When you're ready to absorb the city itself, San Miguel has plenty to see. You can spend a day just exploring the buildings, walking randomly along its streets and exploring some of the facades and architecture that have made San Miguel famous. Painters and cameramen have captured sites like La Parroquia and El Mirador countless times, and whole books have captured the beauty of the doorways along the street. Even Hollywood has taken notice of San Miguel, filming movies like "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" and "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself" almost entirely here.
*You can also explore inside some of these historic buildings, including the Angela Peralta Theatre and the home of Ignacio Allende, now museums of art and culture dedicated to the town itself.
*San Miguel's many art institutes are always open to travelers looking to discover (or become the next) Frida Kahlo. Painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, you name it and it's probably there.
*Take in one of the numerous festivals. The place celebrates Semana Santa (Easter holy week) with impressive and touching parades, and Dia de las Locos in mid-June is also worthwhile. The days leading up to Independence Day (September 16) and New Year's in San Miguel are favorite times for Mexicanos.
*There are also music festivals covering classical and jazz at different times of the year, and endless art galleries with works that range from wonderful to "what that'?".
* The once famous Sanmiguelada, San Miguel's version of the "running of the bulls" is no more. After the crowds grew to an unmanageable size and violence broke out in 2007, the event was canceled. This was also the time that San Miguel was attempting to obtain UNESCO World Heritage City status, and it was deemed a negative factor as to the city's image to have the running of the bulls. There has been some talk of reinstating it in a somewhat different form, but no decisions have yet been made.
*Offers horseback riding, hiking, biking, rappelling, camping, four-wheeler (ATV), hot air ballooning, boating, Cañada de la Virgen pyramid tours, and multi-day cross country adventures. Their guides lead you safely through working cattle ranches, into canyons, through rivers, over plains, across gorges, and down sheer cliffs, all the while sharing with you their in-depth knowledge of the native flora and fauna.
*ROOMBO is a state-of-the art child center in San Miguel de Allende offering learning and play opportunities for families with children aged 0 to 12. Roombo offers year-round classes in early stimulation, arts & crafts, dance/ movement, games, theater, science, singing and more! Roombo also has various classes for parents and caregivers. Summer and school-vacation camps provide kids with dynamic opportunities to interact with other kids and meet unique counselors and special guests. All programs are bilingual.
*Founded in 1989, Cristi Fer Art Studio offers original art and painting workshops. Choose from one day to one month long classes. Most popular is "One Painting in One Day" workshop designed for adults. Tuesday is Abstract art and Thursdays is dedicated to painting a street of San Miguel. The workshops are easy and fun, and require no art experience. Classes and workshops for unblocking creativity for painters are also offered.
