After 5 fun-filled days in Mérida, it was time to move on. So, on Friday June 14 we took a short 2 1/2 hr flight, departing at noon from the airport in Mérida (MID) - which, I repeat, is a very nice airport. This time we all left together on the same flight, via Volaris. We arrived in the afternoon at (BJX) Del Bajío International Airport in Guanajuato and hired a private van shuttle to transport us to San Miguel de Allende - some 90 minutes away.
Our airbnb was a newly remodeled home in Colonia San Rafael (in Mexico they call their neighborhoods, colonias, instead of barrios like they do in Costa Rica). As is usual in many of the historic cities, you have no idea what's behind the walls until you get inside.
Our Colonia
We met up with our new expat friends, Glenn & Ria from the SF Bay Area the following day for breakfast at a little cafe called Oso Azul (in the centro) where we received some much needed info and advice about living in San Miguel. Ria & Glenn have been in San Miguel for about a year.
We did a LOT of walking around the centro ( there are only 24 blocks of narrow streets that make up the Unesco World Heritage site in San Miguel de Allende) and believe me, I don't think it's possible to take a bad photo. There was so much to see and each brightly colored building was unique in its own way.
Which is my favorite colonia?
I have so many pictures, and of course it's not possible for me to post them all here (i have many posted on FB as well), but... if you are interested, let me show you my most FAVORITE neighborhood (to date).
Originally, Fray Juan de San Miguel and the Franciscans built a chapel near the railroad station and a small pueblito (village) formed around it. They named it San Miguel – today the area is known as San Miguel Viejo. Another monk of the time of Fray Juan de San Miguel, Fray Bernardo Cossin moved to higher areas of San Miguel, where a spring was providing fresh water. This area is known today as El Chorro. You may see on certain days women washing their clothes there. At the same time El Chorro serves also as an exhibition place for artists and their works.
We stumbled upon this beautiful colonia because another new expat friend Stephanie, took us on a walk - this is in her neighborhood
If you walk south from the centro there is an abundance of greenery as you enter the neighborhood called El Parque. Lots of towering trees, creeping vines, and flower-covered balconies bring shade and poetic beauty to the cobbled streets.
In its center you’ll find el Parque Benito Juarez, a tranquil oasis where locals exercise, socialize, relax and play.
Almost hidden by a multitude of soaring trees, El Chorro (the spring) is a steep little hill whose springs supply the city with water. It is built around one of San Miguel’s most winding streets and is known as the Lombard street (San Francisco) of San Miguel and is one of the most scenic promenades in the city.
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