Why San Miguel de Allende Is the Perfect Family Travel Destination

Rooftops in San Miguel (Photo: Julia Pemberton Hellums)

Finding a travel destination to satisfy the entire family can be a challenge, especially when your “children” are teenagers. The right balance of culture, adventure, and relaxation can be hard to find when the kids and parents have different ideas about what the vacation’s priorities should be. My husband and I wanted to give our family a more authentic visit to Mexico than what a beach resort might offer, and our teenagers wanted a sense of independence and to do more than museum trips and historic sites. San Miguel de Allende was the perfect mix of historic culture, fun, and safe adventure for all of us.

San Miguel de Allende is one of Mexico’s most picturesque colonial cities, with beautiful baroque architecture, clear blue skies, and an artsy expatriate vibe. The centro historico (historic center) is an 18th-century time capsule with a safer, simpler sense of community than can be found in most tourist destinations. A relatively short plane ride from the U.S. with no jet lag, this charming, almost completely pedestrian city satisfied our craving for a family-friendly vacation to an international destination with historic culture and beauty.

San Miguel de Allende Cathedral (Photo: Julia Pemberton Hellums)

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We felt safe enough to allow our teenagers to walk during the day from our hotel to shops and parks within the city center on their own, which added to their enjoyment and appreciation of San Miguel. The steep cobblestone streets require serious walking shoes to navigate the town’s charming colonial passages, however — no wedges or flip-flops here.

With what we saved on airfare to Europe, we decided to splurge on our accommodations and stayed at the stunning Rosewood San Miguel de Allende. Unlike many luxury hotels, the Rosewood goes out of its way to accommodate vacationing families. The hotel has a beautiful poolside kid’s club facility for little ones under 12 and a comprehensive offering of activities and excursions for older kids and parents, including balloon rides, hiking, mountain biking, cooking, and art classes. They even have a first-class spa facility. But what really charmed my family were the loving details, like the kid-sized slippers and bathrobes and the exquisite “children’s minibar” that welcomed us to our room. The kid-friendly selection of candy and authentic Mexican handcrafted toys housed in a brightly painted dollhouse stole our hearts.

The kids’ minibar (Photo: Julia Pemberton Hellums)

The hotel’s rooftop bar, Luna Rooftop Tapas Bar, provides one of the most beautiful views in town. It has a reasonably priced light-bites menu and a casual atmosphere that we recommend you experience even if you are not staying at the hotel.

Food can be a challenging area for families on vacation. San Miguel de Allende offers both a very high quality of authentic Mexican cooking and, because of the large expat community, an extensive number of good international cuisine options. With welcoming cafés on every corner, the town never leaves you hungry or without a charming spot in which to rest your feet. The local cuisine can be appreciated and experienced in numerous establishments, but when your finickiest family member has had one too many tortillas and requires a bagel or a European-style croissant for breakfast, most cravings can be addressed with something delicious. Bagel Café is an expat outpost, with a menu that includes bagels, a BLT sandwich, and even Texas chili. It is located close to the central Jardín and has seating in a funky outdoor garden setting. Chocolate y Churros San Agustin is the favorite for an authentic Mexican hot chocolate and churros fix. It is busy serving from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day.

Chocolate y Churros San Agustin (Photo: Julia Pemberton Hellums)

Any trip to Mexico would not be complete without visiting the local food and art markets. The kaleidoscope of colorful displays and homegrown entrepreneurial energy is a unique experience and fun for kids of all ages. San Miguel de Allende boasts a number of entertaining outdoor markets. The Mercado de Artesanías is located in the descending alleyway between the Mercado Ignacio Ramírez (the local food and flower market) and Calle Loreto and has a large selection of arts and crafts from the region as well as from Oaxaca and Michoacán. Affordable trinkets can be found for kid shoppers with minimal allowance money. My kids enjoyed practicing their Spanish and testing their bargaining skills at the numerous craft stalls at the market.

There’s a lot for teens to do in San Miguel. (Photo: Julia Pemberton Hellums)

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Most museum visits are family vacation detours that need serious negotiations in order to get on with the itinerary. Museo la Esquina

, a toy museum, is the exception. Housed in a light and airy five-story building, the museum has hands-on play stations as well as a rooftop area that offers a bird’s-eye view of the city. It’s a worthwhile stop whether or not you are traveling with little ones. The exhibits provide an inspirational look at the artistic possibilities of handmade toys when only the simplest materials are used. Many of the toys are as whimsically brilliant as Alexander Calder’s circus pieces and are certainly worthy of museum-collection status.

Museo la Esquina (Photo: Julia Pemberton Hellums)

Mexico came alive in all its color and celebration as we walked the colonial streets and sat in the plazas and gardens of San Miguel de Allende. What made this family vacation successful was that hanging out together happened in a unique and easily accessible setting while at the same time helping us to appreciate another culture. It took us away from our home routine and digital devices, something that might not have happened at a beach-style resort. The authenticity of the experience gave us a memorable opportunity to connect with each other.

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