Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- The two major airports are the Mexico City airport, which is 3 1/2 hours away (and has direct bus transportation to nearby Querétaro) and the León/Guanajuato airport, 1 1/2 hours away.

By Car -- You have a choice of two routes for the 3 1/2-hour trip from Mexico City -- a Querétaro bypass or via Celaya. The former is shorter -- take Highway 57, a four-lane freeway, north toward Querétaro. Past the Tequisquiapan turnoff is an exit on the right marked A SAN MIGUEL. This toll road bypasses Querétaro and crosses Highway 57 again north of town. Here it narrows to two lanes and becomes Highway 111. Some 30km (20 miles) farther is San Miguel.

From Guanajuato, the quick route is to go south from the city a short distance on Highway 110, then east on a secondary, paved road passing near the village of Joconoxtle. For the long but scenic route, which passes through Dolores Hidalgo, go northeast on Highway 110 through Dolores, then south on Highway 51. If you drive this route, take a break and experience a slice of rural Mexican life near the small community of Santa Rosa, where a few restaurants serve the local mezcal de la sierra, a locally distilled firewater that makes tequila taste positively smooth.

By Bus -- From Mexico City airport: AeroPlus buses (tel. 55/5786-9357) leave directly from the airport for Querétaro about every half-hour and cost $22 (£12). They leave from outside Gate E-2. Getting there is a little confusing, and the signs don't help much. When you get to the E-2 area take the ramp or elevator up one floor and walk down a concourse that crosses over the passenger pickup area. At the end of the concourse are the ticketing booths for the different buses. Buy your ticket there, then take the elevator down to the ground floor.

From Mexico City's Terminal Norte: First-class buses take 4 hours (with one stop in Querétaro). The company ETN has the best service, with wide seats that recline far back (four buses per day). Primera Plus has two buses per day. Regular service is handled by Flecha Amarilla with buses leaving every 40 minutes. Another option is to take a bus to Querétaro and change buses.

From Querétaro: Local buses run to San Miguel every 20 minutes (Flecha Amarilla and Herradura de Plata have alternating departures). If you arrive in Querétaro by first-class bus, you'll be in Terminal A. Go out the door, turn right, and walk to Terminal B.

From Guanajuato: ETN has three nonstop superdeluxe buses per day. Primera Plus/Servicios Coordinados has four nonstop buses per day.

To/from Laredo and Nuevo Laredo: Four companies offer an overnight first-class bus to/from Laredo or Nuevo Laredo: Autobuses Americanos (tel. 415/154-8233 or www.autobusesamericanos.com.mx) crosses the border to Laredo; Futura (tel. 415/152-2237), Primera Plus (tel. 01-800/375-7587 in Mexico) and Omnibus de México (tel. 01-800/765-6636 in Mexico or www.odm.com.mx) go to Nuevo Laredo. The trip takes 12 hours and costs around $60. From San Miguel there is one departure per day per company. The four buses leave San Miguel between 6 and 7pm. Departure times from Laredo and Nuevo Laredo are also around 6 or 7pm.

The bus station in San Miguel is 2km (1 1/2 miles) west of town on the westward extension of Calle Canal. Taxis to town are cheap ($3/£1.65) and available at all hours. An office in the center of San Miguel sells tickets for AeroPlus buses from Querétaro to the Mexico City airport, as well as for all other buses operated by Primera Plus or Servicios Coordinados. Its new location is at Calle Sollano 23 (tel. 415/152-5043). Office hours are from 9am to 5pm Monday through Saturday.

Visitor Information

The city's tourist information office is in the ayuntamiento (city hall) facing El Jardín. The address is Plaza Principal 8, and the phone is tel. 415/152-0900. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 8pm, Saturday from 10am to 8pm, and Sunday from 10am to 5:30pm.

City Layout

Groomed Indian laurel trees shade San Miguel's central square, El Jardín. The center of city life, El Jardín is the point of reference for all places in the middle of town and is bounded by Correo (Post Office St.), San Francisco, Hidalgo, and Reloj.

Getting Around

Most places in San Miguel are within walking distance, so a car isn't necessary. Buses to outlying villages (La Taboada thermal pool, for example) leave from the little plaza by the mercado. Taxis to places inside town should not cost more than $3 (£1.65), unless ordered from a hotel.

Special Events

San Miguel celebrates 30 to 40 festivals a year. These are just the standouts: January 17 is the Blessing of the Animals. In the morning, locals bring their decorated pets and farm animals to the town's churches to be doused with holy water. The first Friday in March celebrates Our Lord of the Conquest, and the day before is filled with music, fireworks, and decorated teams of oxen. After a celebratory Mass, there is dancing by the concheros (traditional Aztec dancers). Two weeks before Holy Week is the procession of Our Lord of the Column. Between then and Easter Sunday there are more processions, and altars are set up in honor of La Virgen Dolorosa. In May is the Festival of the Holy Cross. In June around Saint Anthony's Day is the Fiesta de los Locos (Festival of the Madmen), when many dress up in carnavalesque costumes and go cavorting about the center of town. August begins the preparatory festivals for September 29, the festival of San Miguel's patron saint. Parades, fireworks, and band concerts continue throughout September. On one weekend in September, the town holds a pamplonada (running of the bulls) -- it produces a lot of public drunkenness and carousing in the central part of town. I would avoid it. At the beginning of November is the Day of the Dead, followed by the Christmas fiestas. In addition to all of this, you have the Chamber Music Festival in summer, Jazz Music Festival in the fall, and a couple of arts fairs that occur on varying dates.