Photos to Inspire Travel to San Miguel de Allende
Certain cities capture the imagination: & San Miguel de Allende is one of those places. Its been on my bucket list for years, & I’m finally planning a trip there….which I’m soooo excited about!! Conde Nast has deemed San Miguel its “Best Small City in the World” more than FIVE times, most recently in 2022. From its towering church that dominates the city skyline, to its charming historical center, beautiful architecture, & year-round spring climate: it’s not surprising that so many ex-pats have made this their second home. To see what makes it so special, here are some “Photos to Inspire Travel to San Miguel de Allende.”
Year-round sunny weather, stunning historic architecture, & a vibrant local community attracts visitors & ex-pats from all over the world to San Miguel de Allende.
“After years in a marriage gone sour, I was traveling alone. Like others before me I was an escapee into Mexico, a good place to stand between one’s past & future. I rented a house for the whole summer in San Miguel de Allende. Then it was not full of foreigners & gussied up, as it is now. Then it was more Mexico as you dream it — someone playing guitar on the church steps, stoic faces, women making tamales at the market, battered buses, fiestas with fireworks, blue doors open to leafy courtyards.
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Let the marriage burn off me, I thought. I will translate myself into a new language, a new place.”
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– Frances Mayes, Author of “Under the Tuscan Sun“
Map of San Miguel de Allende
On the map below is San Miguel de Allende, along with two of the closest international airports: one in Queretaro (QRO), which is just over an hour away ~ & Leon del Bajio (BJX), which is about 90 minutes away.Â
San Miguel de Allende
Queretaro International Airport
Leon International Airport
Fuji Camera
Guide Book
Colorful Kimono
Photos of San Miguel’s Cathedral
The most significant piece of architecture in San Miguel de Allende is its main church, which is called La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel (the Parish of San Miguel, in English). Because it’s such a dominating presence, it can be hard to get a picture without La Parroquia in it! So this first grouping of photos all showcase this crown jewel in San Miguel’s architecture…
San Miguel’s most famous cathedral, & one of Mexico’s most-photographed: La Parroquia.
Walking up many of the city’s cobble-stoned streets will bring you stunning cathedral views…
Something to consider when planning a trip to San Miguel: the closer your hotel is to La Parroquia ~ the closer you’ll be to the “heart” of town, which makes exploring super easy.
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Hotels like Belmond’s Casa de Sierra Nevada give you a front-row view of this magical cathedral….
Palm trees surround the famous building.
Vendors & high trees around the great church.
Views from up above.
San Miguel de Allende’s Colorful Architecture
Many of the home magazines I read, like Veranda & Traditional Home, feature designer’s homes in San Miguel de Allende. The city seems to attract people with great style. Like many Mexican cities, San Miguel also features an amazing use of color, as though a master painter had designed the city in his imagination first…
This almost looks like a movie set…it’s so colorfully-perfect.
Taking a siesta in front of a beautiful mustard-colored building.
Pretty pastels…
Colorful characters in the main square.
Bougainvillea surrounds this gorgeous private driveway.
A Few Beautiful Hotels in San Miguel
Belmond’s Casa de Sierra Nevada is one of the closest hotels to La Parroquia: you can practically reach out & touch it. Photo by Belmond.
The Live Aqua is one of the town’s newest hotels. It has a wonderfully modern yet warm aesthetic, with an emphasis on wellness. Photo by Kayak.
The Rosewood is one of the city’s finest hotels, & features beautiful rooftop views of the city. Photo by Kayak.
Photos to Inspire Travel to San Miguel de Allende
xoxo NoeliaÂ
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This looks like one of the most beautiful places in Mexico.
Thanks for your comment, Elliana ~ I agree! xoxo Noelia
Where did you stay when you visited San Miguel de Allende?
Hi Farrah, thanks for your question. So I stayed at the Casaluna Hotel Boutique, & honestly thought their location could NOT be better. You’re just a few blocks from the main church, a block from great restaurants/breakfast spots, & you don’t need to tackle a lot of hills from this hotel (if you don’t want to), as you’re so close to all the main sites. My room was huge, bed very comfortable, & there’s a gate where they buzz you into their courtyard ~ so it felt very safe, as a solo female traveler. xoxo!