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San Miguel de Allende: great place to live

San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende

“People go to Florida to die. They go to San Miguel de Allende to live,” says the oft repeated saying about the over 500-year-old city in the central part of Mexico.

I can see why people might want to live there.

I traveled there in October to attend a photography workshop sponsored by the Sante Fe Photography Workshops and learned why it is such an attractive place for the more than 20,000 Ex-pats who have moved there from North America.

Sign at a restaurant San Miguel de Allende
Sign at a restaurant San Miguel de Allende

The weather was great. The people were friendly and welcoming. And from a photography stand point the lovely colors and textures provided terrific backgrounds for a variety of images.

Colors of San Miguel de Allende
Colors of San Miguel de Allende

During the week, we ventured out of our charming hotel several times a day to create images, returning to our class room to discus and critique our efforts. Within easy walking distance our surroundings provided a rich and varied palette of subjects.

I was immediately attracted to the colors of the buildings, the cobblestone streets and the terrain. The city reminded me of an Italian Hill town. Built on a hill with a fantastic cathedral at a high point, it made for interesting site lines and quirky spots to loiter and people watch.

San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
Colors of San Miguel de Allende
Colors of San Miguel de Allende

The kitchen inspired colors—fruit and spice tones of corals, oranges, golds and greens captivated me. And, while we in general avoided taking pictures of the interesting doorways because they have been photographed so much they are a cliche, the architectural details were of interest to me.

San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
My favorite restaurant in San Miguel de Allende
My favorite restaurant in San Miguel de Allende

I loved seeing the people in a variety of attire. Every where. Sure. It is a tourist town so the locals dress up, but I got a sense that some of it was authentic. Hope so, anyway.

San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende

I happened to be in front of the much photographed cathedral at the time of a wedding. Nothing is more fun than catching guests enjoying themselves. In this case I captured one that made me smile.

A wedding in San Miguel de Allende
A wedding in San Miguel de Allende
Wedding guest
Wedding guest

Travel and Leisure Magazine just named San Miguel de Allende “Best place to visit in the world.” I think that means it is going to get a whole lot busier.

An ex-pat from Boston who lives full time in San Miguel told me “Lots of people here are unhappy about Travel and Leisure drawing attention to our little bit of heaven. They don’t want things to change.”

I can see why.

San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende

 

 

Post Author
Susan J. Smith
Susan's career includes writing for newspapers, lots of community work and a wonderful family life. Now she is enjoying traveling, photography and writing for DesignDestinations and Grand Rapids Magazine. She welcomes you on her journey and appreciates your comments.

Comments

6 Comments
  1. posted by
    ann cabezas creed
    Nov 27, 2017 Reply

    Been to San Miguel several times–loved it..also surrounding are beautiful and full of art. costaricalearn

    • posted by
      Susan J. Smith
      Nov 27, 2017 Reply

      I can see why you’d make return visits. Beautiful area and people are so friendly and welcoming. I felt safe, comfortable and enjoyed myself immensely.

  2. posted by
    Reid Callanan
    Nov 28, 2017 Reply

    This is a great piece on San Miguel Susan. Thanks for posting it. I loved seeing your photos from our workshop. Well done. And thanks for mentioning the Workshops.

    • posted by
      Susan J. Smith
      Dec 4, 2017 Reply

      Thank your for your nice comment, Reid. My week in San Miquel with Sante Fe Photography Workshops was a great experience.

  3. posted by
    Why Oaxaca City in Mexico is a great place to visit | DesignDestinations
    Mar 4, 2019 Reply

    […] If you’d like to explore San Miguel, here is a link to the blog post I did a year ago.   Here’s a link to the second post I did about this marvelous part of the world.  San Miquel de Allende.  […]

  4. posted by
    Making pictures in San Miguel de Allende | DesignDestinations
    Apr 26, 2021 Reply

    […] San Miguel de Allende: great place to live […]

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