It is a clean city. I don't think I saw one piece of litter the whole time. They pride themselves on tourism.

chick79 said:

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It is a clean city. I don't think I saw one piece of litter the whole time. They pride themselves on tourism.

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This... When you see pictures in a book you think, oh those have been doctored... Not the case for this place. Juarez park was beautiful and immaculate...

Edit: PS I still need to gather my notes on restaurants that we really enjoyed, but a few off the top of my head Cince, Restaurante Cielo, Los Milagros, Cumpanio for breakfast. It is hard to go wrong with any place there to tell the truth...

chick79 said:

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You can get a nice place for dirt cheap compared to America.

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I wouldn't say dirt cheap, but depends on where you're looking I guess. I already checked into places with a real estate agent there. Any place that is ~15 minutes away from the square is minimum 250k for a smaller 2bed/2bath condo like place. If you don't want a condo, you're getting into 345k+ but more around 360k starting. Something in the heart of San Miguel is going 450+ for a condo. The agents say most people buy using cash as the interest rates are too high, (11+%)

We thought about going in with another couple but decided not to. There are plenty of short term rentals there by the month that is very affordable which sounds like a great idea. Cheaper than our mortgage here.

I've just created a travel tips and dining guide for San Miguel. If anyone wants a copy of this, just message me your email address. My travel guide will address language, my personal experience with safety, airport information, ground transportation, and much more. Also, here are some more pictures from my days there last week.

Going this week for my wife's 40th

Everyone has raved about it over and over to us

Staying at Casa de Sierra Nevada (booked Rosewood originally but switched).

Aggie09Derek said:

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Going this week for my wife's 40th

Everyone has raved about it over and over to us

Staying at Casa de Sierra Nevada (booked Rosewood originally but switched).

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I liked CSN the one time we stayed there, our first time. Great rooms and service. Food was limited but good. No regrets

Going to SMA in September and am curious about the men's clothing they sell and prices. How much for straw cowboy hats? Linen shirts? Shoes? Etc. Best to shop in a market or walk the streets until you find a shop?

Do they have general stores with beer and tequila or are those liquor stores?

Is everything pretty dead in the morning until 11ish?

Im sure there's more that I'm curious about so any tips would be nice.

Not really.

In Mexico grocery stores have liquor. Then you'll have tequila/mezcal shops.

The "general stores" plus 7/OXXO/etc will have beer and the more American ones will have wine depending on the location. SOME have liquor. Chedraui or Super Aki for most alcohol.

Beware buying any straw hat in Mexico. Seems their head models all stop growing at 7 1/8 or 7 1/4. A 7 3/8 seems beyond their capabilities, anywhere in Mx. I've been looking for a real Mx sombrero to wear out on the sun. Not the cheap turista model, I want the real deal.

Deerdude said:

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Beware buying any straw hat in Mexico. Seems their head models all stop growing at 7 1/8 or 7 1/4. A 7 3/8 seems beyond their capabilities, anywhere in Mx. I've been looking for a real Mx sombrero to wear out on the sun. Not the cheap turista model, I want the real deal.

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Uh oh! Now I feel like it's a challenge!

I want to buy a few of them to wear out at the ranch when it is 100+ degrees and UV 11+

If you want a custom cowboy hat can book with Suki Palomina, my wife loves her new one. She does full custom experience and history of hats at her private shop by appointment or you can buy one off the rack at her storefront.

https://www.instagram.com/sukipalomina?igsh=dzRsaG5uN2Y1Y3cx


Edit: meant to reply to Allen

No, I want a real Charro type sombrero that fits 7 3/8 head. Long oval would be best but not necessary. Is this shop on SMA, I don't do social media to open link.

I can send you some contacts from around here that will hand Measure and make them for you. I have one straw and 3 others.

Are you in SMA? I have a contact in Guadalajara but not planning a trip there at this time. Going to Isla in July and SMA for Dia de Muertos.

Aggie09Derek said:

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If you want a custom cowboy hat can book with Suki Palomina, my wife loves her new one. She does full custom experience and history of hats at her private shop by appointment or you can buy one off the rack at her storefront.

https://www.instagram.com/sukipalomina?igsh=dzRsaG5uN2Y1Y3cx


Edit: meant to reply to Allen

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I'm probably looking more cheap hats that I won't be sad if blows off and gets stomped on by livestock but now I'm curious. I don't do insta either... what are prices, how long does she take etc etc?

My wife did the full private custom done experience - was like $270, no idea if that's cheap or expensive for a quality hat.

https://g.co/kgs/esudLHP

Google search and I'll pull up all reviews/pics etc

Here is someone else saying $180, so no idea.

I'll check them out. Thanks

Is there any place in SMA to get some good breakfast tacos?

I never heard on San Miguel until I read this thread. So in August wife and I are planning a quick 4 day trip. Looking at places to stay online is kind of overwhelming, so many nice ones. Looking for suggestions, nicest areas, any areas to avoid, what's your favorite?

razor63 said:

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I never heard on San Miguel until I read this thread. So in August wife and I are planning a quick 4 day trip. Looking at places to stay online is kind of overwhelming, so many nice ones. Looking for suggestions, nicest areas, any areas to avoid, what's your favorite?

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Since this thread is dead as a doornail, please do come back after your trip and let me know what your thoughts are and give recommendations as I'll be going after you

We went for a wedding in June and stayed in an AirBNB close to the rosewood hotel and the parque Juarez. Would stay in that area again. We could walk to everything easily. If you stayed east of the parque Juarez, you started to get some elevation gain. Something to consider if you are walking everywhere (which I would recommend).

Ubers are really cheap if you need a ride.

