The City

A view of a city with colorful buildings, churches, and lush greenery, including trees in the foreground and a hillside background.

Perched high in Mexico’s central highlands, San Miguel de Allende shimmers with light and history.

Founded in the 1500s and reborn in the mid-twentieth century, it became a haven for American veterans who arrived on the GI Bill to study art at the now-legendary Instituto Allende. What began as a small artistic outpost has since blossomed into one of the most vibrant creative communities in the world.

Today, this UNESCO World Heritage city of 174,000 is home to painters, writers, musicians, chefs, and dreamers from across the globe.

About 15 percent of its residents are American, Canadian, and European expats drawn by its colonial beauty, warm community, and the ineffable sense that time slows down just enough to breathe.

Three baskets of tacos with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and soft corn tortillas on a colorful table, accompanied by lime wedges, hot sauce bottles, and soda.
Multiple swimming pools built into a mountainside at various heights, with a mountain range in the background and some trees around the area.
A cobblestone street decorated with hanging star-shaped lights during evening, with people walking and buildings on each side.
Ancient stone ruin structure on a grassy landscape with small trees, under a cloudy sky.

Culinary & Cultural

Food lovers find paradise here. A new generation of visionary chefs reimagines classic Mexican dishes, sourcing ingredients from nearby farms and markets. The vegan scene is great here too.

Just 15 minutes away, multiple places offer thermal hot springs with mineral-rich healing waters; an hour away, ancient pyramids await exploration.

Daily there’s endless offerings of art classes of all kinds to spark your creativity.

Critically Acclaimed

Named the #1 City in the World in 2025 by Travel + Leisure readers, San Miguel enchants with its seamless blend of history, art, gastronomy, and soul.

It’s a place where creativity thrives, strangers become friends, and every sunset feels like a benediction.

A Native American man wearing traditional headdress with feathers and beadwork.
Man dressed in traditional colorful indigenous festival costume with elaborate feather headdress, face paint, and embroidered accessories, standing on red stairs during festival.
A person wearing traditional Native American ceremonial attire with a large pink feathered headdress, face paint, and decorated clothing.

San Miguel De Allende

San Miguel De Allende