One feature of San Miguel that contributes to its enduring popularity is that its cultural offerings are far out of proportion to its size. There may be no other city of this size in the Western Hemisphere that manages to produce such an array of options. On an average day, you can take in a foreign film, a reading by a visiting author, jazz or Spanish guitar performances, or an almost limitless list of courses offered at the Instituto Allende or Belles Artes.

In addition, a fiesta of some sort seems to be celebrated almost every day, numerous historic sites and gardens are waiting to be explored and, if you’re lucky, your walk through town will be spiced up by a serendipitous street performance.

The bilingual newspaper, Atencion San Miguel, which comes out every Friday, is the best source for information and schedules.