We ate brunch twice at Cafe Umaran and liked it. For a nice meal we enjoyed Casa Nostra. La Favolosa was a neat family owned pizza place that I would visit again.

Breakfast Tacos are hella guero. They arent traditional Mexican at all. They're Tex-Mex and even more than Tex-Mex they are just a culturally appropriative American projection on mexican cuisine. Mexican's love tacos but we don't do them in the morning. Tacos need salsa, and lime and onion and belong on masa maz. Chilaquiles, huevos divorciados, molletes, huevos con chorizo, frijoles y salchicha, migas etc are traditional Mexican. Do yourself a solid and get something w history and culture and love and flavor and skip the breakfast tacos.

razor63 said:

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I never heard on San Miguel until I read this thread. So in August wife and I are planning a quick 4 day trip. Looking at places to stay online is kind of overwhelming, so many nice ones. Looking for suggestions, nicest areas, any areas to avoid, what's your favorite?

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Did yall make it back alive?

Little known fact - Mxico is far safer for American tourists than most large major cities.

Per the State Department there were 120 americans (tourists and residentes) that were murdered in Mexico last year of 5.1 millon visitors. Thats a 2.1/100,000 rate. Houston is at 6.8/100,000 or 3x+ the rate here.

Numbers don't lie.

Yes we made it back and had a great trip. We did two nights in Guanajuato and three in San Miguel.

Took a cab from airport in Leon to our hotel in Guanajuato, Villa Maria Cristina - very nice place. Had a room with a balcony with a Mountain View. Second day we did a 10-stop food tasting with Walk with Locals. Our English speaking guide Isadora was a chef that taught a cooking class. She even took us to a Museum and was our interpreter. Probably the best thing we did on the trip. Even though I didn't seen any other tourist in Guanajuato we never felt unsafe. Ubers are the way to go, cheap and you know what your are paying. We finally found a driver that spoke English and he took us to San Miguel the next day.

Stayed at the Rosewood in San Miguel, had rooftop balcony - pricey but worth it. It was nice to run into a few Texans in San Miguel. Tostevere was our favorite restaurant, also enjoyed Heche en Mexico. We took an Uber back to the airport - it was around $80.

Overall impressions, both San Miguel and Guanajuato are very clean beautiful towns - no beggers are homeless. People were friendly and proud of there towns. The weather was perfect. Neither are for people with mobility issues though. I can see San Miguel as a place we visit every year. If I go back to Guanajuato I need to brush up on my Spanish.

Bayou City said:

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Little known fact - Mxico is far safer for American tourists than most large major cities.

Per the State Department there were 120 americans (tourists and residentes) that were murdered in Mexico last year of 5.1 millon visitors. Thats a 2.1/100,000 rate. Houston is at 6.8/100,000 or 3x+ the rate here.

Numbers don't lie.

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It was a joke to bump the thread

Just booked flights and am planning a trip here for early November after reading the thread. Is San Miguel a pretty credit friendly town or will I need to find an ATM to get some pesos? We fly into QRO Friday morning. Is it worth booking transport ahead of time or just roll with Uber? We're also planning to visit some wineries in the area, is it easy enough to get Ubers from out there back to town?

You will want pesos for tipping and shopping, and just good to have while there. You can use your card at the restaurants. If you are there for Dia de los Muertos-enjoy!

There's plenty of Ubers around. I recommend going with Uber Lux, it's a little more but most of the drivers speak English. If you do a taxi at the airport, Leon had a taxi booth inside where you could pre-pay.

I let hotel handle transportation to and from. I also don't like traveling at night there. The flight into Quertaro arrived late afternoon so we opted to spend the night there. That's a really neat place as well.

GiantAntsAttack said:

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Just booked flights and am planning a trip here for early November after reading the thread. Is San Miguel a pretty credit friendly town or will I need to find an ATM to get some pesos? We fly into QRO Friday morning. Is it worth booking transport ahead of time or just roll with Uber? We're also planning to visit some wineries in the area, is it easy enough to get Ubers from out there back to town?

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Here in SMA right now. Almost all restaurants and stores take credit cards. Market vendors and taxis will want pesos

Have heard of two different people having ATMs eat their debit card. I'd suggest the mexican citibank on the square where the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel is since that actually has people working there.

Booked bajio go shuttle from the airport and it worked well. Ubers are reliable and cheap, in San Miguel at least. Its a long drive from QRO to San Miguel so I'd be a bit hesitant. The ubers arent exactly luxurious in SMA, think Nissan versas, but haven't had any bad rides in gross cars either. Plus, youre normally only in the Uber for less than 10 minutes anyway unless you're going way opposite side of town. No clue on going to the wineries though but the city has lots of drivers

Eta: if youre shopping for clothes, men or women, then Chaskis Galera Artesanal or just "Chaskis" is a great place. The prices are terrific without needing to haggle. I havent been able to get people in the markets or other shops to match the prices. They do charge 5% extra for credit though

Oh and don't be worried when you get possibly startled awake by fireworks that are so big they likely aren't legal in the United States, going off during the middle of the night or at 6am or all day and night.

You might ask why but most people never really know. It might be somebody's birthday, might be a Saint's day, might be a holiday, might just be because they felt like it

TAMUallen said:

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Oh and don't be worried when you get possibly startled awake by fireworks that are so big they likely aren't legal in the United States, going off during the middle of the night or at 6am or all day and night.

You might ask why but most people never really know. It might be somebody's birthday, might be a Saint's day, might be a holiday, might just be because they felt like it

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Yea I'd like to know why as well but it just seems to be a Mexico thing. It's no different in many other cities I've visited.

I can confirm, when were in Guanajuato they setting fireworks off in a park downtown. Loud bottle rockets - It's a Mexican tradition I assume.