San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland
We’ve compiled the best of the best in San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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21. Iglesia de San Francisco
El CentroThis church has one of Guanajuato State's finest churrigueresque facades. The term for this style refers to José Churriguera, a 17th-century (baroque) Spanish architect noted for his extravagant surface decoration. Built in the late 18th century, the church was financed by donations from wealthy patrons and by bullfight revenues. Topping the elaborately carved exterior is the image of St. Francis of Assisi. Below, along with a crucifix, are dozens of limestone sculptures of angels, saints, and Franciscan friars. The church's interior, by contrast, is rather stark.
Calle San Francisco at Calle Juárez, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, 37700, Mexico415-152–0947 -
22. Instituto Allende
El CentroSince the school's founding in 1951, thousands of students from around the world have come here to learn Spanish and to take classes in the arts. The historical campus, a former country estate, is open to visitors—even if you don't plan on taking any courses, the institute is a great place to spend a few peaceful hours, though it is definitely not a must-see. Take a break at El Cafecito coffee bar. The Galería La Pérgola specializes in modern Mexican art. The Institute also provides a complete travel service, hotel bookings, and cultural, adventure, and shopping tours.
Ancha de San Antonio 20, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, 37700, Mexico415-152–0226Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Daily 9–9 -
23. Jardín de la Corregidora
This plaza is prominently marked by a statue of its namesake and War of Independence heroine—Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez. Behind the monument stands the Arbol de la Amistad (Tree of Friendship). Planted in 1977 in a mixture of soils from around the world, the tree symbolizes Querétaro's hospitality to all travelers. This is the town's calmest square, with plenty of choices for patio dining.
Corregidora at Av. 16 de Septiembre, Queretaro, Querétaro, 76000, Mexico -
24. Jardín de la Unión
El CentroGuanajuato's central square is a tiny, tree-lined, wedge-shaped plaza bordered by pedestrian walkways. There are musical performances in the plaza's band shell Thursday at 6 pm and Sunday at noon; at other times, groups of musicians break into impromptu song along the shaded tile walkways. Strolling mariachis will perform, too—for a price. This is a great place to sit—on the wrought-iron benches or at an outdoor café—to enjoy the scene and to reconnoiter.
Guanajuato, Guanajuato, 36000, Mexico -
25. La Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Salud
Vasco de Quiroga began this church in 1554, and throughout the centuries others—undaunted by earthquakes and fires—took up the cause and eventually completed it in honor of the Virgin of Health. Above the main altar is a statue of the Virgin made of derivatives of cornstalks and orchids. Several masses are held daily; the earliest begins shortly after dawn. Out front, Purépecha women sell hot tortillas, herbal mixtures for teas, and religious objects.
Enseñanza Arciga, Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, 61600, Mexico434-342–0055 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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26. La Cañada de la Virgen
One of the most recently excavated cities of ancient Mesoamerica, La Cañada de la Virgen represents the northern boundary of this pre-Columbian civilization whose ancestors and customs have only recently been revealed. Only the priestly castes lived on the site, which was occupied between approximately AD 540 and 1050. Ceremonial graves show that people were buried with pottery and other artifacts, as well as animals, such as the coyote, thought to guide the deceased to the afterlife. Among those discovered so far is the only female warrior found in Mesoamerica to date.A half-dozen groups of buildings of locally quarried limestone in a variety of hues comprise the site. Both the access road and the temple mounds (the permanent structures on which temples of perishable materials were constructed) were aligned in a precise orientation (west to east) that mirrored the movement of the stars, sun, and moon.Within Complex D, Casa del Viento (House of the Wind) is a circular building seemingly dedicated to Ehecatl, the god of the wind. In Complex B, Casa de la Noche Más Larga (House of the Longest Night) shows distinct periods of construction. Here are a steam bath and granary.In Complex A, Casa de los 13 Cielos (House of the 13 Skies) is the only structure visitors can climb, and affords good views of the site and surrounding countryside. Atop the structure in Templo Rojo (Red Temple), archaeologists have discovered a burial site with an unusual twist: carbon dating indicates that the warrior entombed here died at least 1,000 years before he was buried in this location. Because this was earlier than the site’s founding, the corpse or skeleton was obviously transported here from elsewhere.Unlike the major archaeological sites of southern Mexico, La Cañada de la Virgen (Virgin’s Canyon) sees only a few dozen visitors on an average day. All must meet at the visitor center, where a guide explains history during a short bus ride to the site, set among rolling hills and studded with mesquite trees, cacti, and other desert plants.Tours leave on the hour, from 10 am to 4 pm. The nominal entrance fee includes guide (not all guides speak fluent English, though most speak enough to get by) and transportation from the visitor center to the archaeological site. Arrive 15 minutes before the hour to purchase tickets. No bags or even purses are allowed on-site, so wear pants with pockets if you want to stash a camera or other items. Wear a sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
Km 10+800 tramo Sebastian, Carretara Guanajuato–San Miguel de Allende, Cañada de la Virgen, Guanajuato, Mexico473-102–2700-INAH office; no phone on-siteSight Details
Rate Includes: Open Tues.–Sun. 10–6 (last group enters at 4 pm) -
27. La Casa de los 11 Patios
El CentroA maze of shops featuring Purépecha handiwork is housed in this former 18th-century convent. As you meander through the shops and courtyards, you'll encounter weavers producing large bolts of cloth, artists working with black lacquerware trimmed with gold, vendors selling woven hats and place mats, and seamstresses embroidering blouses. Prices are very reasonable. Some shops close for lunch from 2 to 4.
