How to Explore the Magic Town of San Miguel: On the Search for Amazing Sunsets and Yummy Food

About a decade ago, I opened a travel magazine to a magical photo of an evening sky full of deep blues and purples with colorful streaks of orange and pink as the backdrop to a Spanish Colonial church on a cobblestone street. I added this place, this San Miguel de Allende place, to my list of possible places where I would get married. (Also on the list was Key West, New York City, and anywhere quaint and cute). I never did have a destination wedding (or a big blowout wedding for that matter), but San Miguel de Allende always stayed on my mental list of places I would visit one day.

You can assume then—when I knew we were moving to Mexico—that “Explore the Magic Town of San Miguel” was at the top of my Must Do List. It took me a year and a half to get there, many “Tourist Trap Syndrome” naysayers, and a couple of stomach flu obstacles* (footnote) but finally I arrived.

In a couple of sentences, San Miguel is a place to discover for yourself! The places I’ve listed below were places we happened to go to but the possibilities are endless. If you want a starting point, use this. But then move beyond what I tell you; explore the magic town of San Miguel and see it for yourself. (Google Map of my stops is embedded at the end.)

Transportation to San Miguel

I’ll keep this short because you’re not here to talk about buses but let me just say that traveling by bus in Mexico is divine. I’ve traveled Primera Plus and Vallarta Plus and both have air-conditioning, on-demand movies, and space equivalent to those flying first class. Oh! And they give you snacks with your ticket!

Where We Stayed in San Miguel

My Uber took me as close as he could to our hotel. The main streets around the Centro are closed off for pedestrians so taxis could only go so far. I met my parents at Hotel del Portal, a no-fuss yet cool vibe hotel that also offered free breakfast at Casaluna, an off-site boutique hotel a few blocks away with decent breakfast options and the friendliest young waiter. The Junior Suite would have been a much tighter feel had I been visiting with Husband and the two kids but was fine for my parents and me as we just needed a place to sleep. The perfect location made up for the room size anyway. With the Centro right downstairs, an abundance of restaurants, bars, and shops, the park across the street, and a great view from the rooftop, it was a great spot for a few days.

How to get around San Miguel

Take a Tour. I know, I know. Lots of people feel that taking a tour is “touristy” and yes… some of it can be but I really love getting the full feel and bearings of a place at the beginning and hearing its history from someone who knows it. You can also cover a lot more ground on wheels than you can on foot which can help plan the rest of your visit. We caught a tour on Juarez by The Templo de San Francisco.

Obviously, by foot. The town is small but so rich in detail. It is one of those places where you don’t have to look for beauty because it’s around every corner. Within every wall. Along every step. You can spend your day exploring the maze of cobblestones and getting lost in the Spanish Colonial, Baroque, and neo-Gothic architecture and before you know it you surprisingly find yourself back on the corner where you started.

(IMPORTANT TIP: My mom (as we know now) broke her foot upon arriving in San Miguel, twisting it on the street as she was calling an Uber.  The streets are uneven cobblestone, people. Watch your step!!)

My Main event

For me, sunset hour is pure magic so I spend a good portion of my days on vacation positioning myself for that glorious hour. This was no truer than on our visit to San Miguel. For me, to truly explore the magic town of San Miguel, I needed to find the best sunset view. I googled a few rooftop bars and stopped into the handful that were nearby.  Many were underwhelming. However…

I was ecstatic when we found Restaurante Cielo, on the corner of Correo and Diez de Sollano. It had the perfect view —no obstructions and a straight view of the church and street—at sunset. Perhaps my favorite thing about Cielo (which may have been my favorite thing about all of San Miguel) was that it was on a street route of the Callejoneada, a wedding parade that is customary in San Miguel. Think New Orleans Mardi Gras meets wedding. Instead of a jazzy brass band, there is a mariachi band. The mariachi is followed by giant, dancing, bride and groom puppets, a decorated donkey, and wedding guests. You could hear them coming in the distance and I’d wait, looking down from the veranda, to see the celebration. Straight enchanting.

The music at Cielo added to its good vibe. When I asked the owner about his choice of music (very Cuban playlist), he told us about his childhood; how a group of older men that lived in his building would play dominoes and listen to that style of music so it had become a nostalgic soundtrack to his life. He also taught us a bit about tequila and the differences between all the classifications (Blanco, Plata, Joven, Reposado, Añejo, and one of the newer classifications Cristalino). I can’t say enough good things about this place.

Another excellent sunset spot is the famous Rosewood Hotel. Believe me when I say it is a sight. The view from here —sunset and otherwise— is absolutely glorious. As I write this, their least expensive room, midweek, during the hottest month is $375 dollars but not to worry. Even if you can’t swing that, visiting the grounds, restaurants, and rooftop terrace is still an option. Pay no mind to the occasional, snobby host who made an unnecessary fuss about reservations for the next day. (It’s inevitable you’ll find pompous asses like that anywhere). Non-guests are absolutely welcome.

Both views were gorgeous and totally different. The view from the Rosewood is a sweeping view of the whole city whereas Cielo offers a more intimate, closer look inside. It’s the difference between seeing the majestic landscape of the Grand Canyon from above (or from the outside) and then seeing it from the inside. Equally beautiful and both worth seeing.

We didn’t check out the sunset view from El Mirador but my guess is that it would be pretty phenomenal.

Because why travel if not to eat?

Where we ate

San Miguel and I were a perfect combination. San Miguel is no joke when it comes to food and I don’t play. The place is heavily-lined with heavenly eateries and I only had 3 days worth of room in my belly for food. Unfortunate but true. So while there are tons of places to eat, I’m only sharing where we ate and liked.

We stopped into the famous and delicious Café San Agustin for a churro and hot chocolate. Ummm…. it’s Mexico. A churro is a non-negotiable.

Visiting Rincón de Don Tomás (on Portal de Guadalupe and Principal) was one of our favorite memories of the whole trip. The food itself was good (I got grilled fish but would suggest what my parents ordered—the grilled shrimp) but the real fun came with the mariachi party outside. Our friendly waiter told us that the family eating outside came here every year to celebrate the head of the table’s birthday. And every year he brought the same mariachi band with him! The guy looked like the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man and was just as cool. People would crowd around, dance, and stop in just to be a part of the contagious fun.

Hotel Santa Monica was one of those gems you accidentally find. During our visit to Benito Juarez Park, I did a bit of solo wandering so my mom could rest. Eventually, I found myself outside an open thick, wooden door that led to a gorgeous, tranquil courtyard. Even if I wasn’t in the mood for a midday beer and snack before, I was now. The nachos took foooorever to get to our table but were worth the wait.

We did come back to the Rosewood the next day because nothing (and certainly not some dumbass) stops me from catching a sunset. We enjoyed delightful gin and tonics and a smorgasbord of amazing appetizers, including some of the best guacamole I’ve had to date.

What else did we do?

I know it seems like all we did in San Miguel was eat and drink and chase sunsets… and that’s a pretty true assessment. Of course, you should check out the church (which is actually a Parish and not a church). And, of course, there is a lot of history to learn about this beautiful town. But I’d say the best and biggest part of San Miguel is walking around and taking it all in. Discovering hidden courtyard gems on your own. Finding little coffee spots in some crack in the wall. Because to explore the magic town of San Miguel for yourself is the magic of San Miguel.

P.S. A magical Mexican experience and a wonderful, multigenerational place to visit

Share-sies is Care-sies

 

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*Daughter was sick the day before I left and was going to stay home from school with Husband… and then Husband got sick on the eve of my trip. Luckily, Primera Plus was able to postpone my trip till the next day.