Ultimate San Miguel de Allende City Guide 2024: Discover the World's Best Small City!

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Stepping into San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, felt like walking into a dream I'd been planning forever, (or at least since we booked the trip on a whim last November). This place has been on my must-visit list ever since Condé Nast Traveler crowned it the best small city in the world. From everything I’d seen, I expected to step onto a movie set with Rothko-esque painted walls and cobblestone streets — almost too picturesque to be real. But San Miguel is far from a manufactured marvel. It’s as breathtaking and cinematic as it looks, but the vibe remains authentically Mexican and the people are some of the friendliest we’ve met in any of our travels. From marveling at the stunning architecture of Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, indulging in rooftop sunset dinners and drinks, and immersing myself in its vibrant art scene, I 👏 WAS 👏 SOLD 👏.

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You’re going to be hard pressed to read any article about San Miguel de Allende that doesn’t mention the famous Rosewood. A beacon of luxury, the Rosewood San Miguel does what Rosewood hotels do best — location-specific luxury, impeccable service, and culinary excellence. Their rooftop restaurant, Luna, offers the best view in the city; their pool is the perfect temperature; their rooms are tasteful and comfy; and the architecture and gardens are totally gorgeous.

One of my favorite travel hacks is Rosewood’s annual Travel Tuesday deal following Thanksgiving, where every Rosewood slashes prices—30% off resort stays and a whopping 50% off urban locations. Despite San Miguel feeling miles off from what I would consider “urban” by New York standards, we were able to book an entire week in their largest suite for what you’d normally pay for a mid-tier hotel in NYC. We’re definitely going to make scouting Travel Tuesday deals an annual tradition from now on.

For our first full day, we took ourselves on a self-guided walking tour of San Miguel, starting with a heaping plate of chilaquiles at the eclectic (and gay-owned!) Cafe Rama.

Our adventure continued with a stroll through the charming Parque Benito Juárez where they were celebrating the Feria de la Candelaria, a festival where gardeners and flower vendors sell thousands of different kinds of plants and flowers. As PlantGays™, it was almost torture not being able to take home at least one of these beauties. Next, we climbed up to El Mirador, a viewpoint at the top of the hill overlooking the city with breathtaking views of San Miguel’s colorful rooftops. Next, we explored Fabrica La Aurora, an old textile factory that’s been transformed into a massive art gallery, showcasing tons of local art and craftsmanship.

After all that, we desperately needed an espresso break at Hotel Casa de los Soles, a hotel and café that boasts a seriously impressive collection of talaveras.

One tiny qualm about San Miguel de Allende is that there are no LGBTQ+ dedicated spaces. To be clear, as gay travelers, we always felt incredibly safe and welcome, and even when speaking with some of the gay locals who we met, we were told about a handful of LGBTQ+ owned/friendly spaces, but none that were technically “gay bars.” This perhaps speaks to San Miguel’s tolerance — gay travelers are welcome everywhere, but having flown all over the world, there is a unique experience that only queer people can understand, where you are dropped down in a foreign country — a place where nothing looks familiar — and suddenly, you arrive at a place where you can walk in and immediately recognize people who are just like you. It’s something that always feels magical. Fortunately, what SMA lacks in queer spaces, it more than makes up for in beautiful spaces for anyone to hang out.

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The only location we visited twice on this trip is Bekeb, an uber-trendy rooftop cocktail bar that served up the perfect ambiance, played all the right music, and whose cocktails were among the best we’ve ever had. The second visit at Bekeb was only because we had reserved sunset drinks at Tunki on the rooftop of the luxury hotel, The Belmond. When we arrived, we were told that they actually weren’t open and that I must have been mistaken. I showed the email correspondence where the manager (who we were literally speaking with) had confirmed with me, not once, but twice, yet we were told again that the error was on us. It was a rare moment of tension in what was otherwise a trip an incredible trip, but fortunately, we headed over to Bekeb who generously welcomed us back and even served us a free round of their signature cocktail made with the famous local tequila, Casa Dragones!

We purposefully scheduled our trip to coincide with Valentine’s Day as well as our ten-year “meet-a-versary,” but when booking this trip, I don’t think either of us realized just how romantic the city of San Miguel is — it’s just bursting with love! Every couple seems to be holding hands, and we fully saw multiple marriage proposals in front of the Parroquia (a sight that usually makes me cringe). We spent V-Day Eve indulging at Aperi, the pinnacle of fine dining in San Miguel, where we splurged in a Michelin-starred tasting menu and wine pairing in a romantic courtyard setting.

Mexico is famous for tequila and mezcal, but its vineyards, especially around San Miguel, are definitely worth exploring. We set our sights on Viñedos San Lucas, the most picturesque winery in San Miguel. (My wine expertise may be limited, but when it comes to aesthetics, I’m basically a master somme.)

