San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland Places

Dolores Hidalgo

An easy one-hour bus ride from San Miguel de Allende's Central de Autobuses, Dolores Hidalgo is famous for its lovely hand-glazed Talavera-style ceramics, most notably tiles and tableware. The town's numerous stores and factories have reasonable prices. After shopping, have lunch at El Carruaje at Plaza Principal 8, and then cross over to the plaza for possibly the most exotic ice creams you'll ever taste—flavors include mole, avocado, beer, and corn.

It was in Dolores Hildalgo, before dawn on September 16, 1810, that local priest Father Miguel Hidalgo launched Mexico's fight for independence with an impassioned sermon that concluded with the grito, "Death to bad government!" Every September 15 at 11 pm, politicians signal the start of Independence Day festivities with a revised version of the grito—"Viva Mexico! Viva Mexico! Viva Mexico!" On September 16 (and only on this day), the bell in Hidalgo's parish church is rung.