San Miguel de Allende is the heart of Mexico, el Corazon de Mexico. Its location is right in the country’s center, filled with beautiful colonial-style architecture, gastronomy, and warm people. Every corner we turned was breathtaking. I’d wanted to visit SMA for a long time, and last year, my cousin decided to have her destination wedding here, and it was the perfect excuse to bring the whole family. I did quite an extensive amount of research, and I will be including all our travel details below. If there is anything I missed, you can leave a comment below.
Fun Facts about San Miguel
- San Miguel el Grande played a vital role in the Mexican War of Independence in the 19th century.
- After World War II, many soldiers took advantage of the GI Bill and enrolled in art schools in San Miguel, the first of which opened there in 1938. That’s why you’ll see places like Fabrica La Aurora, an old textile factory.
- In 2023, San Miguel de Allende took the #5 spot in Travel + Leisure’s list of the 25 best cities in the World.
Airports Near SMA
- (QRO) Queretaro Airport, MX (this is where we flew to from SFO (San Francisco, CA) (about 1 hour away)
- (BJX) Del Bajio Airport, Leon/Guanajuato (about 1 hour and 15 minutes away)
Transportation from the Airport to San Miguel
- ZARCO Transportation, these guys were amazing and accommodated all our flight delays. I highly recommend them! ZARCO PREMIER Travel Service: Dial +52 (415) 153 4838
Currency
PESOS (MXN) currently is between 17-18 pesos= $1.00 (USD). We also learned you need your Mexican passport to exchange money in SMA banks. We exchanged money at the airport to be safe.
Airbnb Info
Since we were traveling with a group of 14, we opted for an Airbnb. I prefer staying at AIrbnb’s over hotels, especially with small children. This Airbnb was by far the best house we’ve ever stayed at. It was absolutely breathtaking and so well-kept. I also wanted a home with a view to enjoy our morning coffee. Here is the link: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/775595829478595974?source_impression_id=p3_1718909822_P3VAHiiKYDMaMMSC
The beautiful part of this Airbnb was that breakfast and housekeeping were included. We had fresh coffee, pan dulce, and fruit every morning, which was great for the kids. It was also within walking distance to El Centro. We stayed for a total of 5 nights, which I could have definitely stayed a few more days.
Restaurants
The list of restaurants, cafes, and rooftop bars in San Miguel is endless. We didn’t explore as many as I would’ve liked because we had such a big group, and many rooftops didn’t allow kids. It’s super important to call the restaurant before making reservations if you’re traveling with young children.
- Los Burritos San Miguel 10/10
- Luna Rooftop inside the Rosewood Hotel 6/10 (loved the view, not so much the food and prices)
- Tostevere 10/10 (fantastic food, service, and cocktails!)
- Amorino Ice Cream 9/10
- Pueblo Viejo Restaurant 8/10
- Manantial Bar (this was close to our Airbnb; they had great tostadas and cocktails)
- Mesones 14 10/10 (inside Casa Hoyos Boutique Hotel)
- Lavanda Cafe 10/10 (coffee was terrific, and so were their pastries!)
- We also had a private lunch on our Airbnb, catered by Wolf. They did a fantastic job, and their margaritas were delicious.
If you’d like to enhance your experience, I highly recommend visiting https://www.wolfproperties.mx/amenities
Other Restaurants that were recommended, but we didn’t try.
- Luna de Queso
- Los Milagros
- La Dona
- Centanni
- The Restaurant
During our stay, we visited:
- La Parroquia and went to church on Sunday.
- Fabrica La Aurora
- Visited a rooftop restaurant and bar
- Mercado de Artesanias
- Luckily, we visited SMA during one of their most significant yearly events. El Dia de San Antonio de Padua is where they have a parade, “de locos.” It was like celebrating Halloween in June with candy tossing and fireworks! It was so cool to experience this! The kids had a blast seeing all the costumes and taking pictures. At night, they had a beautiful fireworks show that we could enjoy from the terrace of our Airbnb.
Budget
Every time we have a family vacation, we plan it a year in advance. We make our calculations and start something called a TANDA de dinero. It’s a savings account with our family. We decide how much we want to spend, calculate, and set a monthly contribution amount. We have a family vacation bank account where we deposit monthly and take that card with us on our trip. Everything we spend on vacation is paid for with that card. This is a great way to do a family vacation because everyone can save monthly and enjoy vacationing without worrying about splitting costs.
Outfits
The weather in San Miguel is about 70 degrees year-round! It’s no wonder people love visiting here all year long. I panicked and shopped four days before our trip. I had all the outfits for our kids ready, but I realized I had no cute outfits for the trip. I went to ZARA and bought most of my outfits there. I wanted to keep it simple with cute dresses. I’ll be linking some options below.
Tips for Parents
The town’s cobblestone streets, while charming, can pose a challenge for parents with strollers. The narrow sidewalks and intermittent steps make it a bit of a nightmare. It’s crucial to plan ahead and consider bringing a baby carrier if your little one still fits in one. Thankfully, our older kids were able to walk, which made it a bit easier.
Our Airbnb, unfortunately, wasn’t child-friendly, and we found ourselves in need of a portable crib. My husband had to make a last-minute purchase at the Liverpool department store. The first night was a bit of a nightmare, with the fear of the baby falling off the bed. This experience taught us a valuable lesson: always confirm the availability of child-friendly amenities before your arrival, or be prepared to make necessary arrangements.
A portable baby chair was a game-changer for us on this trip. Whether we were having breakfast or relaxing by the pool, the baby had a comfortable and safe place to sit with us. It’s a must-have item for any parent traveling with a young child.
Suppose you can travel overnight during a redeye flight. The kids will be asleep; you’ll be sleeping. It’s a win/win.
Pack lots of snacks. This is just a tip that applies to all trips.
Traveling with kids adds another layer of stress, but my husband and I enjoy it so much. The baby got a little fussy during our flight home, and we heard someone in the back say, “Omg, so annoying.” You know what I felt: UNAPOLOGETIC because kids will feel tired, especially a 10-month-old baby. I do not feel pressure or anxiety if they start crying because that’s just life. We are lucky because the kids behave well 75 percent of the time. They rarely get fussy or cry, but when they do, I let them be. The United States is the only place where children seem to be an annoyance. We’ve traveled, and children are embraced and accepted worldwide, especially in places like Mexico, Italy, Spain, and France (I’m naming these because I’ve seen them in person). If you’re worried about fussy kids, don’t be. Explore, go out with them, and they’ll get the hang of it!
We always say, “We have to teach them, or else how will they learn.” I want them to crave travel and adventure and not fear exploring the unknown. We want to instill this value in them, and traveling as a family is something I will never take for granted. Once you get your traveling system down, you’ll travel anywhere with your kids.
Shop Travel Essentials: https://amzn.to/3VRpwLa
Shop Outfits Below
