The iconic pink facade of the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel looms larger than life over one of Mexico’s most imaginative cities. Long the haunt of artists and writers, San Miguel de Allende attracts the type of tourist interested in experiences as much as traditional sightseeing.
Start by visiting the city’s many quirky museums for a taste of the local history and culture, and you’ll soon understand why San Miguel de Allende has two parts to its name. The city was first named for a Spanish friar, Juan de San Miguel, but the second part is a lasting tribute to Ignacio Allende, a hero of the Mexican Wars of Independence who was born and raised here. Learn more at the Casa de Allende before moving on to the Mask Museum, the Toy Museum, and the art galleries of Fábrica la Aurora.
But there’s much more to be had in this vibrant city. Sign up for a watercolor painting workshop at the Instituto Allende, take a food tour of the local markets, and learn how to cook pozole with a professional chef. Hike to El Mirador, delve into botany at El Charco del Ingenio, taste Cab Savs and Chardonnays at local wineries, and admire the splendid glory of the Sanctuary of Atotonilco.
With so many things to see and do, you might not know where to start. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of our favorite things to do in San Miguel de Allende for you. Try our fun and unique San Miguel de Allende bucket list recommendations, and there’s no doubt you’ll have an exceptional time in this gorgeous Mexican city!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or booking through one of our links we may earn a small commission (don’t worry, it’s at no extra cost to you).
15 Fun and Unique Things to do in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
1. Admire the Pink Beauty of the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel
A visit to the Parroquia de San Miguel de Allende should be top of the list when you’re planning what to do in San Miguel de Allende. This beautiful work of architecture is San Miguel de Allende’s primary place of catholic worship, and the colorful spires are somewhat of a landmark on the city’s skyline.
The pink facade, with its elaborate Neo-Gothic design, is curiously out of place among the colonial townhouses of Centro. Although the church dates back to at least the 17th century, local architect Zeferino Gutiérrez built the exterior at a much later date in the late 19th century. Gutiérrez had never left Mexico, but he was inspired by a postcard that depicted a Gothic Belgian church.
Gutiérrez copied the design, adding his own Mexican touches, but largely creating the illusion of a grand European cathedral in San Miguel de Allende. Step inside the church and you’ll find typically Catholic artwork and icons of Jesus, Mary, and the many saints that are revered in Mexico. This is very much a church that still practices its faith, so try to be respectful of the many locals who come here to pray and light candles.
2. Delve into Revolutionary History at Casa de Ignacio Allende
Next to San Miguel de Allende’s main plaza, you can visit the former home of the city’s namesake, Ignacio Allende. A native of San Miguel (as it was called when he was born here in 1769), the Allendes were one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Guanajuato state. Being of mixed European and indigenous descent, though, the family resented the detrimental treatment of Mexicans by the Spanish rulers.
A revolution was stirring in Mexico, and in 1810, Ignacio Allende took up arms against the Spanish. Having spent many years as a captain in the Spanish army, he was well placed to take a leadership role in the rebellious army, and he soon became known across the nation for leading the revolution’s early victories in the Central Highlands.
But after initial successes, Allende and other important leaders were betrayed. Allende was captured by the Spanish, and in 1811 he was executed in Chihuahua. He never saw Mexico win its independence, but he played an influential role starting a war that would drag on until 1821.
The Casa de Allende has now been transformed into a museum, and it’s a veritable shrine to the Allende family. You can delve into Allende’s life and the exploits that made him a Mexican hero while also learning about the origins of the conflict he was involved in.
The house itself dates back to 1760, and inside, you’ll find a treasure trove of historical curiosities that explore what life was like in the 18th and 19th centuries. If you’re interested in learning a little bit of history, visiting Casa de Ignacio Allende is one of the best things to do in San Miguel de Allende.
3. Enjoy a Panoramic Vista of San Miguel de Allende from El Mirador
There’s no denying that San Miguel de Allende is a beautiful place to visit. Cobblestone streets, colorful churches, and ramshackle colonial buildings give the city a unique charm, and the best way to enjoy its aesthetically pleasing skyline is from above.
