SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE TRAVEL GUIDE

Places to Stay - Click here for price key

Above a restaurant/pharmacy, plain Jane Aquí es Mexico ($, Hidalgo 28, tel 415/154-9976, wgordillo@hotmail.com) has absolutely no frills or charm, but it's cheap and just two blocks from the main plaza and downtown action. The restaurant is recommended for Mexican food.

At the other end of the spectrum, pricewise and style/sophistication-wise, Dos Casas ($$$$$, Umaran at Quebrada, tel 415/154-4073, www.doscasas.com.mx) has lovely, classy decor. This high-end hotel goes for more than US$400 per night, with seven tasteful suites, lots of amenities, and a rooftop bar--bistro.

Five minutes from the bus station and the bottom of Canal Street, Casa Hotel San Rafael ($, Jose Maria Arevalo 55, off Calzada de la Estación, tel 415/152-3639) has clean and acceptable budget digs.

Places to Eat - Click here for price key

El Faro: See the Meal Deal

Burrito Bistro ($--$$, Correo 45, tel 415/154-8956, closed Sun.) has a delicious Mediterranean salad, reasonably priced appetizers, and burritos in various sizes, in whole wheat or white flour tortillas, with or without sauce.

Donovan ($$--$$$, Hidalgo 15, tel 415/152-4493) is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try the eggs Benedict or Florentine, the burger with fries, a delicious entree of chicken breast stuffed with asparagus and spinach, or the house special, rack of lamb. It's run by the owner, who managed Mama Mía for years.

El Rinconcito ($$, Refugio 7, Col. San Antonio, tel. 415/154-4809) is a pleasant, family-run mid-day restaurant convenient for those staying in San Antonio neighborhood. They serve mainly Mexican specialties, and some international food.

Harry's New Orleans Bar-Restaurant ($$$$, Hidalgo 12, tel. 415/152-2645, www.harrysmexico.com) is a beautiful New Orleans-style bar and restaurant, with super attentive service and good if pricey food. The bar is a magnet for Americans and upper-crust Mexicans, many looking for dates with high-rollers.

La Brasserie ($$--$$$, Calle Jesús 11 at the back, tel. 415-152-3161; closed Sun. & Mon.). Good value on dinner specials between 5 and 10 p.m. Go on the earlier side for best selection of desserts and entrées; there are usually several choices of each.

Festivals

SMA Chamber Music Festival (www.chambermusicfestival.com)

SMA Jazz & Blues Festival ( www.sanmigueljazz.com)

Short Film Festival (www.expresionencorto.com)

Things to do/Venues

Bellas Artes (Hernández Macias 75, tel 415/152-0289) for yoga, classes and lectures

Biblioteca Pública (Insurgentes 25) has movies and plays, lectures and recitals; Café Santa Ana is a hangout for coffee, snacks and backgammon

El Charco del Ingeniero (one km out of town past Mega grocery store, tel. 415/154-4715, www.elcharco.org.mx)

Hash House Harriers (http://smahhh.wetpaint.com) meet Mondays at 3 p.m. at the Longhorn Smokehouse Restaurant located at 8 Calle Nueve between Ancha de San Antonio and Parque Juarez.

Instituto Allende (Ancha de San Antonio 20, tel 415/152-0190, www.instituto-allende.edu.mx) for art and Spanish classes; has a couple good cafes and restaurants. Once a month arts/crafts fair.

Also a pretty bar-restaurant, The Market Bistro (Hernandez Macias 95) shows movies daily at 1:30, 4, 7 p.m. Look for the schedule on the door ahead of time. For 50 pesos you also get popcorn and two soft drinks or beers, or one margarita.

Shopping

Fábrica La Aurora (Camino a La Aurora s/n, continuation of Hidalgo, www.laaurora.com.mx) has mainly high-end fine art, jewelry, and furnishing shops. Mostly contemporary pieces, plus some antiques.

La Victoriana (Hernández Macias 72-1, tel 415/152-6903), across the street from Bellas Artes, sells natural creams, lotions, perfumes, and various essences and soaps that make nice gifts.

Mercado de Artesanias (Andador Lucas Balderas between Calles Loreto and Colegio) is an outdoor handcrafts market. Next door is one of two municipal markets.

At the west side of town en route to the bus station, Mercado San Juan de Dios (Calle San Rafael just off Avenida Guadalupe) attracts hardly any foreigners but has all the things used by locals. Have a look if you want off the beaten path.

Tecolote Books (Jesús 11, tel 415/152-7395, closed Sun. & Mon.) is a lovely shop with many books about Mexico as well as works of fiction.

El Tianguis (on Tuesdays only: Across the street from Liverpool mall, Salida a Queretaro). Great deals and lots of fun to shop at this one-day-a-week outdoor market.

Bars/Nightlife

Harry's (see restaurants, above)

Berlin (Umarán between Zacateros and Hernández Macias) is very popular with ex-pats. I'm told that the guys come to look at the sexy young bartenders (female), the women for the generous glasses of house wine and yummy salads, as well as other bistro plates.

Across from Berlin, Limmerick (Umarán between Zacateros and Hernández Macias) is a happening - dance bar popular with both Mexican and foreign youth, a good place to make friends if you like a lively bar scene.

Starbucks (Canal at Hidalgo, catercorner from main plaza) is popular with young Mexican teens and foreigners happy for a familiar brand.

Sunset Bar (Mesones 101, tel 415/154-4007, closed Tuesday) is a pretty venue for an afternoon cocktail or limonada.

More Info

Tourism office, north side of main plaza, Calle Canal between Relox and Hidalgo, tel. 415/152-0900, www.turismosanmiguel.com.mx.

The weekly Atención San Miguel (www.atencionsanmiguel.org) comes out on Friday morning with articles and listings of events for the coming weeks, and you can read it online, too.

Bus tickets and info

The closest airport to SMA (code: BJX) is between Leon and Guanajuato, about an hour away. San Miguel Supershuttle (tel 415/120-0001, www.sanmiguelsupershuttle.com) provides convenient transportation and also serves Queretaro, Mexico City's airport and other destinations.

The two first-class bus lines serving San Miguel de Allende are Primera Plus (www.primeraplus.com.mx) and ETN (www.etn.com.mx). Along with second-class buses, they depart from SMA's bus station, on the west side of town (Calzada de la Estación s/n). A taxi between downtown and the bus station is currently about 30 pesos, but subject to change.