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Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende: A Popular Spot For Over A Century
By Jane Goodwin | May 21, 2007
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, has been a popular tourist attraction for many years. Declared a national monument in 1926, with little or no fanfare whatsoever, the old central district still has the colonial elegance of the past. San Miguel de Allende has been both a quiet, beautiful place to live, and also favorite hang-out for the wealthy. It’s natural hot springs attract all kinds of crowds, and well should they!
The city has also been a popular place for celebrities; Cantinflas himself was a big fan of San Miguel de Allende, and wherever a celebrity goes, others follow.
After World War II, many American GI’s came to the Instituto Allende, a US accredited school, because their education grants went much further in Mexico. Once the Americans discovered the city, it became even more popular as a tourist spot.
In San Miguel de Allende, the climate is mild, the architecture is classic, and the expatriate population is larger than usual for a city this size. Many people have also chosen to retire here, and because of the large number of English-speaking foreigners, San Miguel de Allende has many amenities that might not be the case, otherwise.
For example, the library here, the Biblioteca Publica, contains the
second-largest collection of English language books in all of Mexico.
The city has many more restaurants, bars, and other services than would be found ordinarily in a town of this size.
San Miguel de Allende has an active theatre community, too. In addition to the usual plays and shows, which run every weekend, El Teatro Angela Peralta is often host to traveling productions.
In San Miguel de Allende, many businesses will accept American dollars, although your regular ATM card wil give you the current rate of exchange and is probably a much better way to pay. Traveler’s checks are safe, but it does take a long time to exchange them.
If you are looking for a diverse, traditional-yet-modern city to visit, I highly recommend that you give San Miguel de Allende a chance to show you how incredibly wonderful it is.
Sphere ItTopics: Travel / Relocation, Friends and Family, Language, Lifestyle, Money and Taxes, Destinations, Real Estate, Retirement Overseas |
July 10th, 2007 at 10:42 am
I just love San Miguel de Allende. I spent over 20 years living there and still long to move back.
If you are looking for information on San Miguel de Allende (hotels, tours, transportation, travel agents, etc) you should check out www.SanMiguelTour.com.