A group of ten women in instagram hats taking selfies with a cathedral. An old white man playing on his ipad with an apple pencil as a man shines his shoes. A short wife in an orange jumpskirt cuddling up to her husband as a mariachi band plays them a song.

All these demonstrate the stereotypes of San Miguel, a city known mostly as a vibe triad of a cruise ship port with its trinket shops and western-approachable bistros, a retirement home with grey-haired men and ladies taking strolls and settling into wine bars, and a wealthy mexican hangout where fresas pull up to glitzy rooftop bars in sparkling ATVs. But this these are all scenes from the Centro, the iconic gravitational center of the city.

Staying in San Miguel

San Miguel de Allende, abbreviated on busses and government vehicles as “SMA”, is a city with a population of around 150,000 people. The climate is semi-arid like Colorado’s Boulder or Denver (but much warmer), it and can get cold in the winter but rarely below freezing. The temperature reached 32F/0C as we left the city one early morning, and it never felt “hot” unless we were walking long distances mid-day.

It was usually comfortable, and the city felt safe and clean. In the inevitable “San Miguel vs Guanajuato” convos, that’s one thing everyone could agree on.

The city itself is beautiful and well-maintained. It’s clear a lot of money has been pumped into it to keep it approachable for foreigners and a keep it a good place for real estate investment. The municipal government gives the residents something to do – in the 2 weeks we were there there were events every weekend featuring musicians, fireworks, and live music.

Who You’ll See

The city itself, especially near centro, is a tourist town. It’s expensive relative to other cities like the nearby Guanajuato. You can exchange your money for goods and services in exclusively English anywhere in a 300 meter radius of Jardín Allende. There are wellness spas and places to host 15-person yoga retreats dotting the valley, a short uber ride away. Besides the “adventures” you can take outside of town with companies like Coyote Canyon Adventures, or unless you are more deeply connected with residents, these are the places you’ll be around.

While there is a range of entertainment options for everyone, things looked stratified across a few different social groups:

• Rich white tourists with straight backs. Women dressing with a mashup-flair of bohemian and european in flowing floral dresses, wide sun hats, and quality fabrics without branding and guys wearing tucked-in shirts, sport coats, or other button-ups, usually with good shoes and haircuts. You’ll find them in the more upscale restaurants, and laughing with each other in roped-off establishments with discerning hostesses.
• The seemingly less-rich bohemian white retirees and middle-old-aged, either alone or with others. You’ll see them playing live music, walking slowly on sidewalks, leading wellness classes, or eating around Centro. Their gaze is either kind or it looks past you.
• The youngish and un-independently wealthy, entering clubs like Sammy’s Social Room or other ritzy rooftops, looking the most fashionable of this list.
• Out-of-place foreigners dressing like it’s Cancun. Flip flops, sandals, floral shirts. They didn’t get the memo that this is a classy town.
• Well-off Mexicans enjoying the city, paying mariachi bands to play to them while sitting in cafe seats in the square and taking tons of pictures.

It’s too easy to see these archetypes around the main area, but the real money and people with property or history in this town likely live farther to the outskirts, to the south and east. We got glimpses of a pack of them when we walked these neighborhoods, drinking on rooftops in groups, playing sort of soft deep house on a distributed sound system.

When we were around the tourist center, it felt more than any other place we were in Mexico that I should be dressed up a little more. A button-up at minimum.

There are places you won’t see foreigners, outside the places you’ll find searching #sanmiguel on tiktok, but in my limited experience they are typical Mexican establishments you’ll see around other comparable towns as soon as you walk a bit away from the main drag.

How We Lived

For the most part we cooked in our home, but went out to eat a lot more than usual. There’s a hectic fruit and veggie store on the corner of Canal and Puente Guanajuato where we got most of our fresh goods, a tortillaria for our tortillas and salsa, and a corner store that had dry ingredients and sauces. Since it was the last leg of our trip before flying to Mérida, we needed to go through our supplies since we couldn’t fit too many dry food goods into our luggage.