The best view of San Miguel de Allende can be seen from El Mirador. The name of this locally famous viewpoint isn’t exactly imaginative (El Mirador literally means the viewpoint in Spanish), but the panorama is guaranteed to leave you breathless. You’ll find El Mirador on the hillside above the city, and it’s a surprisingly short 15-minute walk from Centro (or a few minutes in a taxi if you’re feeling lazy).
At the viewing area, you’ll find plenty of other tourists taking photos. You’ll also love how entrepreneurial locals have set up taco stands and beer stalls on the other side of the road. After a sweaty walk to El Mirador, there’s nothing better than a cold cerveza!
4. See Hundreds of Mexican Masks at the Mask Museum
One of the most interesting San Miguel de Allende sightseeing options is the Mask Museum. This quirky museum is home to around 500 different masks, all of which have a connection to Mexican cultural traditions.
If you’ve ever seen a Day of the Dead celebration, then you’ll know just how elaborate Mexican mask-making can be. Masks can be found throughout Mexican history, and they’re a long-standing tradition that can be traced back to a time long before the Spanish arrived here. Masks feature prominently in many indigenous religious ceremonies, and the sheer diversity of the masks found in different regions is absolutely stunning.
The Mask Museum is the passion project of one man, Bill LeVasseur, who set about collecting as many of these masks as he could for posterity. The collection is continually expanding, and we recommend booking a tour with Bill in order to find out more about the museum, the masks, and the man behind it all. If you’re looking for cultural San Miguel de Allende attractions, the Mask Museum is a must-visit.
5. Discover San Miguel de Allende’s Creative Soul in Fábrica la Aurora
For decades, San Miguel de Allende has been the domain of creatives. Legions of writers and artists have lived and worked here, seeking inspiration among the colorful streets and in the strong artistic communities found here.
One place in particular that embodies the creative soul of the city is Fábrica la Aurora, a cultural center and art gallery that’s laden with heritage and offers some of the coolest things to do in San Miguel de Allende. Fábrica la Aurora is hard to define. You’ll find burger restaurants, jewelry shops, and cafes interspersed among art galleries, workshops, and art displays.
There’s plenty of space for everything here because, in a former life, Fábrica la Aurora was a huge textile factory. The building itself is a piece of important local history, and it dates back to 1902.
When the factory closed in 1991, it was repurposed into the innovative art gallery/shopping mall you find here today. Much of the old machinery still remains, giving Fábrica la Aurora a unique, post-industrial feel.
6. Release Your Artistic Side at the Instituto Allende
If you’d love to become more involved in San Miguel de Allende’s creative scene, then there’s no better place to visit than the Instituto Allende. Located within a magnificent former convent in the city center, this prestigious art school has been training the best of the best since it was founded in 1950.
The Instituto Allende teaches degree courses in conjunction with the University of Guanajuato, and it’s been popular with art students for decades. If you’re just on vacation, then we don’t expect you to come back with a new degree, but if you’re looking for artsy things to do in San Miguel de Allende, you can visit the school to join workshops and to see temporary exhibitions.
There’s an ever-changing calendar of events you can sign up for via their website. You can join live portrait painting sessions, learn how to work with textiles, or improve your acrylic watercolor painting skills. If you’re looking for more, try your hand at oil paintings, landscapes, loom weaving, and traditional Mexican handicraft making, among much, much more!
7. Relive Your Childhood at the Toy Museum
San Miguel de Allende is home to some fascinating museums, and one of our favorites is the Toy Museum. Officially named La Esquina: Museo del Juguete Popular Mexicano, this museum is dedicated to popular Mexican games and childhood toys.
If you’re looking to relive your childhood, or if you’re traveling with kids, then this is easily one of the best things to do in San Miguel de Allende. There are historic toys, modern games, handmade toys, and games that would be recognized the world over.
While the first few galleries are all protected behind cabinets, glass, and barriers, once you’ve toured through the museum, you can spend as long as you like in the play area getting stuck into the games and toys!
