San Miguel de Allende is a city of delightful contrasts, a living example of the Old and New Worlds coming together. Here one can enjoy colonial architecture and tolling bells, as well as world-class cuisine and cultural events, and a lively nightlife.
In 2008, San Miguel and the nearby town of Atotonilco became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an honor richly deserved. Located in the central highlands of Mexico, San Miguel is at 6,400 feet above sea level, and enjoys a year-round climate of warm, sunny days and cool nights.
The rainy season is between June and September.
The city was founded in 1542 by a Franciscan monk, Fray Juan de San Miguel, and became an important stopping place on the Camino Real from Zacatecas, growing in conjunction with silver mining throughout the central region of Mexico.
San Miguel was known then as San Miguel el Grande, but in 1810, its role in the War for Independence cemented its status as a national historic monument, and led to its name change in honor of General Ignacio Allende, a native son who was a key participant in the early stage of the war.
San Miguel de Allende was in danger of becoming a ghost town in the early 20th century, but in the 1940s and 50s, foreigners began arriving and changed the course of its future.
Attracted by San Miguel’s beautiful weather, high-quality educational institutions and very low cost of living, many of these expatriates never ended their visits, staying for decades.
In the 1960s, San Miguel became a center for members of the Beat Generation, such as Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady.
Today, it is estimated that there are 11,000 – 12,000 foreign residents here in San Miguel at any one time: some come only seasonally, but others live here all year-round. The total population in the urban area of San Miguel is 80,000, with approximately 140,000 living in the entire municipality.
San Miguel surprises visitors with its diversity – from music festivals to horseback-riding to theatre to rooftop margaritas, she has something to offer many tastes and interests. There’s a reason that so many visitors often become residents!