We had the wonderful opportunity to visit San Miguel de Allende for Dia de los Muertos, and it was an incredible experience!
San Miguel de Allende is a city in central Mexico that is known for its beautiful architecture, thriving arts scene, and fabulous food. The heart of the city is the Cathedral (Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel) which is surrounded by a plaza (El Jardin) and winding cobblestoned streets lined with shops and restaurants.
Our good friends have decided to retire in San Miguel de Allende and couldn’t wait to show us the town they fell in love with. We were so lucky to visit with them! They know the town well and were fabulous hosts. They also had already made friends with a group of locals who extended the warm welcome to us as well.
It is a beautiful town on its own, but add in one of Mexicos most spiritual and meaningful holidays, and you’ll be mesmerized by the colorful flowers, fun traditions, and a welcoming environment that will have you wanting to become a local!??
Here are all the details from our trip, including travel plans, the restaurants we tried, and all the activities. ??
Travel
You have a few options to get to San Miguel from Los Angeles:
- Our route: We took a direct flight out of Tijuana to Leon, Guanajuato. To leave out of the Tijuana airport, you actually park in San Diego and use the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) to walk to your terminal. If you go this route, get there early, especially if you aren’t a fluent Spanish speaker. Checking a bag is not recommended since you will have to wait in a very long separate line to check your bag. If you fly from TJ, it’s a 2.5 hour direct flight to Leon, then a 1.5 hour drive to San Miguel. The Leon airport is small like Burbank.
- An alternative is to fly from LA to Mexico City. There are a lot of direct flight options, but when you land, it’s 3.5 hour drive to San Miguel. You may get lucky and find a direct flight from LA to Leon, or LA to Queretaro (another regioal airport). No matter what, you’ll need to drive a bit to get to San Miguel de Allende.
Rent a car, or….
There are shuttles you can take to San Miguel from the airport, or you can arrange to have a driver pick you up.
Rent a car if you do not plan on staying near town, or want to venture out of town.
Once you’re in town, there are taxis everywhere or even Uber. But you can also walk to most places.
Stay
We are a little biased. We stayed at our friend’s Air BnB and we loved it. (Click here to see availability and booking details for their AirBnB.)
Their Air BnB has two bedrooms, one with two queens, one with two fulls. The beds were very comfortable, each room has fans, and we slept like babies.
This was perfect for two couples or a large family. There is a spacious living room, full-size fridge, washer & dryer, 3 bathrooms, 3 balconies, and plenty of closet space.
We stopped at the grocery store on the first day to pick up drinks and snacks, and it was great having a large fridge to keep our cervezas cold.
It’s very safe with a 24/7 security guard at the front entrance, pool and was a 15-minute walk to town.
I did a quick recap video of their Air BnB here:
Click the map to view the location of the Air BnB:
Another great option for lodging is Casa Angelitas Bed and Breakfast. It’s a beautiful compound is in the hills above town in a very nice neighborhood. But you will definitely need a taxi to bring you home, those hills are no joke!
There are a ton of great hotels, bed and breakfasts, and home rentals you can check out.
The food
There are so many options! We only tried a sliver of the many restaurants in town, even though it felt like we were eating all the time. Here’s where we ate and what we tried:
- El Manantial – Nice spot in the middle of town for lunch. Try the tuna tostadas and margaritas.
- La Unica – fabulous and trendy dinner spot, we had the ribeye, bone marrow, Ceaser salad, artichoke, queso fundio, salt fish (if they have it), and spicy margaritas. Their rooftop has an amazing view of the church.
- La Rustica – charming breakfast spot in a garden setting, try the chilaquiles and a latte.
- La Luna Lounge – at Rosewood Mayakoba – beautiful rooftop bar with tapas and a nice wine selection. Go at sunset to take advantage of the gorgeous view of the valley. We ordered flatbreads, rib eye tacos, a charcuterie platter, and lots of wine. Unfortunately you won’t find many California wines on the menu, but try one of the local wines from Mexico.
- La Aurora – historic museum with many artists in residence and places to explore. We had lunch here, I ordered a spicy chicken crispy salad and a michelada.
- La Azotea – for dinner downstairs and drinks on the rooftop afterward. I ordered the shrimp fajitas and quest fundio and spicy margaritas. Upstairs, try the jicama tacos. This is also a great place to watch the Dia de los Muertos parades!
- El pollo feliz – when opting for a quick and delicious lunch for a group, you can buy a whole chicken special. The chicken is charbroiled perfectly and their salsa is so yummy. It comes with rice and tortillas. Perfect for taking food with you on the go or eating back in your condo.
