miguel.
