Until 2020 my travels to Mexico had only included visits to various beaches along both coasts and some time in Mexico City. While not the easiest place to reach from New York, San Miguel de Allende had achieved a spot on my radar for several reasons: first, images of charming, colonial-era cobblestoned streets and a strikingly beautiful pink cathedral, and second, status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site based in part on its key role in Mexico’s independence from Spain. The small city is home to a large number of expats (many from the U.S.) and also draws a significant number of tourists, both Mexican and international. While I wouldn’t recommend this particular itinerary to pretty much anyone else, I decided that it made sense for me to stop at San Miguel de Allende for a few days en route to Guatemala, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.

Getting to San Miguel de Allende from the U.S.

I’ll admit, it’s not easy to reach San Miguel de Allende. You have to really want to visit this place. A Google search on flights to the city displays a “choose your own adventure” array of options: 1) fly to Mexico City, drive three-and-a-half hours, 2) fly to Leon/Guanajuato, drive one hour and fifteen minutes, or 3) fly to Queretaro, drive one hour. Given the timing and frequency of flights from New York, I opted to fly into Queretaro, which gave me the shortest driving distance, but a long four hour layover in Mexico City. I chose an overnight stopover on the return, which worked out perfectly, especially since I arrived back at MEX on Sunday and departed again early on Monday morning (avoiding times of high traffic in the bustling city).

I met a group of girls from San Francisco while in San Miguel de Allende who had planned a night in Mexico City on each leg. On one hand, I think that would be a great way to break up the travel if you have the extra time. On the other hand, it can take at least an hour to get from Benito Juarez airport into the heart of Mexico City, so you may end up spending A LOT of time in the car if you don’t plan properly.

Where to Stay in San Miguel de Allende

Disclaimer: I’m biased on this topic. I always had one property in mind for my visit to San Miguel de Allende, and I loved it so much that I now can’t imagine staying anywhere else in the city. Without further ado, I suggest that you stay at Rosewood San Miguel de Allende.

Although the renovated hacienda property is huge (several restaurants, several pools, a sizable gym, a rooftop bar, etc.), it is spread out over enough land that it feels intimate and personal at the same time. I booked an entry-level room, but still felt like I was balling out with my own fireplace, balcony and spacious bathroom.

What to Do in San Miguel de Allende

The city is extremely walkable, so I recommend just setting aside a bunch of time to explore on your own. And of course, the food is excellent. So get ready to walk, then eat, walk it off, and then eat some more!

Since I was traveling on my own I booked a walking tour for my first morning. I figured it would give me an introduction to the city and potentially help me meet some fellow travelers. Well, I wouldn’t say that this was a must-do experience, as I didn’t learn anything groundbreaking and my fellow travelers were a retired couple from North Carolina (nice people, but not exactly the type I was looking to grab drinks with later in the day). It did force me to get out and about first thing in the morning, and I was able to see some more of the city’s architecture outside of its most popular cathedral (which also happens to be Mexico’s most-photographed church).

Later on in the afternoon, I walked up the long, steep hill to one of the most popular viewpoints over the city (easily found on Google Maps). The scene was quite nice, but I was gross and sweaty after the uphill trek, even in January! I’d recommend doing this in the morning before the temperature heats up. I had to laugh when a tall, fit, attractive Mexican man attempted to strike up a conversation with me as I tried to stop dripping sweat. Although he started the conversation in Spanish (I failed at keeping that going), he spoke excellent English and impressed me with stories of his travels all over Asia. I wasn’t not intrigued… but I had a dinner to get to.

For my first full night in San Miguel de Allende I booked a food tour of the city. Since I was traveling on my own, I hoped it would be a way to not only eat some amazing food, but also force some social interaction and avoid loneliness. Fortunately my fellow food tour participants were four other American women who had all gone to college in the Bay Area (three Stanford, one Cal). I wasn’t going to be spending my night experiencing the city through the eyes of a tall, well-traveled Mexican man, but I was more than happy to bond with some fellow female travelers.

I had such a good time with my new friends on the food tour that we decided to stay out for a nightcap — and were even invited to a club for free drinks. We still had it!

Sadly, we were in Latin America, where the nightlife scene didn’t start to pick up until way, way later than we wanted to stay out and about. We enjoyed our complimentary cocktails and headed to bed, vowing to meet up again for rooftop cocktails later the following day.

While I had ambitiously packed day #1 with activities, I was ready to chill the fuck out on day #2. I had left for Mexico three days after my return from Australia and was still dealing with jet lag. Plus I was eyeing another couple long days of travel. My room at the Rosewood wasn’t cheap and I wanted to enjoy it, damn it!

I did walk around a bunch more before finally reconvening with my new travel friends for drinks at Rosewood’s rooftop Lunas Tapas Bar.

We chatted about life, work, travel, etc… then decided to go our own ways. While I appreciated the girls’ ambitious plans for the evening, I had to wake up early and wanted a relaxed final night in San Miguel de Allende. I had also found a restaurant highly renowned for its vegan tacos and margaritas, and I wanted in and out as quickly as possible. That being said, I’d love to run into my San Miguel de Allende friends somewhere else in this world!