Top Reasons to Go to San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland

Experiencing modern life amid colonial grandeur: The Heartland's cities preserve the best of colonial Mexico, but they're not stuck in the past. Each city has its own personality, restaurant scene, nightlife, and classic zócalo, usually anchored by a grand colonial church.

Enjoying the outdoors: The region's farmland, lofty volcanoes, lakes, and river valleys afford many opportunities for day hikes, riding, and mountain biking.

A calendar full of festivals: From jazz in San Miguel de Allende to Pátzcuaro's elaborate Day of the Dead celebration, they're always partying somewhere.

Staying in a hacienda: Colonial mansions with gracious courtyards are ubiquitous in the Heartland's cities, and many have been restored into gorgeous hotels, where you can fall asleep to the strumming of guitars in a nearby plaza.

The chance to see millions of butterflies: Monarchs migrate to the Santuario de Mariposas el Rosario, 115 km (71 mi) east of Morelia, between November and March. The pine forest, layered with orange-and-black butterflies, looks as if it's on fire.