According to Travel Agent Culinary, San Miguel de Allende celebrates its 475th birthday this year with a special honor. It’s the fourth-friendliest city in the world, according to Travel + Leisure magazine’s “World’s Best Awards” announced in March.
Awards and accolades are nothing new for the UNESCO World Heritage site. But this recent recognition is appreciated.
“We are pretty friendly here,” Guillermo González, director of the San Miguel de Allende Tourism Board, tells Travel Agent.
“We offer a unique colonial heritage. We have over 120 art galleries, very nice boutique hotels and a friendly atmosphere where visitors can walk for blocks,” said González.
The destination is also a great launching point for day trips.
Spas, wineries and adventure parks are nearby. And horseback rides along the River Laja are a big draw.
“We’re seven miles away from a hot spring. There are nice hotel properties such as the Nirvana Retreat, where you can get massages and relax in pools filled by the springs. They also have an excellent chef. Another close attraction is the Atotonilco Sanctuary, which is part of our UNESCO site. The church there has beautiful frescoes,” said González.
In San Miguel itself, new properties and culinary fests are also in the news.
Grupo Posadas will open Live Aqua Urban Resort San Miguel de Allende in early 2018.