Welcome to San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico San Miguel de Allende is 274 km NW of Mexico City. After a long period of decline, in the beginning of the 20th century, its Baroque/Neoclassical colonial structures from the 17th and 18th centuries attracted foreign artists who moved in and began art and cultural institutes such as the Instituto Allende and the Escuela de Bellas Artes. Since then, the town has attracted a very large number of foreign retirees, artists, writers and tourists, which is shifting the area’s economy from agriculture and industry to commerce catering to outside visitors and residents. The town is noted for its streetscapes with narrow cobblestone lanes that rise and fall over the hilly terrain. In the historic center, punctuated by the huge church, La Parroquia, there are an estimated two thousand doors, behind which there are at least two thousand courtyards of various sizes. Many of these have been restored to their former colonial state with facades of ochre, orange and yellow, and with windows and doors framed by handcrafted ironwork and made of hewn wood. Very few structures have atriums or front yards; instead, open private space is behind the main facade in courtyards. Several publications have named San Miguel de Allende one of the top 10 places to retire.