FAQs

Question

IS SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE SAFE?

Answer

San Miguel De Allende is considered one of the safest cities in Mexico. It's been named "Best Small City" in the world for a reason. We've heard some compare San Miguel De Allende to the Santa Barbara or Austin of Mexico. It's artsy, wealthy, and upscale. The city also thrives off of tourism, and around 10% of their population are retirees from America and Canada. We have always felt welcome and safe, even walking around at night.

Question

WHAT IS THE ELEVATION OF SAN MIGUEL?

Answer

SMA sits just over 6,000 ft above sea level. Because of its moderately high altitude and dry climate you will want to ensure that you hydrate accordingly.

Question

CAN CHILDREN OR BABIES COME TO THE WEDDING EVENTS?

Answer

While we love your little ones, all wedding events will be adults only. If you are interested in bringing your children to San Miguel, we are happy to connect you with local childcare options. The Rosewood Hotel offers babysitting services for guests.

Question

DO I NEED MEXICAN PESOS?

Answer

While you might be able to get away with only using USD, we love using pesos for street vendors, taxis, and shopping. There are multiple ATM's located around the central plaza or "El Jardin". Almost everywhere else accepts Credit Cards. Lots of places accept USD, too.

Question

I DON'T SPEAK SPANISH. IS THAT A PROBLEM?

Answer

No! Nearly everyone in San Miguel speaks some English. As expats make up almost 20% of the city's population, it should be easy to find an English-speaker nearby, if desparate. The only time Moses hasn't been able to communicate in English has been with the green taxi drivers, but even then they know enough to get ya where you wanna go.

Question

WHAT SHOULD I PACK?

Answer

YOU SHOULD PACK FOR THE BEST WEATHER EVER. Mildly cool with a gentle breeze. (Not too hot, not too cold, no humidity, you're good to go.) Some Average March Stats: - Daily highs are 81°F, rarely falling below 71°F or exceeding 87°F. - Daily lows (almost exclusively at night) are 50°F, rarely falling below 39°F or exceeding 54°F. - March is a dry month with an average of 5mm (0.2in) rain - yahoo. - The altitude is ~6,400 feet, warranting hats/sunscreen during the day, and layers at night. So what to wear? For non-wedding activities: fun, bright, bold, colorful dresses, skirts, light tops. Cotton, linen. San Miguel loves fashionable hats, but there are plenty of inexpensive, cute options there if you're having FOMO. Pack light layers for the nighttime. For men, cotton or linen shorts are good options for staying cool in case it gets an ounce outside of perfect weather. As with women's garb, same fun, bright, bold, colorful theme for men. For wedding activities: the above but dressier. Attire preferences are stated on the Schedule page. To summarize: formal festive. colorful. bold patterns. bright, long dresses. The wedding on Saturday is heel-friendly, but see below for the rest of the week. We recommend comfortable shoes for walking around. The city's hilly cobblestone streets make wearing high heels a bit difficult -- but beauty is pain??? Nah, don't test it. Finally, Flip Flops are not a way around the no-heel dilemma!!! Unless you want to trip flip around town.

Question

GIMME SOME HISTORY

Answer

Ok. Located at the far edges of Guanajuato in Mexico's highlands is the stunning colonial town of San Miguel de Allende. Just 274 km (170 miles) from Mexico City, this seemingly unassuming town played a major role in the Chichimeca war where the Spanish empire was defeated by the Chichimeca confederation. It's a UNESCO heritage site and its quiet beauty continues to draw visitors from all over the world year-round. After nearly being wiped out by an epidemic in the early 20th century, the town had life breathed back into it by artists who moved to the town thanks to its many neoclassical and baroque style buildings. A man from Chicago visited and advertised it so well back home that he drew Americans from all over -- now, the town is full of American, Canadian, and European expats and lots of retirees. (And strangely a large population of Fort Worthians and Houstonians...) Did we mention that in July 2022, The Woodlands and San Miguel became sister cities?! Katie and Cindy happened to be there for the ribbon cutting. :) Most of the beautiful architecture in SMA was constructed in the mid-18th century around the time that the transition between neoclassical and baroque architecture was at its peak, which is evidenced in most of the buildings still standing to this day. The town boasts of art schools, boutique hotels, and a tranquillity that has attracted tons of foreigners to settle here such that it has a richly diverse culture that continues to flourish. We highly recommend getting a city tour by a local guide! We are happy to recommend some.

Question

HOW DO I GET AROUND ONCE I ARRIVE IN SAN MIGUEL?

Answer

The whole city is fairly small and is extremely walkable.Most things in the city are a 5-10 minute walk away. At any point, you can orient yourself to the central square by looking for the tall Cathedral or "Parroquia". Be sure to bring some comfortable shoes or wedges for walking on cobblestone streets. Taxis and Ubers are plentiful. You can go anywhere around the city center for under $10 USD. If you use a taxi, negotiate the price upfront. Expect to pay around 100 pesos during the day, and upwards of a 150 pesos at night.

Question

CAN I DRINK TAP WATER?

Answer

As with other Mexico destinations, avoid tap water unless it has been filtered. You can check with your hotel or rental house to ensure that your tap water is filtered. Ice and water served at most restaurants are typically purified but when it doubt, order bottled water! Bottled water is widely available and short term visitors are advised to use it to brush their teeth, too.