 San Miguel de Allende: a friendly Mexican centre of international culture
Added: 02/10/2006 |
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San Miguel de Allende lying in Guanajuato State, Mexico, has become known for its large community of North American artists. The picturesque colonial town has a very agreeable climate and clear light. San Miguel de Allende is filled with cobblestone streets, old mansions and cathedrals. A tourist may enjoy high quality cultural events in San Miguel. Located near the town, many thermal hot springs are destined for those who wish to relax. San Miguel is one of Mexico's top rated destinations year after year, as it offers culturally enriching vacations and, to add, San Miguel's weather is nearly perfect a year round.
San Miguel de Allende situated in Guanajuato State, Mexico, was designated a national historical monument in 1930. San Miguel has become known for its large community of North American painters, sculptors, writers and poets. The picturesque colonial town of about 80,000 inhabitants, which celebrated its 450th anniversary in 1992, is located four hours from Mexico City. The city with a regular International airport nearest to San Miguel is Leon. Driving time from San Miguel to Leon is approximately 1 1/2 hours. Irapuato city with its nearby archaeological zone of Toltecan and Tarascan influence, is located close to the city of Leon, and tourists can easily travel from San Miguel to Irapuato.
San Miguel nestled on a hillside with a spectacular view of the Guanajuato Mountains. Sitting at an altitude of about 1800 metres, the town has a very agreeable climate and clear light, which is one of the reasons so many artists have come here. The air temperature in San Miguel de Allende is about 18°C most of the year; rains fall in summer months. San Miguel de Allende is full of cobblestone streets, old mansions and cathedrals. A number of colonial structures clustered around the central plaza include the neogothic church (Parish of St. Michael Archangel), which construction began in 1689. Tourists can also enjoy beautiful and original examples of baroque and neoclassic architecture buildings like San Francisco's Church, the Palace of 'Condes de la Canal', Loreto's Chapel, Angelar's Peralta Theatre, among others.
San Miguel attracts a growing number of foreign artists, writers, craftspeople and tourists with its beautiful architecture and pleasant environment. In San Miguel a tourist can find high quality cultural events, visit classic music festivals, literary readings, a yearly jazz festival, psychic fairs and past-life regression classes. Amazing works of art are on display a year round in a wide variety of art galleries. The town has several art schools, as well as the Photography Academy. The Public Library contains Mexico's second largest English language library. San Miguel de Allende is known internationally by its array of handicraft works, and you can buy traditional crafts, furniture, ceramics, folk art, silver jewelry, wool, stonework, tin and glass ware in the town.
Thermal hot springs located near San Miguel will be a real find for those who wish to relax. Charco del Ingenio, an ecological park, is perfect for mountain biking. Jardin Botanico Cante, one of the best botanical gardens in Mexico, contains over 1,000 different types of cacti. The Museum of Modern Art is an open-air art gallery where you can also participate in eco-tourism activities, mountain biking and horseback riding. San Miguel is one of Mexico's top rated destinations year after year because of excellent vacation offers, San Miguel's weather being nearly perfect year round, and the town's reputation for having the best 'small town' dining in all of Mexico.
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