The unit we lived in had no laundry, so we went to a laundry service nearby that cost around around $120 for 6.5kg.

On “The Gentrification of San Miguel” and “Real Mexico”

It’s a tired point but worth talking about. The typical tourist under the age of 30 talking about San Miguel will mention something about how it is overrun with foreigners, filled to the brim with retirees, or put their face into a little frowny-scoffy frown when somebody mentions going. “It’s not ‘real mexico’” is specifically what I’ve heard from a few people, and most people focus on how expensive or “fake” it is.

I’ve done some reading through the San Miguel de Allende wikipedia citations (specifically Lisa Pinley Covert’s San Miguel de Allende: Mexicans, Foreigners, and the Making of a World Heritage Site), and learned a bit about its history: The city lost the main industries that built it between the 1500s and 1800s. San Miguel transitioned from manufacturing and services auxillary to the cities’ nearby silver mining industries into agriculture as urbanization and manufacturing increased in nearby cities like Querétaro and Léon. Powerful families vied for power during the Mexican revolution in the 1910s, conflicts occurred between ardent catholics and the government during the Cristiada in the late 1920s, and subsequent plans from the federal government failed to revitalize the country through manufacturing or other industries, until the state government decreed it a “typical town” (pueblo típico) in 1939. This distinction made it an advertised tourist destination with the amenities needed for tourists as long as requirements were met around modern signage, parking lots, and decorations to ensure the city felt historic.

As for all the Americans got there – an art school (Bellas Artes) was opened by a Peruvian and an American with the help of the local government. Brochures were sent to US universities. From Lisa Pinley Covert’s book:

Dickinson’s advertising campaign targeted a very specific audience of foreign art students by placing San Miguel within the narrative constructed by de la Maza and the Friends of San Miguel. His publicity acumen was likely shaped by his father’s work with a Chicago advertising agency. A 1937 travel feature in the Chicago Daily Tribune quoted Dickinson’s description of San Miguel as “one of those ‘undiscovered’ towns you read about,” a “typically Mexican” place where “life moves slowly after the fashion of long ago.” Dickinson cast himself as an intrepid explorer and discoverer of a Mexican village that time had forgotten. With this imagery he sought to pique the interest of artists and intellectuals on the lookout for the next bohemian cultural center. By the mid-1930s the most famous art colonies in the United States, such as those in Santa Fe and Taos, were becoming increasingly commercialized and popular as mainstream tourist destinations—and therefore less attractive to those in highbrow art circles.

So it’s true – the city was transformed into a destination by the local government and foreign art scenesters. The local government wanted tourism money, and foreign artists were keen to find a non-commercialized “Real Mexico”. By the 1940s, adventurous artists were braving the journey to the town where water was fetched from wells, but by the 1970s-80s hotel occupancy was growing by 22%/year. Somewhere between there, it turned from a place where Americans had to work with local people, learn spanish, and generally adjust to the life into a place where the town adjusted to them.

But the city is clean. People are happy to live there. The local government hosts a non-stop calendar of festivals. For example, we arrived on Ignacio Allende’s 254th birthday which had a procession of horse-mounted soldiers walking down the street feet from us as we struggled with our airbnb’s lock for the first time. Over the two weeks, the central Jardin was home to orchestras and fireworks, a nearby park had 14 days of activities for Candlemas (Candelaria) including a bands like “Leones de la Sierra de Xichú” that our friend from LA Cafe was excited to see. In a state with the violence of Guanajuato, it is a safe place that seems to provide good amenities for its people.

We would walk on roads a bit away from the main area of town and encounter schools and churches that were much more lively than those I’ve seen in other cities. People walking on the street had unique styles and there were quality touches to homes such as beautifully carved doors or noble gardens. I can’t speak for many in the city since we only talked in-depth to a few non-foreigner residents, but they seemed happy to live there.

