The Best Things to Do in San Miguel de Allende: A Local Studio's Guide

San Miguel's historic center and the nearby Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco were inscribed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Travel + Leisure readers have voted it the best city in the world several times, including 2017 and 2018 and three years running in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

We run a small art studio in the Centro, and this is the list we share with friends who visit for the first time.

1. The Parroquia and the Jardín

The Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel is the image everyone knows: a pink, spired church that looks like it was drawn rather than built. The church dates to the 17th century, but its famous neo-Gothic facade was added in 1880 by Zeferino Gutiérrez, a local bricklayer and self-taught architect who is said to have worked from postcards and prints of European Gothic churches.

In front of it is the Jardín, the main square, shaded by laurel trees and full of families, mariachis and balloon sellers in the evening. Sit on a bench at dusk and watch the stone change color. The town's patron is Saint Michael the Archangel, whose feast on September 29 brings about a week of processions and fireworks. Read more in our guide to Saint Michael.

2. Art, craft and culture: La Aurora, the Mercado and the Biblioteca

Fábrica La Aurora was a cotton textile mill that opened in 1902 and closed in 1991. Since 2004 it has been an art and design center, with galleries, studios, antiques and cafés under the old factory roofs, just north of the Centro. Plan at least two hours.

For folk art, walk the narrow Mercado de Artesanías, which runs along an alley behind the produce market. You will find tin, brass, blown glass, papier-mâché and textiles, and it is a good place to learn the difference between a mass-made souvenir and a handmade piece. If you are curious about the devotional side of Mexican folk art, our article on retablos explains what to look for.

3. Gardens, viewpoints and the best streets

• El Charco del Ingenio: a 67-hectare botanical garden and nature reserve on the edge of town, with a deep canyon and a large collection of Mexican cacti and succulents. Go early, bring water and a hat.
• El Mirador: the lookout above the Centro gives the classic view of the Parroquia's spires over the rooftops. It is a short uphill walk from the Lavaderos del Chorro, the old public washing basins.
• Calle Aldama: often called one of the prettiest streets in Mexico, with the Parroquia rising at the end of a line of colonial facades. Come early in the morning for photos without crowds.
• Rooftops: Luna Rooftop Bar at the Rosewood looks straight across the town to the Parroquia. A sunset drink there is a classic splurge.
• La Biblioteca Pública de San Miguel de Allende was started by Canadian Helen Wale to reach local children, and it has grown into a community center with one of the largest English-language collections in Mexico, a café and programs for local young people. It is a pleasant place to read on a hot afternoon, and its bulletin boards are a good way to discover concerts, classes and house tours.

4. Hot springs and Atotonilco

About 15 kilometers north of town, the village of Atotonilco has natural thermal water and several hot-spring parks, among them La Gruta, with its warm pools and steamy tunnel, and Escondido Place. Most are open during the day, and a taxi is the simplest way to get there.

Combine the soak with a visit to the Sanctuary of Jesús Nazareno de Atotonilco, built from 1740 under Father Luis Felipe Neri de Alfaro and covered in baroque murals, which is why it is often called the Sistine Chapel of Mexico. It is part of the same UNESCO listing as San Miguel. In 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo took a banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe from here and carried it at the start of the War of Independence.

5. A day trip to Guanajuato

The state capital, Guanajuato, is about 90 kilometers away, roughly an hour and a half by car or a little longer by bus. It is a former silver-mining city of tunnels, staircases and painted houses, with the Teatro Juárez, the University and the Callejón del Beso. Leave early and come back after dinner, or stay a night.

6. Eat well

San Miguel has a serious restaurant scene, from rooftop dining to market food. Our advice: eat at least one breakfast of chilaquiles in a courtyard café, try street tacos and gorditas in the evening near the Jardín, and visit the Mercado Ignacio Ramírez for fresh fruit and juices. In autumn, look for pan de muerto in the bakeries, and plan around the season in our guide to Day of the Dead in San Miguel.

Visit our studio in the Centro

San Miguel Retablos is at Hidalgo 52A, Centro, a few minutes from the Jardín. Stop by to see our Catrina saint retablos, fine art printed on wood from original paintings by Leslie Kate, each one showing a saint as a Catrina in front of the Parroquia. Our Saint Michael retablo, the town's own protector, is the one visitors most often take home.