Madrigal de las Altas Torres s/n, Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, 61600, MexicoSight Details
Rate Includes: Daily 10–8 (some shops close Mon.) -
28. La Valenciana
La ValencianaOfficially called La Iglesia de San Cayetano—and a 15-minute trek from the city center—this is one of the best-known colonial churches in Mexico. The mid- to late-18th-century pink-stone facade is brilliantly ornate. Inside are three altars, each hand carved in wood and brightly gilded, in different styles: plateresque, churrigueresque, and baroque. There are also religious paintings from the viceregal period. Both the mine and church are included in guided tours of Guanajuato, and buses (marked "La Valenciana") frequently make the trip from the city center.
Guanajuato, Guanajuato, 36023, MexicoNo phoneSight Details
Rate Includes: San Cayetano mine tour about MX$25, Daily 9–6 -
29. Lake Pátzcuaro
The tranquil shores of Lake Pátzcuaro are a 10-minute cab ride from downtown. There are two different muelles (docks) from which you can catch a boat to Janítzio, but you should head to the central muelle, which offers far more frequent service. Wooden launches with room for 25 people (but that rarely take that many) depart for Janítzio and the other islands daily from 9 to 5. Purchase round-trip tickets at a dockside office. For those who enjoy bucolic settings, it is absolutely worthwhile to visit La Pacanda, a quiet and peaceful island: amazing flowers abound, cows laze about, and the few inhabitants of the island go about their daily activities—which do not include trying to sell you souvenirs. La Pacanda might be even more idyllic than tiny Yunuen, but most folks won't want to stay more than an hour or so. If you want to linger, however, both La Pacanda and Yunuen offer simple yet clean visitor cabins for stays of overnight or longer.
Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, MexicoSight Details
Rate Includes: Ferry tickets MX$45 -
30. Las Pozas
Feel the ordinary world fade away with a trip to the decidedly off-the-beaten-path Las Pozas, the extraordinary sculpture garden of the late, eccentric English millionaire Edward James (1907–84). A friend to artists Dalí and Picasso and rumored to be King Edward VII's illegitimate son, James spent 20 years building 36 Surrealist concrete structures deep in the waterfall-filled Xilitla jungle. These astonishing structures are half-finished fantasy castles, gradually falling to ruin as the rain forest slithers in to claim them. The castles don't have walls, just vine-wrapped pillars, secret passageways, and operatic staircases leading nowhere.It's a six- to seven-hour thrilling but exhausting mountainous drive to Xilitla, with hairpin turns and spectacular desert, forest, and jungle vistas. On the way to Xilitla it's well worth taking the time to stop at the five Sierra Gorda missions established by Padre Junípero Serra in the 18th century. They're a mixture of baroque styles and the local imagination of the Indians who worked on them, with angels, saints, and flora and fauna in great profusion. Plan on staying at least two nights, as you'll want time to soak up the jungle magic. If you choose not to drive, you can take a bus to Ciudad Valles (a 1½-hour drive from Xilitla) or fly to Tampico (a 3½-hour drive from Xilitla), and arrange ahead for the staff of Posada El Castillo to pick you up.
Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, 79900, MexicoSight Details
Rate Includes: MX$250, Daily dawn–dusk -
31. Mercado de Artesanías
Tequis has a well-deserved reputation for high-quality craftwork, from wicker baskets to opals; head to the Mercado de Artesanías for woven goods, wood, ceramics, and jewelry.
Calle Ezequiel Montes and Salvador Michaus, Tequisquiapan, Querétaro, 76750, MexicoNo phone -
32. Mercado de Dulces y Artesanías
El CentroIf you have a sweet tooth, don't miss Morelia's candy market. All sorts of local sweets are for sale, such as ate (a candied fruit) and cajeta (heavenly caramel sauce made from goat's milk). Wooden knickknacks, cheap jewelry, and handcrafted acoustic guitars are among the nondigestible crafts.