8. See Mexico’s Answer to the Sistine Chapel at the Sanctuary of Atotonilco
One of the most important elements of San Miguel de Allende’s UNESCO World Heritage Listing is the famed Sanctuary of Atotonilco. Located a few miles outside of the city, this holy site has been revered by pilgrims and tourists alike for centuries.
The Sanctuary of Atotonilco dates back to the 18th century, and it was built on the site of thermal hot springs that the locals believed had special healing qualities. The solid stone facade is typical of the sturdy Spanish construction of the time, and from the outside, it looks like the many catholic churches you’ll have already seen across Mexico.
Step inside, though, and any notion that this is a regular church will be wiped away by the paintings that unfold before you. The walls and ceilings of the Sanctuary of Atotonilco are adorned with elaborate, colorful frescoes that depict scenes of Mexican life and stories from the bible. Frequently compared to the Sistine Chapel, the baroque-style artwork took three decades to be completed.
Once you’ve taken in the glorious artwork, you can spend the rest of your day enjoying the “healing” qualities of the hot springs. One of the best San Miguel de Allende activities, the thermal water is channeled to La Gruta Spa nearby, where you can soak up the minerals in a cave spa.
9. Shop for Souvenirs at the Mercado de Artesanias
If you’re looking to take home a few souvenirs from your stay in Mexico, then one of the top San Miguel de Allende attractions is the Mercado de Artesanias. This lively marketplace is awash with color and packed with market stall holders and vendors selling handicrafts.
The focus is well and truly on locally sourced goods, and you’ll find plenty of handmade toys, textiles woven by locals, and more at this market. Many of the stallholders make the handicrafts they’re selling, and you’ll love the wide array of materials and styles they work with.
Wooden figurines are delicately sculpted, brass and other metals are worked into fine jewelry, and colorful masks and traditional clothing are expertly woven. Save plenty of pesos for this one, because you’ll find so much you’ll want to take home with you.
10. Have a Tipple or Two at the Local Wineries
Mexican wines have been overlooked for far too long, and if you take a tour of one of San Miguel de Allende’s many wineries, you’ll wonder why!
A trip to a winery is one of the most fun things to do in San Miguel de Allende. Located on grand haciendas and estates, you’ll love hearing about the history, seeing the heritage, and, of course, tasting the wines. San Miguel de Allende’s elevation, sunshine, and mild climate ensure that plenty of popular grapes like Cab Sav, Chardonnay, and Merlot flourish here.
The oldest winery you can visit is the San Miguel Vineyard, which is some 400 years old. The wine was originally produced here for the city’s religious orders, but only in small quantities. Wine drinking never really took off in Mexico because the Spanish limited production in order to import wine from Spain, which, of course, made it unaffordable for the local population.
Wine production is still low-key, but many more wineries are popping up as San Miguel de Allende makes a name for itself as a burgeoning wine region. We recommend visiting Dos Búhos (Two Owls), Cuna de Tierra, and Rancho Toyan for the best vintages, tours, and tastings!
11. Have a Drink on a Rooftop Terrace
San Miguel de Allende’s scenic skyline is best enjoyed with a drink in hand on a rooftop terrace, and going bar and restaurant hopping is easily one of the most fun things to do in San Miguel de Allende. The design of the many colonial mansions, with their flat roofs, means you’re not short of excellent options either.
Rooftop terraces are a big deal in this city, so don’t be surprised if your boutique hotel has a bar or rooftop swimming pool with stunning vistas. Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, they’ll often allow non-guests to the rooftop areas for drinks or food. Rooftop by Amatte has a wood-fired menu that includes grilled octopus and steaks, for example, while Luna Rooftop serves up excellent Spanish-style tapas above the Rosewood Hotel.
Some of the best bars and restaurants in the city are found on rooftops, with several excellent choices available to you on the streets by the central plaza. The award-winning Quince Rooftop serves up sushi and cocktails until the early hours of the morning, ZUMO Rooftop offers bottomless mimosas on Sundays, and Fátima 7 Rooftop cooks up a delightful fusion of Mexican and Moroccan cuisines.