- Hanks – this Louisiana themed bar & restaurant situated in the middle of town is lively and beautiful. Try the oysters on the half shell and keep the drinks coming.
- Mama Mia – when you’re ready for live music in a beautiful setting, check out Mama Mia’s. The building has a glass roof, so you’re dining under the stars. I ordered the Mama Mia special pizza, Greek salad and (surprise) a spicy margarita.
- La Gruta– if you come to la gruta to enjoy the mineral springs, you can have breakfast or dinner at their cafe. I had the green chicken enchiladas with an egg on top with some coffee …so delicious!
Note: We did visit a local pharmacy when we arrived to get pills that would help our stomachs *just in case* anyone had a bad reaction to the food. Either the pills worked or no one had any issues! But we recommend this step, just in case. You can ask for the “Vermox plus†pill at any local “farmacia’ and take one once a day during your trip.
Activities
First, we want to say, we highly recommend visiting with friends or family! This is a town to be enjoyed with laughter and adventure, and there’s nothing like experiencing a town with good friends.
Most people in town speak English, but it definitely comes in handy to speak Spanish.
For non-Dia de Los Muertos days, they say you typically only go into town a few times for shopping and eating. You actually go out to places like a beautiful winery, organic ranch, and even stay in for an evening.
But not for Dia de Los Muertos…there is too much to do and see in town!
Because Dia de los Muertos is one of their biggest celebrations, almost all of the storefronts in town are decorated with alters, the doors are adorned like passageways, and there are entertainers around every corner.
One of my favorite things to do was explore all the narrow streets and discover hidden stores bursting with colorful unique items, and take photos of all the beauty.
The town square in front of the church has mariachis playing all night. The restaurants also have live bands or groups to entertain guests while we enjoy delicious local dishes.
We arrived on 10/30, which gave us time to settle in and see the sights. People start getting their faces painted even before 10/30. You can get them painted right on the street, or many shops have face painters inside. You can also arrange for someone to come paint your face at your hotel or Air BnB, like we did.
November 1st is the day where most of the people come out to celebrate. This is the day of the parade and when you’ll experience lots of entertainment in the town square.
Many people have their faces painted and are in full Dia de los Muertos attire. There are also people dressed in unique costumes. Everyone is in a great mood and is ready to celebrate!
Rosewood Mayakoba hosts a big celebration on November 1st where they have entertainment, food, and drinks. Those with a ticket can be part of the town’s Dia de Los Muertos parade, and then have dinner at the hotel afterward.
November 2nd is the day when the townspeople create the ofrendas in the town square. This is also a good day to visit one of the local cemeteries to see the beautiful ofrendas created for local’s ancestors.
I captured this video of us walking through town on November 1st and 2nd.
There are also several bars with live music to dance the night away. We tried Q bar, which ended up having a live band playing 80’s music.
On any day, you can visit the Mercado to do some shopping for local arts and crafts and souvenirs.
What to pack
The weather in San Miguel is said to be eternally in Spring. This felt pretty accurate! The weather was warm during the day and cool at night.
When we left LA, we saw that it was supposed to rain 3 out of the 5 days we were in San Miguel. But it didn’t rain once! Or if it did, it was in the middle of the night.
Bring sundresses to wear during the day with sandals or trendy but comfy tennis shoes. The streets are made of cobblestone and there are lots of hills so you will be miserable in wedges or anything uncomfortable.
At night, wear something trendy, but make sure you have sweaters or jackets that match your outfits. Wear sandals, flats, or boots. I saw a few ladies walking with their busted heels in their hands because they tried to test their luck.
Don’t bother bringing your own flower crown unless you put a lot of work into making one. They have so many beautiful ones to buy there for about $20. You can also get a fresh flower crown made out of marigolds.
Do bring a few outfits that will compliment the Dia de los Muertos theme. I wore long dresses, one colorful and one black, which made me feel like I was walking with their spirits. My friend brought a coordinating outfit with her husband which had bright roses. You can also shop for a great outfit while you’re there. I bought a colorful shawl that complimented my outfit and flower crown perfectly. You will definitely want to get in the Dia de los Muertos spirit!
Last Tip
End your trip with a visit to la Gruta, or the Grotto. These mineral hot springs are incredibly relaxing and you feel a powerful connection to Source when you’re there.
Bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes if you want to visit la Gruta. Entrance is about $20 USD. Check out this recap video for more details.
San Miguel was an amazing experience, we hope you add it to your bucket list!
