Originally posted Jan. 2021

On the first day of the photography workshop in San Miguel de Allende, our instructor, Aline Smithson, sent us an especially appropriate article written by a reporter for the Los Angeles Times  

The first sentence read: “If ever there were a town that lived on its good looks, San Miguel de Allende is it.  And if ever there were a time when American travelers were obsessed with pretty pictures, this is it.”  

The writer nailed it.   We’re obsessed with taking pictures. San Miguel de Allende, 170 miles northwest of Mexico City, is the perfect place to take them.

 Having been to San Miquel twice now, I have to say its charms and visual treats have captured my imagination.  This last trip put me on visual overload because of the Day of the Dead festivities.  More about that later. 

The town, voted Travel and Leisure’s most favorite city in the world in 2017 and 2018 delights the visitor with colonial structures, cobblestone streets, Instagram-ready doorways, great color, street art and a laid back atmosphere perfect for the meanderer. 

Since being “discovered” as a tourist mecca, new hotels, restaurants, galleries and shops have popped up making it a great destination.  Far from the beaches, San Miguel de Allende draws an artsier, slower moving crowd than the hard charging, Cabo party hearty folks.  

I took a class through Sante Fe Workshops, joining ten others interested in improving our photography skills.  

We had assignments, of course, but were encouraged not to shoot the picturesque doorways.  They’ve been done to death we were told.  I was drawn to the many windows decorated with ribbons and flowers.  The ribbons, I was told, were to draw attention to store fronts because the town has restrictive signage legislation.  

I also liked the creative door knockers and decor.  

Our photo workshop involved working with models at old Haciendas with perfect backdrops. 

Notable in the city  is La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel.  The fanciful cathedral faces El Jardin, the principal plaza in the city.    There you could see religious events, weddings, folks gathering to chat with their neighbors and many food stalls. 

I found myself enthralled one day when the El Jardin was filled with school children who were on a field trip to visit the local museum.  Too cute for words.  

People always ask me if I felt  safe and yes, I did.  At the workshop we stay at a family focused comfortable, but not fancy hotel within a short walking distance of points of photographic interest—the Jardin, the cemetery, markets, a large park, street stalls and an elegant hotel with a great roof top bar.  People are friendly and welcoming.

Meandering the streets camera in hand revealed fun sights and old treasures.  This vintage gas pump near the main square caught my attention along with the truck full of broccoli.   The markets were filled with crafts. 

Come back to DesignDestinations.org for more about this lively corner of the world. I plan to share my Day of the Dead experience–a visual extravaganza.  

For more about San Miguel de Allende here are links to posts from my previous trip.

San Miguel de Allende: a great place to make pictures

San Miguel de Allende: great place to live

And here’s one about Oaxaca, another terrific Mexican city to visit.

Why Oaxaca City in Mexico is a great place to visit

Lastly, here’s a blog post about Pinatas, so central to Mexican culture.

Piñatas have long and colorful history

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