The Frugal Foodies are taking on Mexico! For each new place, I’ll give a rundown of my initial impression, where we stayed, and what we ate. Click HERE for my rundown of Mexico City. And read on for a recap of our 2 days in San Miguel de Allende!
San Miguel de Allende is a colonial-era city in Guanajuato, Mexico that is 170 mi/274km away from Mexico City. It has stunning baroque architecture, a thriving arts scene, and charming cobblestone streets lined with restaurants, shops, and bars. This gem of a town isn’t so hidden. Conde Nast Traveler named San Miguel de Allende the best small city in the world in 2021. But does it live up to expectations?
We hopped on a bus in Mexico City for a 4 ½ hour ride to find out!
Let’s dive into our 2 days in San Miguel de Allende.
A Brief History of San Miguel de Allende:
San Miguel de Allende’s origin story begins with the Toltecs. The fertile soil was perfect for growing crops, which the Toltecs made use of until around 1100 AD. Archaeologists aren’t sure if the population declined due to climate or political changes. Nomadic tribes cycled through for 300 years, and the land was largely inhabited by a farming tribe called Otomis and hunter gatherers.
The Spanish arrived in the 1500s and named the people Chichimecas. A derogatory term that translates to “dog collar.” The conquistadors came with weapons, disease, a lust for money, and Catholicism. Juan de San Miguel, a Franciscan monk, noticed the ideal location of the area. He built a mission, which kickstarted colonization.
The Chichimecas weren’t thrilled with the Spanish invasion. War broke out and lasted for 40 years before the Spanish and natives reached a “peaceful” agreement. (Click HERE to learn more about the Chichimeca War.) The town proceeded to be named San Miguel de Grande in the 1600s, in honor of the Catholic hero.
Colonization accelerated with the discovery of silver in Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, and Guanajuato. San Miguel de Grande just so happened to be smack dab in the middle of the Silver Route. By the mid 1700s, the city was a total economic powerhouse. Rich Spaniards owned lavish haciendas and profited from the booming textile and candle markets while the Chicimecas tended to the crops and livestock.
September 15th, 1810, Ignacio Allende and Miguel Hidalgo led an uprising, sparking the beginning of the War of Independence. The decade long war broke Mexico free from Spain, and the city was later named San Miguel de Allende.
San Miguel de Allende dipped into a post war depression. Things started turning around in the mid 1900s with the rise of art schools, which WWII veterans could attend under the GI bill. The influx of people and art gave the dying town a second chance. Word spread, fueling a real estate and tourist boom. In 2008, San Miguel de Allende was named a UNESCO World Heritage site, and has continued to blossom into a popular vacation destination.
For more on the history, click HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE
Initial Impression:
Walking through San Miguel de Allende is like being transported into a fairytale. Cobblestone streets are lined with perfectly eclectic, bright colored buildings. Everything is clean. There are flowers and greenery everywhere. The strong ex-pat presence is felt via more trendy cafes serving lattes, smoothie, and juice, and less street food vendors serving tortas and tacos.
Fellow bloggers have written about the overwhelming amount of tourists. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were very few. Likely due to COVID.
Where We Stayed for our 2 Days in San Miguel de Allende:
We stayed in Hotel El Secreto, which is around 1km away from the historic center. The hotel consists of 4 levels that spiral up around a central courtyard, with the top level being a spacious rooftop with sunset views. Our room had a comfortable king sized bed with cozy décor and a smart TV, and the staff were friendly and helpful.
While the room was nice, the “budget” part of the hotel was realized via thin walls and bare bones amenities. No ice machine, no coffee maker, only soap and body wash in the shower, no tissues, we had to ask for extra toilet paper. You get what you pay for. We expected a no-frills accommodation, but the experience took a turn when it was time to check out.
A maid rushed up to the room and quickly ran back with the two cheap bathroom towels that we had used to wipe down our aeropress due to the lack of tissues/hand towels/toilet paper. “The cleaning fee will be 300 pesos.” (Which is $15). Excuse me?! The man then retrieved the small policy card that explained the various fees. It was only in Spanish with no English translation despite being a tourist hotel.
We retorted with the lack of toilet paper, tissues, and other wash clothes, and put up a fight until the fees were forgiven.
Here’s the thing, I’ve seen this game before. Budget hotels will try to charge huge fees for breaking policies you didn’t know existed. Those towels likely cost $.50 usd, and we knew the 300 peso charge was a type of scam.
What We Did:
San Miguel de Allende is the perfect place to wander around and get lost. The winding streets are lined with doors that open up into beautiful courtyards with galleries, bakeries, shops, and restaurants. Venues are thoughtfully designed with unique art pieces, dim lighting, and lush greenery.
While the small size makes San Miguel de Allende the perfect place for “stumble upon travel”, here are a few can’t-miss highlights:
- Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel: A beautiful pink cathedral
- Lucas Baldera: An alleyway lined with craft shops
- Fabrica la Aurora: A converted warehouse filled with incredible galleries. There are painters, jewelry designers, pottery designers, antiques, and every type of art you can imagine.
What We Ate:
San Miguel de Allende is full of posh sit down restaurants. Entrees range from 150-300 pesos ($7-$20 usd). Cheap by New York Standards, but quite pricey for Mexico. We treated ourselves to cocktails at Quince, one of the oldest rooftop bars in the world, but stuck to more frugal options over our 2 days in San Miguel de Allende.
Street Tacos: Taco San Francisco and Andy’s Taco Cart are two need-to-try street taco spots in San Miguel de Allende. They don’t pop up until the sun goes down, and don’t be scared off by the lines. It’s worth the wait.
Baja Fish Taquito: A rooftop spot with reasonably priced, average tasting food. The fish tacos didn’t have much flavor and lacked crunch, but the ceviche torta had a filling portion of tilapia and a lovely freshness.
La Raíz de la Tierra San Miguel de Allende: This vegan spot serves up good-for-you dishes that are worth the extra moolah. I got a burrito that was loaded with rice, potatoes, tofu, and vegetables. It has an aloo masala texture with a zesty kick of cumin. Jeremy ordered a vegan omelet served over a red sauce. There’s no better way to describe it than it tasted like you were eating the earth.
Bugambilia Desde 1945: This San Miguel de Allende establishment has been serving authentic Mexican cuisine to hungry patrons for decades. The courtyard was lovely and our margaritas were strong. Alas, my sopa Azteca (tortilla soup) was flavorless and Jeremy’s fajitas were a notch below Chili’s.
El Carnaval: Ravenously hungry, we popped into the first spot we could find with grub for less than 50 pesos. We were the only patrons in the 2 story establishment. As soon as the tacos were placed in front of us, we knew why. Dry, flavorless, not worth the stomach space.
Lavanda Cafe: This popular spot specializes in lavender coffee creations and tasty brunch dishes. My iced lavender latte had strong espresso and the perfect hint of lavender, the omelet hit the spot, and the pistachio sticky bun had a lovely kick of cinnamon.
Ice Cream: There are numerous carts serving up ice cream around the city. Flavors range from cookies and cream to dulce de leche, and a double scoop cone will only set you back $2.50usd.
Travel Tips:
- Wear good walking shoes. The cobblestones can be treacherous.
- Two full days is plenty to see everything.
- For frugal travelers, consider looking for an accommodation with a breakfast included. Food in San Miguel de Allende isn’t the cheapest!
Final Thoughts on our 2 days in San Miguel de Allende
This quaint town is exquisitely beautiful. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and I’d recommend paying it a visit if you find yourself in Mexico!
