San Miguel de Allende
If you haven't been yet, come see what's so great about this beautiful colonial Mexican mountain town. Check out a few articles about the city below, some of which list restaurant and activity recommendations.
SMA Shows the Rest of the World How to Reopen Safely
San Miguel is Once Again "Best Small City in the World"
This Is the Best City in the World to Travel to
A Love Note to San Miguel de Allende
Escape to San Miguel de Allende
An Artist’s Guide to San Miguel de Allende
Latin Flavor: San Miguel’s Hot Spots
Mexico's Most Enticing Getaway
Article regarding safety in SMA
Tip: Make sure your passport isn't expiring within 6 months after the wedding date. We have friends that have been turned away at the airport with unexpired (but expiring soon) passports.
3 Basic Ways
Flight Options:
- Fly into Leon/Guanajuato (BJX). Arrange transportation from the airport to San Miguel de Allende (~1 hour 30 minutes). This is a slightly larger airport with more food options and a Starbucks in the terminal.
- Fly into Queretaro (QRO). Arrange transportation from the airport to San Miguel de Allende (~1 hour 15 minutes).
- Fly into Mexico City (MEX). From here, you can hire a driver from the airport, rent a car, or take a bus. Buses are very nice and affordable. You can either take one from the airport and connect in Queretaro, or take a direct bus to SMA from the North bus station (Norte bus station). We have taken the Primera Plus bus from here and found it very nice and comfortable -- they even give you snacks! For more information on traveling from Mexico City to San Miguel, visit this website.
Private Transfers from Airports:
- TRANSPORTES SAN MIGUEL MAGICO
Miguel Chavez (Manager), Jorge Chavez
Phone: +52 415 153 4084
chavezja67@yahoo.com.mx
* This is our personal recommendation. We have used them several times, and it is always a top-notch professional experience. They will wait for you at the airport with a sign, provide water bottles for the car, and fully sanitize the car between clients. They will even provide transportation for other day trips, such as trips out to local wineries. Cost is about $80 each way for a sedan driving 2 passengers from the airports.
- Transportarte
- BajioGo
Bus from Mexico City to SMA: Primera Plus or ETN
Restaurants:
-The Restaurant (quintessential San Miguel restaurant, amazing food)
-La Única (great rooftop & delicious food)
-Atrio (highly recommended by locals, rooftop restaurant)
-Aperi (fancy, splurge for the chef’s table)
-Doce 18 (gourmet food court with shopping & art)
-Zumo (delicious for lunch & dinner)
-Marsala (cute brunch & dinner spot)
-El Manantial (hip local bar & restaurant near wedding venue, funky wall art)
-Hank’s (casual New Orleans bar & restaurant near square)
-Panio (bakery)
-Rustica (breakfast, lunch, brunch)
-Cent’anni Trattoria (Italian)
-Victoria’s (hole-in-the-wall, Mexican)
-Cafe San Agustin (churros and hot chocolate)
-Cumpanio
-Tacos Don Felix
-Cafe Casa Blanca 7
-Casa Nostra
Activities:
-Shop at Mercado de Artesanias
-Visit Doce 18 Concept House, a shopping concept with a bar & food court
-Browse art galleries & museums
-Take in the skyline of SMA at the rooftop bar of the Rosewood Hotel
-Taste tequilas at Casa Dragones (advance reservations recommended), within Doce 18
-Visit shops and galleries at Fabrica La Aurora
-Book spa treatments at the Rosewood Hotel spa
-Take a hot air balloon ride
-Go on an ATV tour
-Visit the botanical gardens
-Take a cooking class
-Horseback riding
-Wine tasting at nearby wineries. We recommend Vinedos de Los Senderos as it is only a ~10-15 minute drive from town. You can do a wine tasting and also have a delicious lunch at their restaurant Barrica de Fuego.
**UPDATE** Both airports (Queretaro and Leon/Guanajuato) now have testing available at the airport as of January 30, 2021.
According to the new CDC rule, you must get a negative COVID test within 3 calendar days prior to returning to the US. This means:
- If returning home on Sunday, the test must be performed no earlier than the Thursday prior.
- If returning home on Monday, the test must be performed no earlier than the Friday prior.
This does mean that if you are arriving to San Miguel de Allende on Thursday or Friday and leaving Sunday, you could consider getting a rapid test done in the US prior to your trip. According to the CDC website FAQs, this is valid.
If you are staying longer than 3 nights, there are several options. My wedding planner has provided me a list from the Tourism Board of San Miguel of 12 different locations in San Miguel offering COVID tests, at least 5 of which offer rapid testing. Cost currently ranges from about $70-$100 per test. PCR tests are also available but more pricey, resulting in 24-48 hours.
We plan to have a testing company come to a central location, likely one of our rented houses, on Thursday/Friday to test all wedding guests that need one. More details to come. You can also arrange a test on your own. For those staying at the Rosewood, you should have received an email from them stating that they can arrange a test for you if needed. I will provide more info as I receive it.
If this new rule is making you reconsider your attendance at the wedding, we completely understand, but please let me know by this Friday January 29 so we that may adjust our headcount.
We love Mexico City (CDMX) and highly recommend tacking on a trip to this fantastic city if possible. See articles listed above for details on how to take the bus or private transfer from CDMX to SMA.
Recommendations:
Accommodations - Airbnb or hotel in Roma, Condesa, or Polanco neighborhoods
Getting Around - Ubers are very cheap (~$2 each), but with the usual heavy traffic in CDMX, it can sometimes take just as long to walk to your destination. I've also heard great things about the Metro system.
Restaurants:
- Contramar, for the tuna tostadas. Go around 3pm to avoid the heavy lunch crowds.
- Pujol or Quintonil, for a fancy meal, and make your reservations many months ahead of time
- Maque, an amazing bakery, where you can grab a pastry and coffee to walk around the park (Parque Mexico).
Sightseeing/Entertainment:
- Chapultepec Park and Castle - large park centrally located in the city. The popular Anthropology Museum is located within the park, and you can walk (read:hike) up to Chapultepec Castle for a great view of the city.
- Teotihuacan - see the pyramids of Mexico! Very interesting day trip. Catch a bus from the North Bus Station there and back.
- Lucha Libre - Come see the luchadores fight. Highly entertaining. There are at least 3 stadiums -- we recommend the Arena Mexico. Events take place on many Fridays, Sundays, and Tuesdays. Buy your tickets ahead of time at the link here. The stadium is in a seedy area, so we recommend taking an Uber there and back.
- El Bazar Sabado - a colorful, artsy Saturday bazaar in St. Angel, a suburb of Mexico City. At least a 15- or 20-minute Uber ride from city center, but well worth it.
- The Bar at the St. Regis - fancy bar with a great view. Grab a giant gin & tonic.
- Frida Kahlo musuem - We have heard great things but haven't been ourselves.
It's particularly nice to walk around the different neighborhoods (Roma, Condesa, Polanco), people-watching, perhaps grabbing a chelada and tacos at a sidewalk cafe.