Visit San Miguel de Allende’s art galleries
Stroll around the cobbled streets of colonial San Miguel de Allende, Mexico’s capital of art, and explore the dozens of museums, galleries, studios, workshops which are open to the public.
San Miguel de Allende, one of a necklet of mountain towns northwest of Mexico City founded during the era of Spanish colonial rule, is probably considered the art capital of Mexico. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the exquisite town is a work of art in itself. The settlement was originally the site of a Franciscan mission, but was developed by the Spanish owing to its strategic position on the route to the nearby silver mining towns and became the home to some of the richest silver barons in the country. San Miguel played a role during the war of independence but its reputation as a centre of the arts was triggered by the founding of the Fine Arts school and a course in mural painting in the 1930s.
Since then the town has been a magnet for painters, sculptors, photographers and craftsmen from all corners of Mexico and other parts of the world including the USA and many have settled here: it is now an outward-looking, friendly and peaceful place. Nowadays there are more than 40 galleries, workshops and museums in the town, all welcoming visitors and exhibiting a huge variety of objets d’art, textiles, photographs and sculptures. If you are tempted to try your own hand at the creative arts there are plenty of courses available.
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Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
Rosie embarked on a year-long backpacking trip across Latin America. She is excited to share her knowledge and experiences with others.
Finn discovered his passion for travel on an extensive 18-month trip to Latin America, experiencing the vibrant Carnaval in Rio, the end-of-the-world city of Ushuaia, trekking the Andes and volunteering on the Galápagos Islands.
Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.
Gary discovered what he had been missing with his first foray into the wilds of Latin America. In his role as Product Manager, he combines this personal obsession with years of industry experience to help ensure that travellers will fall for the region every bit as much as he has.
