San Miguel de Allende

Handsome San Miguel de Allende lives up to its mellifluous name. Tagged by UNESCO and famed the Americas over as one of the most attractive colonial centres on the map, the town is everything you’d expect of a settlement forged by conquistadores hungry for silver from the mines of the beautiful Bajio Mountains all around: romantic, colourful and oozing a certain Spanish passion from every one of its colonial pores. The historic heart of the town remains its major draw; a place where clusters of Nikon-touting tourists and San Miguel de Allende tour guides weave between the neo-Gothic spires of the La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel and the old home of Ignacio Allende (an heroic protagonist from the Mexican War of Independence). Tourism booms have brought tequila bars and top-quality restaurants to the area too, while the ethos remains refined and rich in culture. Yes sir, churches with stuccoed facades and carved artistry erupt on almost every corner, traditional craft shops lurk behind weathered wooden doors, and cobblestone alleys weave past pastel-painted bungalows that look plucked straight from the script of a Sergio Leone flick. In short, this one’s really not to be missed!