El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden

#1 El Jardin (Zocalo) El Jardin is San Miguel's main plaza, located in the heart of the city. At the Zocalo, as El Jardin is often called, you can spend time people-watching, perusing ... Read more » RightIndex / Flickr

#2 Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel Intricate, pink pinnacles poking through the skyline will help you locate the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel, a towering parish church overlooking El Jardin from the southern side of the ... Read more » Trsitan Higbee / Flickr

#3 Fabrica La Aurora A textile mill from 1902 to 1991, Fabrica La Aurora has since become an art-lover's paradise in northern San Miguel. Just a short walk north from El Jardin, the ... Read more » OhNo!Doom Collective / Flickr

#4 Instituto Allende The picturesque Instituto Allende has been drawing art students to San Miguel de Allende for more than 50 years. Originally built in 1736 as the home of the noble Condes ... Read more » Courtesy Instituto Allende

#5 Public Library (Biblitoecta Publica de San Miguel de Allende) If you wouldn't normally include a library on your vacation itinerary, you might want to reconsider when you're in San Miguel. The city's Public Library has an ... Read more » Biblioteca de San Miguel de Allende A.C.

#6 El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden Much of San Miguel's splendor can be discovered in its abundance of manmade beauty, but at El Charco del Ingenio, nature is the aesthetic draw. At this more than ... Read more » Tristan Higbee / Flickr

#7 Escondido Place When the buzz of the city's nearly countless cafes and shops leaves you in need of some quiet time, travel 7 miles northwest from San Miguel's center to ... Read more » Alan Pérez / Courtesy Escondido Place

#8 Another Face of Mexico (La Otra Cara de Mexico) The artsy culture of San Miguel permeates many of the city's quirky museums. One prime example of the town's imaginative culture is the Another Face of Mexico (La ... Read more » Vladislav Gurfinkel / Shutterstock

#10 Canada de la Virgen Home to a 40-acre archaeological site, Cañada de La Virgen is a sprawling nature preserve located just 15 miles west of San Miguel de Allende. Explore the site and you ... Read more » ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock.com

#11 La Esquina Toy Museum Childhood amusement is on display at La Esquina Toy Museum, where the collection includes more than 1,000 handcrafted toys. The popular museum was dreamed up by San Miguel resident ... Read more » Bon Adrien / Flickr