“Apparently one of the thriving businesses in San Miguel is the face lifting business. People come to San Miguel and get a facelift at a third of what it would cost in the U.S.A. or Canada and than spend a month or two in San Miguel recuperating….
You all may be very surprised at how young I look when I get back to Ottawa later this year….”
Our latest vacation was as far from the bathing suit version of Mexico as one can get. In fact, San Miguel de Allende is in the geographic centre of Mexico, a six-hour drive in either direction to the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.
A friend’s 50th birthday brought us to this unique destination. Being an art lover and off-the-beaten path kind of world traveller, she invited us to join her in a luxurious rented villa in the heart of the historic centre of San Miguel.
Art galleries, fine jewellers, restaurants, bars, curio shops, 5-star hotels, ancient churches, lively markets, beautiful parks, and outdoor festivals abound and all of this is offered under a clear blue sky with temperatures of 70-80 degrees. Each night, in the town square under the gorgeously lit gothic spires of La Parroquia Catholic Church, locals and tourists alike dance to Mariachi bands, dine at outdoor cafes, or simply visit on the many park benches.
At cocktail hour, on our exquisite roof top deck with views at least 200 miles to the Northwest, we sipped margaritas and listened to a marching band practise in the park a few blocks away. We watched the sun set slowly like a crimson ball of fire melting at the edge of a purple sky. We even shared in the spectacle of a neighbour’s hobby as he released his white doves and watched them as they soared over the rooftops.
As the hour slipped by, lights began to appear in the villa windows and church spires before us, like a symphony of sparkles growing ever brighter on a darkening desert stage.
San Miguel lures artists from around the world and is home to a renowned art institute, Instituto Allende. It also offers such astounding imagery and creative inspiration, writers flock to its fertile setting.
There are lots of things to do in the San Miguel de Allende area, including excursions out-side the city to some once-in-a-lifetime experiences. There is the Monarch Butterfly Bio-sphere where up to one billion migrating butterflies ascend each year. The Canada de La Virgen pyramids one hour away, recently opened after a decade of research and restoration. We took this morning excursion with a knowledgeable and very entertaining archeo-logical expert who had worked on the site. It was thoroughly enjoyable and a very unusual adventure.
Many Canadians and Americans go to San Miguel De Allende every year. Some people love it so much they move there permanently. Toller Cranston, Canada’s figure skating legend and now highly collected fine artist has a gallery and home there.
I think it is a lovely place to visit and a memorable and safe holiday destination.
United States’ First Lady’s interview on Safety in Mexico
Here is video of First Lady Michelle Obama in an interview from Mexico City, where she declared it to be safe to travel to Mexico. She said she would encourage Americans to come to Mexico. This despite the fact that 23,000 people have been killed in drug violence in Mexico in the last three years.
Crime in Mexico has kept travelers away from some parts of the country that are riddled with the results of drug cartel operations. Everything from murder to mass graves and the acts of brutal drug lords has caused the U.S. Department of State to issue warnings against travel south of the border. Still, there are a number of places deemed safe by a variety of sources that are worth a look if not a trip to visit.
Our first five safe places to visit come from the San Francisco Chronicle’s Five Safest Places in Mexico. At only 1.1 deaths per 100,000, the agricultural state of Tlaxcala is rated as Mexico’s safest state followed by the Yucatán at 1.3 that has a well-developed tourist infrastructure and thousands of archaeological sites.
Up next is Puebla at 1.85 with 2,600 historic buildings, a wealth of archaeological sites, and virtually nonstop festivals originating in five distinct pre-hispanic cultures ahead of the small state of Querétaro with just 2.02 deaths per 100,000. Best-known for its role in ending Spanish rule, the state also claims three of Mexico’s major wineries and maintains a Cheese and Wine Museum.
Tapping Lonely Planet for more safe places to visit in Mexico we find Mexico City, now cleaned up to be a ‘Disney version’ of its former gritty self, Todos Santos where “well-heeled New Mexico artists, organic farmers and even some Hollywood types have snapped up property and put down roots” and San Miguel de Allendewhere regular festivals, fireworks and parades dominate the local scene.
Renewed Baja California Sur, sfgate tells us, was the first flash point when President Calderón upset the drug cartels’ equilibrium and has been barely touched by drug violence. Adventure travelers will find hiking, kayaking, surfing and windsurfing, zip-lines, cave paintings and hot springs here.
“If it’s resorts you want,” says Lonely Planet, Huatulco is a rare success story in recent resort development. This former fishing village has become the Oaxacan beach resort of choice lately, benefiting from its gentle development plan that keeps much of the 12 miles of sandy shoreline completely unspoiled and the town under six-stories high.”
Finally, rapidly growing Playa Del Carmen comes in to round out our list of ten safe places to visit in Mexico. More than a day trip for cruise passengers, visitors come from all over the world in what looks to be a very safe destination, just one of the many we found in Mexico.
