35 Best Shopping in San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland, Mexico

Make a sharp right just inside the entrance to Fábrica La Aurora to find one of San Miguel's most intriguing galleries. The oil paintings, including hyper-realistic still lifes, landscapes, and unusual portraits, as well as charming sculptures and modern art pieces are always fresh and innovative, often provoking contemplation. There's a couch in a long, narrow lobby overlooking the sculptures for tired or crabby spouses.

Open daily, Skot Foreman sells the work of Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Peter Max, M.C. Escher, Ansel Adams, and other lesser known but collectible artists.

Although everyone calls it the "Organic Market," only some of the stands sell organic produce. Nonetheless, there's plenty of healthful, regionally grown raw food and honey plus organic coffee, wonderful breads and baked goods, cheeses, and desserts. About half the stands sell handicrafts or other nice gifts, including plant-based cosmetics, incense, wool rugs, cotton blouses, and hooked-rug pieces made by a women's co-op. Hot food stands do a brisk business selling quesadillas, gorditas, and regional snacks, and it's easy to strike up a conversation at the long outdoor picnic tables.

A small shop in a diverse little plaza (with an art gallery, sports bar, puzzle shop, and creperie, among other businesses) across from Bellas Artes, "Everything White" actually represents the full spectrum of colors and styles in dresses, scarves, hats, purses, blouses, and jewelry for women. Many of the unique pieces are designed by the owner; a few come from outside Mexico, such as blouses from India and kimono-style coats from Japan.

If your idea of souvenirs is fine chocolate, stop here and browse the delectables, some made on the premises, others imported from Mexico's cacao-producing state, Tabasco. You can also have tea, coffee, or, of course, hot chocolate at one of the shop's small tables.