12. Join a Food Tour of San Miguel de Allende
A food tour is one of the must-do things in San Miguel de Allende. The city packs a real cuinary punch, and given the large numbers of chefs that have gravitated here in recent decades, you’ll love eating your way around the cobblestone streets.
Food tours in San Miguel de Allende typically focus on the smaller, more local eateries. That’s just fine with us, and you’ll be introduced to the best food stands and restaurants in Centro, many of which are hidden in colonial courtyards or along quiet lanes that you may not have otherwise found.
The creativity of San Miguel de Allende is again evident in its culinary offerings. You’ll quickly fall for the unique tastes of local dishes like pozole (a type of hearty soup once eaten by the Aztecs) and barbacoa, juicy meat that’s best served as tacos. You’ll also be surprised by the wide range of cuisines available here, and we don’t just mean the mix of Mexican and international cuisines.
In San Miguel de Allende, you can find all the best flavors and tastes from regional Mexico in one city. There’s expertly mixed mole sauce, Oaxacan specialties like tlayudas are always a delight, and the cochinita pibil would put any Yucatán chef to shame.
13. Learn How to Cook Like a Local
San Miguel de Allende is incredibly lucky to have such a talented community of chefs living in the city. Some have been drawn here from abroad in search of the expat lifestyle, others hope to embrace the city’s creative spirit, and many more are homegrown talents, serving up the finest fare they can in their home country.
Easily some of the best San Miguel de Allende activities, many of these chefs run cooking classes, where you can enhance your culinary skills with the help of a professional. Chef David Jahnke, for example, was originally from Germany. He’s been living in San Miguel de Allende for decades and provides visitors with in-depth lessons that range from grinding corn with traditional metates to cooking up schnitzel.
La Cocina Cooking School serves up classes that teach the fundamentals of Mexican cooking. This includes learning how to make mole, the ubiquitous sauce that can contain as many as 20 different ingredients, and sweet desserts like tres leches that consist of complicated layers of cake and cream.
By far the most famous cooking school in San Miguel de Allende is Sazon, which has a home in the kitchens of the Belmond Hotel. Your experience starts with a tour of the local market, where you’ll handpick the fresh ingredients, which you’ll then transform into Mexican classics later in the day.
14. Escape the City with a trip to El Charco del Ingenio
On the edge of the city is El Charco del Ingenio, a beautiful botanical garden that offers a natural respite from San Miguel de Allende’s often busy streets. El Charco del Ingenio is a sanctuary for rare species of plants the botanists have collected from across Mexico. Much of the flora is endangered, including many types of cacti from the deserts to the north that are under threat.
Mexico’s diverse natural habitats are all represented in this nature preserve, where you’ll find desert-like landscapes alongside tropical wetlands. There’s lots of wildlife living here, too, including butterflies and migratory birds that fill the trees with color and sound.
If you’re looking for things to do in San Miguel de Allende, take a guided tour of El Charco del Ingenio to learn more about this unique botanical garden, or join one of their workshops and see how you can help preserve the nature that’s all around us.
15. Dig into Otomi History at Canada de la Virgen
Less than an hour’s drive outside the city is one of the region’s most important archeological sites. Canada de la Virgen is home to at least seven ancient pyramids, which were built by the local Otomi people between 500 and 1000 AD.
The Otomi are the indigenous people who first called San Miguel de Allende home. This was a religious site of great significance, with temples built in a similar style to the more famous ones you’ll find at Teotihuacan near Mexico City that were built by the Aztecs.
The pyramids had been abandoned by around 1000 AD following a general collapse of Mesoamerican civilizations in the area, and they were consumed by the landscapes until they were rediscovered in the 1990s and excavated in the 2000s.
There you have it! The 15 best things to do in San Miguel de Allende. What’s your favorite thing to do in San Miguel de Allende?
Planning a trip to Mexico? Check out our favorite books and travel guides!
SHARE THIS ON PINTEREST
