Planning a trip to Mexico can be tricky. There are so many different environments and fantastic sights; choosing just a few is hard. Naturally, you want to find a safe place where you can enjoy the views, and see the city. You want to try local cuisine and local nightlife. However, you probably also don’t want to get stuck in a significant urban atmosphere and miss out on some of the finer points of a visit to Mexico. That’s where popular destinations like San Miguel de Allende come in. This is one place you do not want to skip on your next trip.
Is San Miguel De Allende worth visiting? San Miguel de Allende is definitely worth visiting. Moreover, it’s a destination you do not want to miss. From the beautiful scenery to the cultural activities, bohemian artists, natural hot springs, and great music, there’s so much to do. You could stay for months and still not see everything.
How Long Should you Visit San Miguel de Allende
When you plan to visit San Miguel de Allende, you should take at least two to three days for a short trip. However, if you’re planning an extended stay, then making SMA your ‘home base’ is probably the best plan. Not only is the city near airports, but it’s also roughly equidistant from the two coastlines so that you could easily visit both the Atlantic and the Pacific.
If you come for a weekend, it will undoubtedly be the most breathtakingly beautiful Mexican vacation you have in your life. So many people fall in love with SMA that it’s become a haven for ex-pats as well as artists and locals. You can find real estate opportunities in San Miguel de Allende regularly.
Those who need to get the most bang for their buck in a short trip will find vivid colors and picturesque architecture more than enough to fill a photo album in a single weekend. Moreover, whatever your style, partier, poolside relaxation, adventure seeker, culture lover, or shopping guru, there’s plenty to explore in the city.
I recommend trying to make time for the half or full-day horseback riding through the hills. However, if you’re pressed for time and still want to get an overview from a stunning new perspective, an early morning hot air balloon ride will satisfy your schedule. Additionally, make sure you visit the botanical garden, hot springs, historic Jardin Principal in the city center, and some of the many local art galleries.
At night there are bars, dance clubs and even occasional concerts to enjoy. Once you’ve hit all those high points and wandered through some of the shops and cafes, you’ll have a small but varied sampling of the delights on offer. However, you will still only have scratched the surface of what there is to do in San Miguel de Allende.
What is the Best Time of Year to Visit
There’s never a ‘wrong’ time to visit San Miguel de Allende. That said, from November to April, the city experiences less rainfall. March and April make for a gorgeous springtime experience. Alternately, if you want slightly cooler weather, make your trip in December or January.
Although the temperatures average out around sixty degrees Fahrenheit over the course of the year, summer months can get into the high eighties or even low nineties on rare occasions. Meanwhile, the mid-winter might see nighttime temps get as low as the forties.
With such stable and comfortable weather, it’s no wonder people from across the globe flock to San Miguel de Allende. From art students seeking top-notch educational institutes to snowbirds who want to escape the deep cold of northern winters, everyone loves the international air of welcome in SMA. If you can’t get enough, consider looking into some local real estate for a vacation home or retirement.
Is San Miguel de Allende Safe for Tourists
Choosing a travel destination worth visiting, like San Miguel de Allende, means looking into practical information before you head out. The first question you should always ask is whether it’s safe to travel to an area. In the case of SMA, the simple answer is yes, it’s very safe.
About ten percent of the city is made up of international ex-pats. The large population of permanent citizens of non-Mexican origin means there’s always someone around who can help you communicate. Moreover, the wealth of the SMA comes from both it’s tourist trade and the retirees in the area. Hence, the services available and police protection are both outstanding.
Like any large city, you need to be aware of pickpockets in crowds and other real-world issues. However, Mexico as a whole is a very safe place to visit, and heavily traveled areas with lots of foreigners are even safer. Mexico doesn’t want to get a reputation as dangerous because it would drive off tourists and foreign investors.
As Trip-Savvy explains quite elegantly, tourist-heavy areas like San Miguel de Allende are safe places to visit
. Overall, it would be best if you didn’t let fear-based news put you off. Mexico is typically safer, with lower rates of crime than the US.
Is San Miguel de Allende Expensive
Cost-effectiveness is usually a serious consideration for foreign tourists, retirees, and ex-pats. Fortunately, Americans will find their dollars go further in many ways when they’re south of the border. Thus the large population of foreign nationals who visit and move each year.
If you are looking for places to buy a home eventually, San Miguel de Allende is ideal. The local real estate market is on the rise, but you can still scoop up fantastic deals. Finding more for your money is easy when you choose a place like Mexico.
Because there is a large population of ex-pats and tourists, it drives the local economy upmarket. However, more wealth in the area is also one of the reasons it’s safer, so it’s a fair trade. With a population of around sixty-thousand, SMA is a mid-sized city.
Although San Miguel de Allende is more expensive than some smaller towns, it’s not as costly as a trip to the more resort-like destinations. Intriguingly, the five most expensive places to stay in Mexico are Los Cabos, followed by Cancun, Monterrey, Mexico City, and Cuernavaca in that order. You’ll find big-city convenience at a town-sized price.
Future ex-pats and dedicated vacationers seeking a home away from home can own property in Mexico. There are some unique laws if the land is too near the coast or a border, but San Miguel de Allende is well outside that area. If you want to learn more about getting property in San Miguel de Allende, there’s plenty of useful information to get you started toward your dreams.
How do You Get to San Miguel de Allende
Getting to a fantastic destination like San Miguel de Allende isn’t relatively as easy as flying into Mexico City directly. However, it’s not too difficult to reach either. The roads are well maintained and trafficked because of tourism in the area. You could opt to drive, but I’ll explain the best ways to reach SMA without a car.
Flying in is most comfortable for many visitors since it’s quite a long drive down from the USA. The two nearest airports are Del Bajío International Airport in Guanajuato and Querétaro Intercontinental Airport in Querétaro. Choosing either of these locations as your point of entry will work out well.
If you want to take the fastest and easiest route from there, call a taxi. Since San Miguel de Allende is an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half from both of these airports, it’s not that long of a trip. You can easily hail a safe cab from outside the airport. For one to three people, you will typically pay less than a hundred dollars US for the ride to your hotel in SMA.
Alternatively, if you’re traveling solo with your bag, you could opt to take a bus. Mexico has outstanding and very accessible public transportation. You can get a same-day ticket for sixty-five to ninety-five dollars US depending on which service and amenities you want.
Travel Within San Miguel de Allende
There is no public transportation within the city of San Miguel de Allende itself. However, there are busses to attractions outside the city. You can rent a bicycle if you don’t mind tackling the hills, or walk to most places.
Like most Mexican towns and cities, you will also find plenty of taxicabs available. Getting around depends on your budget and fitness level. However, it’s notable that most hotels are near plenty of restaurants and attractions regardless of where you stay. I recommend looking at a map of the city before you book.
Final Thoughts
It’s worth doing everything in San Miguel de Allende when you visit. Take history tours, photograph the Spanish colonial architecture, visit local art galleries, or simply soak up a welcoming, openly friendly international atmosphere, and more. SMA is hands down, the most exquisite gem in all of Mexico.
The food is positively decadent, and the nightlife ranges from wild and bacchanalian during festivals to serene when you sit poolside for a sunset. The hotels are spectacular, and the people have a sense of life and enjoyment you’ll find in few other places. Best of all it’s safe for tourists, so you can relax and enjoy your experience.
If you only pick one destination in Mexico to visit, San Miguel de Allende is the one. Everything people say they want from a vacation can be found within this one truly unique city.