Wed in San Miguel de Allende

For the last 10+ years, San Miguel de Allende has popped up on nearly every list of “must-see” destinations. So, naturally, it ended up on our must-see (or rather my “curious-to-see what the hype is about”) list. But because it’s land-locked, San Miguel wasn’t high on Mr. Vacay’s bucket list. When the save-the-date arrived from his side of the family for a wedding in San Miguel, I knew I didn’t need to plead my case, we were going.

The wedding was both extravagant and intimate. The guest list was short, because not everyone can, nor wants to, invest the time and effort needed to attend an out-of-town (or out-of-country) wedding. We were grateful to be included, and couldn’t have been happier to celebrate the union of two sweet souls. The lucky couple were married in the iconic Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel, and the reception, mariachis included, shook the Belmond Sierra Nevada all night long. These are the notes of how we spent our time when we weren’t celebrating with family, or bumping into them around town!

Where we quenched our appetite and our thirst:

• Lavanda for breakfast. I had the Natura – poached eggs, with green beans, avocado, mushrooms, and spinach, enjoyed with their house bread and guava marmalade, and Lavender tea, of course. Hands down, this was one of our favorite stops.
• Dos Tacos Tequila, a divine vegan taco shop. We ordered tacos, beans, guacamole, the mole de olla, and the agua fresca. The mole de olla had a little kick to it, with big beautiful veggies. The tacos featured mushrooms, soyrizo, and jackfruit! All of it, perfection.
• Taco Lab for a trio-taco snack, a side of beans, and guacamole. It’s tucked into a new, hip food hall skirted by upscale, trendy boutiques, all well worth the stop.
• The Parque Restaurant for margaritas and appetizers. It’s a beautiful hotel restaurant, with an inspiration-worthy garden.
• Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar at the Rosewood for an incredible sunset and a soundtrack provided by the uber-charming lounge-lizard DJ. All of it complemented by duck carnitas tacos, fried fish tacos, a beautiful fresh salad, and my new favorite cocktail – a refreshing gin & tonic flavored with blueberries, rosemary ice, star anise & orange zest.
• Belmond Sierra Nevada Restaurant, for the pre-wedding rehearsal dinner. We indulged in the chefs special selections and the bartenders handcrafted libations, at a private table set just for family.
• Quince Rooftop Bar for dessert and nightcap cocktails, which were great, of course. But the real highlight is the view from this trendy bar, overlooking the lights of the Parroquia.
• Chocolates & Churros San Agustín. The name says it all. Choose your regional chocolate, and get to dipping.
• And if you know me… then you know we made time and space in our bellies for ice cream. It just wouldn’t be a vacay without ice cream.

Where we lightened our wallets (and daydreamed when our wallets couldn’t handle it):

• Galeria la Aurora (Fábrica la Aurora), an incredible culture and gallery space that was once a textile mill. The equipment remains, and adds history and interest to a space that is already so unique. The art was incredible, and abundant. I was moved by so many pieces, and I’m now convinced (as if I wasn’t before) that I want to grow up to be an art collector, or at least a wanna-be aficionado.
• Exim Galería, a town-center art gallery where we fell in love with a painting of a hummingbird. If you’ve ever been on a videocall with me, you’ve likely seen it as as my backdrop!
• Mercado Artesenías, a tucked away walking path with modest shops that suited my budget. I even found a bedspread similar to one I originally coveted on a trip to Oaxaca many years earlier. Trust me, I didn’t pass it up the second time around.
• Arte Limon, a shop conveniently located across the street from our hotel. It was a gold mine for even more textiles – like pillow covers in every size, color, and decorative pattern! YES!!
• Mr. Vacay also went on an off-road quad tour, and managed to get tickets for a late night bullfight. I opted out of both… so if you want to know more about the dusty and dirty details, you’ll need to persuade him to start blogging.
• What I didn’t buy – I shopped for an elegant and warm cover up to wear to the wedding, as the daily temps were cooler than expected. There are countless boutiques near the town center, selling countless shawls for $300 and more (US!). All of them were gorgeous, as expected, but they were all also out of my price range. Tourists are a captive audience here, and the vendors know it.

How we got there & around:

Traveling from San Diego, using the Cross Border Express (CBX), makes planning any and all Mexico destination trips even more appealing. We scored direct flights from Tijuana to Leon for $145 roundtrip, per person (we flew Volaris outbound and Viva Aerobus on the return – both are no-frills, budget airlines). We filled out & printed the online FMM tourist visas and purchased our CBX tickets in advance. Arriving prepared and ready to go cuts down on time & stress when international travel puts pressure on both.

Based on notes from other travelers, we also pre-purchased roundtrip transportation from the Leon airport to San Miguel de Allende, through Bajiogo. We likely paid a premium price (vs. hiring a taxi or shuttle on arrival). BUT, the tradeoff was worth it – someone was waiting for us the moment we arrived (vs. hunting & negotiating), AND our driver knew where our hotel was (vs. stories told by other wedding guests about drivers lost and arrivals delayed).

The town is easily walkable, but can be tricky if you’re navigating cobblestones in high heels. Don’t worry, taxis are readily available if you find yourself in need of a pick-up.

Where we stayed:

Hotel La Morada was new (or newly rennovated), clean, and had everything we needed. But, somehow, in making the reservation, I had either overlooked or missed the reviews and comments about the open air bathroom ceiling. It was great for fresh airflow, but not so great for muffling the sound of the church bells ringing every 15 minutes. Even at 3 am.

The location of the hotel is great for so many reasons – it offers easy access to the Jardin Allende (in the center of town), restaurants, bars, and daily live music, AND the main attraction, the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel (and its bells). But if you are looking for QUIET, this might not be the hotel for you. No matter what, pack earplugs, because the truth is, there are no fewer than 12 churches within 8 blocks, and there are 40+ churches across the city. So no matter where you stay, you might inevitably find yourself next door to a church, and their bells. The good news is that the beautiful bells ring so often that you won’t even notice them after 24 hours.

The next time you get an invitation to a destination wedding, don’t rule it out, even if the destination isn’t on your bucket list. Seize the day, plan to extend your stay, and get ready to spend a little time and money.