I have mentioned before that I love history and Mexico is a country with a lot of history, especially the central states of the country. Many years ago my dad took us to San Miguel de Allende, a beautiful colonial city in the eastern part of the state of Guanajuato. I was very young then, but I still remember the beauty of the cobblestone streets, the colorful houses and the 18th century mansions. San Miguel is a magic mix of history, culture, art, architecture and beauty. Since 1926 the city has been considered a National Historic Monument and city officials hope it will be named a World Heritage Site soon.
One thing many Mexican small towns and cities have in common are the central squares where people gather to buy food from street vendors, watch children play, listen to folklore music and just relax. San Miguel de Allende has its own jardín (garden) where locals and tourist from all over the world come listen to local bands, buy ice cream at a horse drawn buggy and have a great and relaxing time.
But the city is more than that. It’s beautiful buildings, hotels with surrounding gardens and churches are a site of their own. The Instututo Allende (Allende Institute) and Instituto de Bellas Artes (Fine Arts Institute) offer restuarants, galleries and classes you can take, from language lessons to writing and cooking. What a great way to learn more about Mexican cuisine.
And of course, the food you find in San Miguel de Allende is great. You can dine at a rooftop restaurant with great views of the city or taste street food at the central square or local markets. For these and many more reasons San Miguel de Allende has been a tourist and retirement destination since the end of World War II. Come and enjoy the beauty of this Mexican colonial town.
7 Replies
Sounds like a nice place to visit. The picture is lovely, I love how the building is all lit up with a black background.
Posted on December 6th, 2008 at 11:05 am
This looks and sounds lovely. I hope I really have time to explore Mexico some day.
Posted on December 6th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I still have a dream to visit a cooking school I have read about for a cooking holiday about an hour outside of Mexico City.
Posted on December 7th, 2008 at 9:24 am
What a beautiful place to visit…so much history & character here Ben. *SIGH* so much to do, & so little time…I would love to visit a place as beautiful as this!
Posted on December 7th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Ben, I’m so glad you posted about San Miguel. I’ve never been there but hope to some day. This certainly is a beautiful bit of history. Gracias chico.
Posted on December 7th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Hi Ben,
I love the new look of your blog.
If I may offer a suggestion, can you make it a clear on your site which post is your current post for comments to be posted on? Just a suggestion.
Happy New Year!
Posted on December 28th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
y que tu! how are you? obviously it’s been a minute since i’ve been here. great new look! i love it. good for you. so i just had a friend visit me from Vallarta. I spent all Friday giving and his family a tour of DC. I love connecting with you Mexicans! So much fun and so much great food! good Lord!! I can’t wait to go back. Doesn’t matter where, as long as I’m near water and sweet people!
hugz.
Posted on December 29th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
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