An aside: Official Economic Statistics vs “San Miguel is Too Touristy”

So the primary industry in the municipality of San Miguel is services to tourists, right? Looking at the official 2019 industry data, about 9.6% of its total income is contributed by the economic unit of “Temporary Accommodation and Food Preparation and Drinks” (ie “Hotels, Restaurants and Bars”), compared to 9.3% in Guanajuato municipality, 3.8% in Merida, 26% in the state of Quintana Roo, or 2.25% in Léon.

Interestingly, about 40% of San Miguel de Allende’s (as a municipality) total income comes from “Manufacturing Industries” – presumably motor parts. This grew from 19% in 2014 to 40% in 2019!

I could be misinterpreting this data or missing certain details. For example what are the bounds of the municipality, how is this calculated, how is it different between 2019 and today, etc. Additionally some of the more juicy “Workforce and Salaries by Occupation” is limited to state-wide stats (vs municipality level).

Spots we went, and you may enjoy

So we can all read books found at the bottom of wikipedia articles or look at Mexican economic stats. But if you’re traveling to San Miguel, you probably want to know some spots to check out. Here’s some places we went, for better or worse:

These are bars and resturants which are cheaper and more approachable; places that you might find younger people or locals:

• LA Cafe: We made friends with the owners here and they had tasty food at a good price. The food comes from around the neighborhood: coffee is from a roaster across the street, orange juice from a nearby cart, but its all tasty and a fun place to hang out to chat. It’s on Canal on the north side of the street between 100-129, maybe farther east.
• 45 Zacateros: There’s an entrance at this address that leads to a bunch of businesses active at night. We entered one night and there was Flamenco on the ground floor, a bluegrass band on the next level, and a stairway up to a balcony with some downtempo house music.
• 15 Pila Seca: It’s not on google maps, and I never saw it open during daylight, but it’s a small bar with DJs and sometimes karaoke. It looked like mostly younger locals when I was there, and it got really packed with dancers.
• La Canti: A bar much larger than it appears, with two indoor rooms, an open courtyard, and hidden upstairs. It’s a younger crowd. They got cheap beer and food and sometimes some live music. Zacatecos #26
• Cafetería San Juan de Dios: A typical mexican cantina with affordable and tasty tortas. Giant micheladas. Not much more to say. They have a few locations, and the one on the northwest corner of Canal and Beneficencia has a really oldschool jukebox with some classic 2000s hits. They’re stops to to have some food and drinks and don’t cost a fortune.
• La Alborada: A block southwest of the garden. It’s a friendly restaurant with quality, standard mexican food and decent portions. It was the best place we could find to sate our craving of soup with pozole, menudo, and sopa de tortilla all on the menu.

The following are slightly more upscale spots:

• Lima: A Peruvian restaurant on the second floor of a dining hall. The ceviche and steak were both tasty, and the guy serving us was a few levels of attentive higher than what we’re used to. Salida a Celaya #6, Zona Centro
• Inside Cafe: Crunchy grilled cheese and some good coffee. The resturant is on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floor of a building.
• Venencia: Hilariously tiny and overpriced portions (not small plates, tiny plates), but good cocktails and licor selection. Might be worth it for fans of quality wine/booze after dinner somewhere else.
• Don Taco Tequila: Creative vegan mexican food (first place I saw a vegan torta ahogada) and a good drinks menu – they had sotol and pox, and people at my table really liked their non-alcoholic drinks.
• Parque Juárez: It was full of plant-sellers when we were here during Candlemas, and they have some cultural events.

