Discovering San Miguel de Allende

Have you ever been to a place and said to yourself, this is it! This is where I want to be! This is where I want to live? Well that is what happened to us when we spent a week, in San Miguel de Allende.

We had explored Mexico, extensively. We had traveled through Baja, Durango, Sonora, spent time on the northern beaches, lived for 7 years outside of Colima, traveled to Cancun, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Michoacan, you name it and we had been there. We had even been to Guanajuato a few times but never to San Miguel de Allende.

Then we decided to spend a week in San Miguel. After just three days, we knew, this was THE place we had been searching for.

San Miguel de Allende has culture, beauty, great restaurants, friendly people, lots of history, beautiful colonial architecture, temperate climate and we could be at the beach within a day’s drive or a short flight from the nearby Leon or Quertero airports. Plus the cost of living is very reasonable. What more could you ask for? (Did I mention cobble stone streets?)

No wonder it is called the jewel of colonial Mexico and was declared a National Monument in 1926.

So we did what any crazy person would do, we found a place to rent, and within the week, we went back to our house in Colima, packed everything and moved to San Miguel de Allende.

My favorite thing to do in San Miguel de Allende is to spend the day riding ATV’s or laying by the pools at La Gruta or Taboada Hot Springs. At night, we love to have a great dinner and a glass of wine with friends at one of the numerous restaurants in San Miguel. Afterwards we enjoy a stroll through the Jardin Principal, and listen to the Mariachis, while gazing upwards at the beautiful and wondrous Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel. At night, I never tire of looking at La Parroquia with the lights shining on the pink sandstone and its looming gothic towers. Iglesia San Rafael, otherwise known as Santa Esquela- sits to the left of the Parroquia. It is beautiful as well. It reminds me of the Tower of London.

Many people come to San Miguel for the art galleries and art schools such as Instituto Allende but don’t forget about the wonderful cooking schools as well.

San Miguel has a lot to offer. Come and discover why we and many others have chosen San Miguel de Allende as a vacation destination or as a place to call home Use Rimowa to make the journey easier.

To learn more about San Miguel de Allende, go to: www.whatshotinsanmiguel.com

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Javier Olivera lives and works in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He has created the most complete internet city guide for San Miguel de Allende. For more information about San Miguel de Allende go to
http://www.whatshotinsanmiguel.com

Rocky Point is the name gringos have given to Puerto Penasco, Sonora Mexico. It is just 60 miles over the border from Lukeville, Arizona. It is 210 miles west of Tucson Arizona and 210 miles south of Phoenix. Visitors from out of the area you can fly into Phoenix International Airport rent a car and drive the short four-hour drive to the beach community.

Rocky Point is a delightful get away at the top of the shimmering Sea of Cortez. Currently it is one of the fastest growing communities in Sonora, and all of Mexico. Once a sleepy fishing village it has recently been discovered by vacationers and investors. This beautiful place has magnificent beaches to play on, ancient lava tide pools to explore, sea shells to collect, breathtaking sunsets and sunrises that bring tears to our eyes, fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, sunset boat trips and more. Take a day trip by boat to see Bird Island and swim with the sea lions. Watch porpoises play and whales
surface.

You can rent a big beach house in Los Conchas for a laid back relaxing stress-melting experience or rent a condo in a resort complex with lots of amenities including hot tub, spa, swimming pools, a bar and restaurant close by.

There are several first class restaurants for dining and seafood is the specialty in many of them. Chefs prepare gourmet delights that are guaranteed to excite the most discerning palate. Nightlife and entertainment abound and there is something for every taste from Jazz to Rap.

A big bonus is that Rocky Point is a free port and it is easy to cross the border into Mexico with no visitor’s permit required. However a valid US Passport will be needed to return to the US.

Property investment is a big plus for a second home, a vacation rental or a family get-away. A new International Airport just opened and a transcontinental coastal highway from San Luis to Hermosillo will be completed on 2008. Investments will just keep growing as property values rise.

Property lots are held in a trust account secured through the Mexican Government and administered by a Mexican Bank. They are safe and protected. Mexican Law prohibits foreigners from owning land within 31 miles of a coast shore and 63 miles from an International border.

If you’re looking for a relaxing and fun Holiday vacation spot—or for a place to invest consider Rocky Point, Mexico you will be glad you did.

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Nancy O’Connor went to this sleepy fishing village in
northern Mexico in 1978 to write her first book Letting Go
With Love: The Grieving Process. She bought her first house
and in 1980 a then few more. She realized this place was a
paradise on earth and so accessible from the US. The recent
growth is phenomenal. It is a great place for a vacation
and for an
intvestment.http://www.rockypointvacationrentals.net