So You Never Wanted to Travel to Mexico? That's a Mistake!

As an artist and an adventurer, I had always heard about San Miguel de Allende, Mexico being a mecca for artists, musicians, writers, photographers and anyone who loves good food. Well, they were absolutely right. And, I'll show you why in photos.

Rooftop view of San Miguel de Allende. Photo by Rene Griffith.

My daughter who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, took a direct flight as did I from central Florida. Flights were easy and inexpensive. We stayed in a beautiful airbnb that accommodated us with freshly made breakfasts daily. Easy to take a cab or walk down to the center of town.This is the view of the city from our rooftop terrance. The city is spread out in a valley; we had quite a downhill hike from our flat to the center of the city. Every day we were given a delicious breakfast and then set out on foot to explore the city. Lots of good shopping, restaurants, and cultural activities. Don't speak Spanish . . . not a problem, nearly everyone speaks English and genuinely wants you to have a good time.

Breakfast in our airbnb was fresh and healthy. Photo by Rene Griffith.

Arts and crafts markets were abundant as was the merchandise. Fun to see what was made here in Mexico. Also, the streets were decorated with murals and music was played everywhere we went.

Many vendors throughout the city were selling wares made in Mexico. Photo by Rene Griffith.

During our evenings out, we walked to the main square and cathedral to watch and listen to dancers performing typical folk dances and music from across Mexico. These performances were free and open to the public and the audiences were a mix of locals and tourists. A cab ride back UP the hill to our accommodations was only $2.

Mexican folk dancers from various provinces throughout Mexico perform in San Miguel. Photo by Rene Griffith.

No matter where we went, day or night, we felt really safe. No one bothered us and were very friendly and helpful when we asked for directions. The city has so much to offer in tours outside the city as well as local museums, shops, and cultural events. We found a number of ex-pats who live there permanently as well as foreigners from as far away at Australia who now make San Miguel their home. We even enjoyed a few games of pickleball while we were there!

Stairs to second floor breakfast area. Photo by Rene Griffith.

In my next blog post, I'd like to show you some of the murals we saw throughout the city and an artist's apartment, patio, and studio. She gave us a private tour and suggested places to visit. All in all, we had a wonderful time visiting San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. People were helpful and friendly, the food was fresh, inexpensive, and wonderfully prepared, there were many sites to visit, shopping was fun, and we felt safe day or night. I would highly recommend a trip there for anyone who wants to have a great time without spending a lot of money. That translates into more trips to places on your bucket list!

P. S. Please feel free to share this with friends who enjoy traveling.