Av. Madero Poniente at Av. Valentín Gómez Farías, Morelia, Michoacán, 58000, MexicoNo phoneSight Details
Rate Includes: Daily 10–9 -
33. Mercado Hidalgo
El CentroIt's a 10- or 15-minute walk from Jardín de la Union to see this 1910 structure of pink quarry stone, cast iron, and glass, designed by the one-and-only Gustave Eiffel. T-shirts and cheap plastic toys fill the balcony stalls, but the lower level is full of fresh produce, hot food, and colorful basketry, as well as peanuts and regional candies (some shaped like mummies).
Calle Juárez, Guanajuato, Guanajuato, 36000, MexicoSight Details
Rate Includes: Daily 7 am–9 pm -
34. Mina El Edén
CentroFrom 1586 until 1960 this mine supplied Zacatecas with most of its silver. Most tours are in Spanish, but props and dioramas within the individual caves (those that aren't flooded) help re-create a picture of the miner's life. Visitors enter on a little train, but there is walking, too, and plenty of steps; wear sturdy shoes and bring a sweater. There's a snack shop, a museum where you can see examples of different minerals and fossils, and, of course, the obligatory gift shop.
Dovali Jaime s/n, Zacatecas, Zacatecas, 98000, Mexico492-922–3002Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$80, Daily 10–6 -
35. Museo Bicentenario
Located in the former home of an Independence fighter, this charming museum facing the main square is also known as la Casa de Mariano Abasolo. While the placards are in Spanish only, most of the small artifacts on display—everything from finely embroidered tea towels, to lapel pins with the image of "President for Life" Porfirio Díaz, to carefully preserved cigar bands several centuries old—speak for themselves. There are also a number of black-and-white photos of Dolores Hidalgo in the days before the Mexican Revolution.
Plaza Principal 1, Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, 36270, Mexico418-182–0888Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$20; free Sun. -
36. Museo Casa de Morelos
El CentroWhat is now a two-story museum was acquired in 1801 by José María Morelos and was home to generations of the independence leader's family until 1934. It exhibits family portraits, various independence-movement artifacts (including a camp bed used by Ignacio Allende), and a fragment of the blindfold Morelos wore at his execution. Display tags are in Spanish only, but interesting information about the independence movement is presented in both English and Spanish.
Av. Morelos Sur 323, Morelia, Michoacán, 58000, Mexico443-313–2651Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$36, Tues.–Sun. 9–4:45 -
37. Museo Casa Diego Rivera
El CentroThe birthplace of Diego Rivera contains family portraits, period furniture (late-19th- and early-20th-century pieces re-creating the painter's family home), and finished works and sketches by Mexico's foremost muralist; among them are his studies for the controversial mural commissioned for New York City's Rockefeller Center. Completed in 1933, the mural's portrait of Lenin and overall Communist bent prompted Rivera's benefactors to destroy it immediately after it was displayed. The museum's upper galleries show revolving contemporary art exhibitions, often from other countries.
Calle Pocitos 47, Guanajuato, Guanajuato, 36000, Mexico473-732–1197Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$20, Tues.–Sat. 10–7, Sun. 10–3 -
38. Museo Casa Miguel Hidalgo
Once Father Hidalgo's home, Museo Casa Miguel Hidalgo is now a museum with copies of Hidalgo's important letters and other independence memorabilia.
Morelos 1, Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato, 37800, Mexico418-182–0171Sight Details
Rate Includes: MX$39, Tues.–Sat. 9–5:45, Sun. 9–4:45 -
39. Museo Casa Natal de Morelos
El CentroJosé María Morelos's birthplace is now a national monument and library, with mostly literature and history books, naive paintings of the rebel, and prints of old Morelia (as well as two murals by Morelian Alfredo Zalce). In the back courtyard, a marker and an eternal flame honor the fallen hero. While not something to go out of your way to visit, this museum is just a few blocks from the more interesting Museo Casa de Morelos.
Corregidora 113, Morelia, Michoacán, 58000, Mexico443-312–2793Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Daily 9–8 -
40. Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
On a lovely property a stone's throw from both the aqueduct and the Bosque Cuauhtémoc, this late-19th-century summer home is now Michoacán's principal contemporary-art museum. The permanent collection has work by famed muralist, lithographer, and illustrator Alfredo Zalce, a Pátzcuaro native. Some of Mexico's leading contemporary artists have temporary exhibitions here. Dance, cinema, theater, and music performances are held regularly in the small auditorium.
Av. Acueducto 18, Morelia, Michoacán, 58000, Mexico443-312–5404Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Tues.–Fri. 10–8, weekends 10–6
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