Overall, for food in San Miguel there’s a lot of upscale places but there’s not always a correlation between price and quality. I didn’t find the food in San Miguel to be any better quality than other cities – just more aesthetic dining environments, more hype, better service or unique food options that the typical upper-class American is used to from their life in LA or NYC. But I’m not really a foodie, maybe we didn’t find the right spots, etc etc so your milage may vary

Other:

• La Fabrica: To the north is an old textile manufacturing plant converted into an art gallery. Some rooms have antiques, some contain clothing, but most are filled with art designed to be sold. The designs are approachable: abstract, layered, patterned and peeled paintings in enough color schemes where you could easily choose one to match the decor of your living room – paintings of cats or women in baths – hand-crafted sterling silver jewelry – contemporary art painted by visitors from CDMX – It all felt like a place I’ve been before. Only one artist stuck out to me: Ana Ragá, whose work featured high-contrast textured brushstrokes which I really liked. There’s a cafe inside for those interested. The crowd felt older and upscale. Calz de La Aurora S/N
• Charco del Ingenio: A botanical garden in the west of the city. It has a large space to walk around in, a deep canyon cut into the landscape, odd stone structures, an abandoned hacienda, and greenhouses with curated plants.
• Mayan Baths: A bougie ‘white lotus’ mineral springs outside the city. It felt unnatural placed in the center of the desert, with its green lawn and “tropical lo-fi chill” playlist playing across from cows on a farm. We heard that San Miguel was known for natural springs and wanted to check one out, but it’s a far cry from an onsen and seemed to be a place for hot moms to gossip, buy fancy drinks for workers to bring them, and take pictures of each other in the picturesque underground stone tunnels. Too expensive for what it was unless you’re really into mineral springs and want to enjoy something more exclusive, cleaner, and less crowded than the alternatives (La Gruta or Escondido).

A Prescription for the Potential Traveler

Should you go? Here’s what I think:

If you’re in the area (Querétaro, Guanajuato City, maybe even Léon) and you miss good western food and upscale diner experiences: Yes.

If you’ve ever used the words “Real Mexico” to describe something: No, unless you want to be able to complain about San Miguel from experience.

If you know people in San Miguel, or know people who know people in San Miguel: Yes, as long as you ask them for good recommendations and maybe if you can maybe possibly stay (please) at their home

If you’re trying to learn Spanish: No. Go to Guanajuato instead.

If you have money, have hobbies other foreigners might share like meditation, yoga, art, etc, are looking for a place to chill out and maybe make some connections, don’t know the past tense in spanish, and the idea of spending $2k for a month-long 2 bed airbnb isn’t a big deal to you: Yes.

If you’re an adventurous person who has lived somewhere where they don’t really speak english, and want to save money living in Mexico for a bit or take a cheap vacation: No, go to a cheaper city.

If you’re a backpacker on a budget, passing between Guanajuato and Querétaro or moving east through the Bajío: Yes, but only for a few days. Three max.

If the lifestyle of eating out constantly, talking to people in art galleries, wineries, horseback riding, rooftop bars, and “dreamwork” sounds fun: do it.

If more than four the of the following speak to your heart, and you would pay money for someone to teach them to you – “Stoking the Creative Fires”, “Mayan Shamanism”, “Alchemical Exploration”, “Conscious Dreaming”, “Kundalini Yoga”, “Hatha Yoga”, “Hridya Yoga”, “Food as Medicine”, “Blissology”, “Egyptian-born Indigenous Wisdom Keepers”, “Sacred Geometry”, “Ayurveda”, “Ashtanga”, “Death Cafe”, “A Hypnotist’s Journey to Atlantis”, “Sacred Activism” – Yes, 100%.

If you want to surf, go to the beach, or escape the northern winter cold: No. You’re far inland and the water can be chilly.

If you have a camera and love taking pictures of alleyways, hanging lights, cathedrals, colorful buildings, and your girlfriend wearing a long-brimmed flappy hat: Yes, and make sure to join the Saturday Photographer’s Coffee Social.

If you are scared of crime, your biggest problem with travel to mexico is cartel violence and insecurity, and you have taken a close look at the State Department Travel Advisory Map: Yes, the city is very safe and the government will take care of you.