San Miguel de Allende

On foot

Maybe 90% of San Miguel's attractions are within walking distance. Just keep in mind that because San Miguel was built into the side of a mountain, it can turn out to be difficult to traverse, some inclines are 15 or 20 degrees. Furthermore, the streets are cobbled and narrow - some were nothing but goat tracks before they were paved - and many have fallen into disrepair. Curbs are often a high step away from the road. All in all, the town can be unforgiving to an inexperienced walker. For this reason, it is advisable to bring comfortable shoes.

The streets are cobbled, and the visitor can get a certain pleasure from the burros carrying loads of new cobbles for road repair. The steep inclines can be useful in backtracking. Rule of thumb: If your calves hurt, you have been walking uphill. If your shins hurt, you have been walking downhill. Then simply reverse course until your legs are uniformly painful. You should now be near your point of origin.

Bici-Burro

is a bike shop that has operated in San Miguel since 1963. They offer bike rentals and biking or hiking tours with guides that hold an intimate knowledge of the area around San Miguel. You have the choice of seven bike tours and 2 hiking trips which take you amongst natural landmarks and some of the historical ruins of the area. These are of varying degrees of difficulty and range from 5 to 8 hours. The bicycle tours include a 27 speed aluminium mountain bike with helmet, gloves and transportation if needed. (note - their web site, (http://www.bici-burro.com), you can e-mail and they do answer the telephone.

By car

Driving in San Miguel is even more nightmarish. There was a time when the city was not so wealthy and only taxis could be found on these roads. Now that the real estate market has boomed, an influx of money has made cars more affordable and now the average resident is more likely to own one - good news for the economy, but bad news for the roads. Many two-way streets in San Miguel are too narrow to support two lanes of traffic, and it's not uncommon for a street to become so choked with cars that drivers have to get out and negotiate which one is going to back up to a wider street to let the other pass. Many streets are one-way so look for an arrow on the side of a building indicating which direction the traffic is going. A double arrow indicates a two-way street. Watch out for very steep streets. They can get even steeper than you realize and at least one in San Miguel is so narrow at the bottom that no more than a medium-sized car with its side mirrors pulled in can safely maneuver between the buildings. Scratches on the walls attest to drivers who have literally had to scrape between the buildings. Backing up the hill is not an option.

For this reason, and for the serious lack of parking spaces, it is strongly recommended avoiding driving a car within San Miguel. Taxis are extremely inexpensive and reliable, and they can take you anywhere in or outside San Miguel you'd want to go when you don't feel like walking. Additionally, San Miguel has its own pleasant and reliable bus system that serves the entire town, including out-of-the-way areas like Gigante and the bus depot. Leave your car in a parking lot in the outskirts of the City - it's entirely unnecessary here, and its suspension will thank you.

Another warning on driving a car into San Miguel: if you manage to find a parking place on the streets rather than in one of the pay parking lots in town, do NOT leave it parked for more than 24 hours, or the police will come by and remove your rear license plate. You can get it back by going to the police station on the main square, but it will cost you MN$ 99 in fees. There are no signs warning about this.