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The estate the winery is located on could honestly rival any European vineyard, with Tuscan-style architecture and made-for-Instagram lavender fields. Our host, Jessica, took us on a tour and walked us through a private tasting session. Their state-of-the-art facilities and scenic vineyards are truly amazing, and the wine cave where we had our tasting could have been a Michelin-starred restaurant all on its own.

Jessica explained that their wines are geared to a Mexican palate, which typically means slightly sweeter and brighter. The sauvignon blanc stood out as particularly complex and the local honey and cheeses that they used for pairing were super tasty.

Had we not already tied the knot, Viñedos San Lucas would have been a kind of perfect wedding venue.

Continuing our journey through San Miguel, our next day was dedicated to culinary exploration, starting the morning with my favorite Mexican pastry, a concha from Cumpanio. Our appetite for discovery then led us to the trendy neighborhood of Guadalupe, dubbed the Brooklyn of San Miguel. Unlike the centro historico, a UNESCO World Heritage site where building aesthetics are preserved, Guadalupe thrives with artistic freedom, with the artist residents turning many of their homes into a canvas for murals. We also suspect this might be the gayborhood, based on the number of same-sex couples we saw making their way to brunch.

One of my favorite ways to learn about a town is through its food, so whenever I can take a cooking class from a local, I seize the opportunity. Fortunately, Pura Vida Kitchen, a local cooking school, was able to accommodate us, and we were shocked to learn that our chef, Alicia, was originally from Brooklyn Heights. She had followed a boyfriend to SMA twenty years ago and has since made it her home. Chef Alicia was incredibly entertaining, hilarious, and knowledgeable as she guided us through the basics of Mexican salsas and introduced us to new ingredients like huitlacoche (Mexican corn fungus) and xoconostle (prickly pear). She was also so kind as to take us to a nearby grocery store to stock up on dried chili peppers and tortillas for her tasty chicken tinga tacos. She even gifted us with some raw brown sugar cones and dried hibiscus flowers, which are hard to find in the States, so we could make her mouthwatering margaritas. Don’t worry, we declared everything!

As we were checking out at the grocery store, Scott whispered to me, ‘I think this is my favorite thing we’ve done.’ And I couldn’t agree more. If you make the trip down here, booking a class with Alicia is a must. Plus, she sent us off with her e-cookbook so we can bring these dishes back to Brooklyn.

Exploring San Miguel de Allende isn't just about wandering its cobblestone streets; sometimes, it's best experienced in the saddle. We arranged a picturesque sunset horseback ride with Coyote Canyon Adventures, situated just twenty minutes outside of town. The ride led us through the rugged mountainsides, offering breathtaking vistas of the city below before descending into the heart of Centro Historico. From seamless hotel pickup to the warm hospitality of our guides, every aspect was super organized, making it a highlight of our trip.

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Continuing our culinary journey in San Miguel, we ventured south of the Centro Historico for breakfast at the incredibly vibe-y Rustica. The atmosphere was amazing, with al fresco dining, and the food, beautifully prepared and presented. (Ricotta nut toast, I think I missed you most of all). It was hard to overstate the aesthetic appeal of every single place where we had eaten. Each space exuded this unique San Miguel de Allende essence, blending the town’s architectural charm with a trendy, but laid-back vibe. My taste to a T. Dinner was a last minute pick after one of our reservations fell through, the Rooftop at Selina, a spot where the food rivaled the view. Watching the sunset from here added a picturesque backdrop to our meal.

On our final day in SMA, the thought of getting back on a plane to the states had me wishing for a pause button. Checking Instagram, it looked like NYC was getting pummeled with cold weather. Meanwhile, San Miguel was in its winter period, which somehow meant a high of 78 during the day with cool temperatures at night, perfect for those light jackets that I always buy but never seem to get to wear.

Making the most of our final 24 hours, we headed to Cafe Lavanda, a cash-only place that specialized in the eponymous ingredient, lavender. I got a lavender latte and Scott got a drink (espresso, lime juice, lavender, and seltzer) that absolutely should not have been good, but was somehow delicious and refreshing. Also, I ordered my fourth chilaquiles of the trip. DON’T JUDGE ME!

Lunch and cocktails were at the stunning rooftop restaurant, Trazo 1810, here we enjoyed delicious bites with what had to be our favorite view of the Parroquia de San Miguel de Arcangel of the trip.

We soaked up the last bit of sun at the Rosewood pool before heading to what ended up being our favorite meal of the trip at Tostévere, which truly captured the essence of San Miguel's vibrant culinary scene with its creative dishes and warm atmosphere. I led the charge in ordering, ambitiously selecting what felt like half of the handwritten menu. Even the waiter was taken aback by our appetite, but it turned out to be a brilliant decision. Every bite was a revelation — from the octopus tostada to the softshell crab wrap to the truffled street corn, each dish surpassed the last. The flavors were so good, at one point I caught Scott tearing up. As we bid adieu to SMA, we did so with heavy hearts and eager palates, already plotting our next trip to Mexico.