San Miguel de Allende is a Mexican city with a good deal of cultural and historical
significance. The city is known for both its historical architecture and its still-thriving
art scene, and there’s plenty for tourists to check out while they’re visiting. From visiting
the San Miguel Arcangel Parish to checking out the La Esquina Toy Museum, join ViewCation
as we find the best things to do in San Miguel De Allende, Mexico.
Visit the San Miguel Arcangel Parish The San Miguel Arcangel Parish stands as
one of the most iconic sights in all of San Miguel de Allende, and its location means that there are
quite a few areas in the city where the beautiful historical building is visible. The San Miguel
Arcangel Parish looms over the city of San Miguel de Allende both literally and figuratively,
and tourists will find themselves just as in awe of the building from afar as they will be when
they venture up close to it. The architecture of the historical building is hypnotizing,
and it draws tourists into its vicinity with its spell. The church’s base was constructed during
the 1600s, and the rest of it was constructed a few hundred years later. The building has
been maintained to look just the same as it did when it was finished, and it’s fairly unique in
terms of Mexican architecture. It has been said that the man who was responsible for putting the
defining finishing touches on the church during the 1800s was inspired by Belgian designs.
Within the church itself, you’ll find plenty of beautiful pieces of artwork.
One of the most stunning of all of the pieces of artwork in the church would have to be its central
image of Cristo de la Conquista. This image dates back to around the time that the base of the
building was first constructed, and long before its overall iconic appearance was finalized.
The land also serves as the burial ground
for several Mexican war heroes from around the time of its original use.
Venture Into El Jardin The heart of the city of San
Miguel de Allende is an area that is known as El Jardin, and it is always alive with
a vibrant pulse! If you’re looking to experience the city in a nutshell, this is the way to do it!
You can get a great view of El Jardin from the aforementioned San Miguel Arcangel Parish,
and vice versa. Several more historical buildings can be found within the area of El Jardin itself,
though there’s plenty more to keep tourists entertained than just the gorgeous architecture.
The area isn’t referred to as the heart of the city for nothing,
as it’s always bustling with life and culture. It’s rare for there not to be
live music and dancing found at some point within El Jardin, even in the dark hours of the morning.
If you’re only going to enter into one of the
buildings that can be found within the area of El Jardin, you might want to make it the Historical
Museum of San Miguel de Allende. The historical building housing this historical museum was once
the home of a war hero named Ignacio Allende, who helped win the Mexican War of Independence
during the early 1800s. It seems poetic that this war hero’s house should serve to showcase some of
the area’s rich history to tourists visiting the city of San Miguel de Allende today.
Visit the Archaeological Site of Cañada de la Virgen
While all of the aforementioned attractions that we’ve taken a
look at within the city of San Miguel De Allende have had rich historical and cultural importance,
the archaeological site of Cañada de la Virgen is something else
entirely. Though both of the aforementioned buildings, whether the San Miguel Arcangel
Parish or the Historical Museum of San Miguel de Allende, date back several hundred years,
the archaeological site of Cañada de la Virgen dates back around 1,000 years! There
are some who even claim that the site may date back to as far as the sixth century!
The archaeological site of Cañada de la Virgen may be ancient, but it’s only been open to the
public for around a decade. Because of this, word of mouth hasn’t spread far enough for the area to
become a crowded tourist trap. Still, it’s only a matter of time before the world realizes the
wonders that can be found within the ancient city! Cañada de la Virgen seems to have been more than
just a functioning city, as there are numerous relics that indicate that the area was held as a
beacon of wisdom throughout not only the entirety of ancient Mexico but possibly even farther.
Cañada de la Virgen is of particular interest to archaeologists due to the seemingly intricate
nature of the site’s design. It seems that a great deal of mathematical knowledge went
into the construction of the ancient city, and modern experts are perplexed at just how
the people of the time managed such staggering feats as the ones displayed today within the
archaeological site. It seems that the wisdom of these ancient people may have really been worth
traveling across the world for, as pilgrims were said to have done.
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Check Out the Botanical Garden of El Charco de Ingenio
We’ve talked plenty about the history of San Miguel de Allende’s people, but the city also
has some staggering natural beauty to offer its tourists. This beauty is exemplified to
no greater degree than in the stunning botanical garden of El Charco de Ingenio, which consists of
nearly 200 acres of finely preserved land. This nature preserve is just as beautiful as any of
the aforementioned architectural works that we’ve discussed in this video, but in a different way.
The botanical garden of El Charco de Ingenio was first opened up during the early 1990s,
and it was created as a means to help protect San Miguel de Allende’s natural land. Just as
the aforementioned historical buildings have been finely preserved to look as if they’ve been
untouched by the modern world, so to has the land of El Charco de Ingenio been kept in its natural
state. In this way, El Charco de Ingenio is another aspect of San Miguel de Allende
that will make tourists visiting the city feel as if they’ve ventured not only to another place
but to another time. There are plenty of places to have picnics within the garden,
and tourists will be able to hike for hours on end without seeing the same sight twice.
The garden also plays host to some events.
Experience San Miguel de Allende’s Art Scene In addition to its renowned historical
architecture, the city of San Miguel de Allende is also known the world over for its bustling art
scene, which is still thriving today. The art scene of San Miguel de Allende is exemplified
most specifically in two locations, with those two locations being the
Instituto Allende and the Fabrica la Aurora. The Instituto Allende
is a widely venerated art school that draws in students from all around the world.
Meanwhile, the Fabrica la Aurora is an art center formed out of an old textile mill,
and it contains numerous shops, eateries, and art galleries showcasing various mediums.
Both locations offer distinct experiences for visitors, and are equally welcoming to tourists.
As one might expect given its location within the city of San Miguel de Allende,
the Instituto Allende is housed within a notable historical building. The building housing
the venerated art school was once the home of a powerful Mexican family during the 19th century,
which is when the building was constructed. The building was turned into the art school it stands
as today during the 1950s, and the school has since garnered a reputation as one of the most
prestigious around. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the rich area surrounding the school, as
well as the school’s building itself, are sights that would inspire the inner artist in anyone!
The campus of the Instituto Allende is open to visitors throughout most of the week,
and they can even choose to take a small course. There are a couple of workshops
available for tourists to sign up for, with one lasting for three weeks and another
lasting for four. For those with the time, one can imagine these courses offer quite the experience.
While the Instituto Allende is housed within a renovated family home, the Fabrica la
Aurora is housed within a renovated textile mill! The building housing
the awesome art center functioned as a textile mill for most of the 20th century
before being converted into the fun and vibrant location that it stands as today
during the early 1990s. The name of the game for tourists when it comes to the Fabrica la Aurora is
food and souvenirs. The food is incredible, and the souvenirs are unlike anything that you’ll find
elsewhere! There’s also a great deal of art to look at, and some that you can purchase.
Check out the La Esquina Toy Museum Although the Historical Museum of San Miguel
de Allende is certainly the museum of choice to visit within the city for tourists who take their
history seriously, those who are interested in a lighter side of San Miguel de Allende’s history
should check out the La Esquina Toy Museum. As the name of the museum suggests, the location
showcases the history of Mexican toys. There are numerous fine examples of various Mexican toys
throughout the ages that are stashed throughout the building, and visitors will be in awe.
The aforementioned activities represent the best things to do when visiting the
city of San Miguel de Allende! Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that there are
numerous historical buildings in the city of San Miguel de Allende dating back several centuries
and that there’s a nearby archaeological sight dating back around 1,000 years? As always, like
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