Photo by Gee Dubya
If you’re only coming to San Miguel for a short period, then you should try and visit a few of the places listed below. San Miguel can seem small when you first arrive, but there are a lot of things to see and do.
Bellas Artes, Calle Hernandez Macias 75: This converted convent now houses an institute for studying dance, music, printing, and other arts. There is a Spanish bookstore to the left when you first walk in and a cafe in the courtyard. Rotating exhibits are on display and there is an events bulletin board near the entrance. Don’t miss the Diego Rivera replica that takes up the back wall of the north stairwell.
Tianguis del Martes (Tuesday Market), about 1 ½ miles from the center: Find practically anything from DVDs to car parts, to roosters in a cage, at this open air market. There are hundreds of vendor stalls situated under multicolored tarps. And don’t miss out on the food. You can get deep-fried fish, tacos, and even pizza, all for reasonable prices. Just sit down at one of the long tables alongside everyone else who is taking a break from the massive market. Open Tuesdays 9:00 AM to 4 PM.
Farmer’s Market of San Miguel de Allende, Ancha de San Antonio (near Rosewood): This open-air market is open Saturdays 9 AM to 2 PM. Local organic farmers gather under canvas roofs to bring visitors everything from fresh produce to goat cheese.
Casa de Ignacio Allende, Cuna de Allende 1: If you’re a history buff, check out the birthplace of Ignacio Allende. (Allende and Father Hidalgo plotted the overthrow of Spain’s control of Mexico.) The building houses a series of statues of Allende.
Parque Benito Juárez, by Calle Diezmo Viejo: This tranquil park has paths that curve through small squares with fountains to a garden with a gazebo. On the opposite end lies a basketball court and playground. There are a couple of vendors sprawled about selling sodas and chips.
If you know of place you think should be added to this list, leave a comment below.
Hi Nate, Top on my list of “must-see” places in San Miguel include Fabrica La Aurora, Biblioteca Publica, Institute Allende, and Mercado de Artesanias.
Fabrica La Aurora (enter from Calazada de la Aurora) is a historic century-old cotton manufacturing factory turned into contemporary Art studios and galleries. You can shop for everything from home furnishings, jewelry, antiques, and even enjoy lunch and watch artists at work in their studios! Open 10-6 am daily, but Thurs from 11-4 is the featured open studio day. And don’t miss the famous “art walk” the first Fri evening of each month.
The Biblioteca Publica (Insurgentes # 25) can be considered the “heart” of community life in San Miguel. Enter the courtyard of the old covenent turned tanning factory turned Biblioteca on any given day and you will see a flurry of activity. Children’s art projects are underway under one arched passage way, Spanish speakers are paired with English speakers teaching each other the language at iron tables in the courtyard. The Biblioteca tienda sells books by local authors and a variety of crafts. Wander into The Cafe Santa Ana, the Santa Ana theater (where films are shown throughout the week and plays are produced by a number of local theater groups), and library proper which houses the 2nd largest collection of English-language books in Mexico, including a large collection devoted to Latin American studies. Volunteers are busy cataloging book orders and donations, shelving books, while patrons relax with a cappuchino or margarita in the Cafe. The weekly bi-lingual newspaper Atencion is published upstairs. On Saturdays, local young people take advantage of guitar and art lessons, jazz sessions, and summer camp to local young people.
The Institute Allende (Ancha de San Antonio) began as an accredited art school (organized by artist Sterling Dickinson in the 1950′s) which attracted returning GI’s who could study at the Instituto under the GI bill. It continues to be a center for students of art, literature, and spanish. Today it is a center for shops and galleries, a restaurant and cafe, and periodic craft fairs. The Art and Spanish language schools are housed next door.
The Mercado de Artesanias (Artisians’ Alley, 3 pedestrian only streets from Calle Hidalgo to Collegio) and its adjacent Ignacio Ramirez covered market is where to go for everything: flowers, fruits, vegetables, oaxaca cheese, baubles and souvenirs, hand-crafted jewelry, rebozos hand woven by a local family, tin-crafted items, and the famous Catrina dolls, which can be packaged and shipped anywhere. Sometimes you can watch local artesians at work. This is a not-to-be missed experience!
Posted by MaryKatherine Wainwright | June 23, 2011, 9:55 amWow, this is a lot of helpful information!
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Posted by Jessica | February 22, 2012, 3:23 amI love the top places in San Miguel that “must-see”. Fabrica La Aurora is a great place to see the work of some of Latin America’s premier artists and to browse amid antiques spas en san miguel de allende, cutting-edge clothing and furniture, and fine jewelry. The bilingual shopkeepers are friendly but not overbearing; it’s fine to just look around. Visitors will often encounter artists at work spas en san miguel de allende.
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Posted by rizadagupan11 | February 23, 2012, 2:15 amFarmer’s Market of restaurantes en san miguel de allende (near Rosewood): This open-air market is open Saturdays 9 AM to 2 PM. Local organic farmers gather under canvas roofs to bring visitors everything from fresh produce to goat cheese
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