Historical circumstance left this colorful city remarkably intact.
Admiring her own glass was the manager, Eva Corti, an effortlessly stylish Italian with straight-cut blond bangs.
“See how clear it is?”
Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock
“No imperfections.”
Then we sipped, and warm tequila fuzzies floated through me.
After we’d done some more sipping, Corti told me about herself.
From left: A musician walks past the bright exterior of the Church of the Immaculate Conception on Canal Street; a man and his donkey on Correo Street, near the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel.Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock
The place has that effect on people.
After World War II, veterans came to study there on the G.I.
Bill, sending word of its wonders back to the States.
Before long, it was a top vacation and retirement destination for Americans.
And now, it’s the top city destination in the world, according to Travel+Leisure readers.
As a result, historic San Miguel has survived intact.
The view of the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel from Luna Rooftop Bar, at the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende.Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock
As we ate, I asked Martinez how he felt about the recent global popularity of Mexican cuisine.
“I think it’s great,” he said.
“But I could never pay so much money for tacos.”
From left: An antiques-filled guest room at the Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada; mushrooms in an escabeche at Hotel Amparo.Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock
Though I ate my other meals at the Rosewood alone, they were no less lovely.
Befitting the restaurant’s name, my cappuccino came with a sprig of locally grown lavender.
My bowl of chilaquiles was delicate, spicy, and comforting, all at the same time.
Lauren Breedlove/Travel + Leisure
(Solution: book a longer stay.)
Belmond’s renovation coincided with several openings that further diversify the hotel options in San Miguel.
Owned by a pair of Houston art collectors, it contains an appealing mix of modern works and antiques.
I’d already had breakfast, but Morales insisted I have another.
He pointed out the small school attended by all the kids on the ranch.
It started to rain, so my companions gave me a canvas poncho to go with my straw sombrero.
It was dusk when we got back to the compound, but there were no lights on.
Morin explained that, to this day, Rancho Xotolar has no electricity.
It was as delicious as anything I ate in town.
I wandered alone past burly indigenous cacti, breathing in the tranquil sweetness of the place.
A flock of ducks landed on Las Colonias reservoir, which sits at the center of the gardens.
I decided to cross the old dam to check out a ruined hacienda I’d seen on my map.
A couple crossed from the other side, the first people I’d seen since entering the preserve.
Just as my lips started to make thebinbuenas tardes, the man said my name.
It was Bernardo Morales, from Hotel Amparo.
“It’s my first time here,” he told me.
“I just moved to San Miguel three months ago.”
Then we went our separate ways.
Make an appointment at theCasa Dragones Tasting Roomfor the tastiest tequila in town.
Activities
Many hotels can arrange half-day riding tours atRancho Xotolar.
