✈️ Why We Chose San Miguel de Allende as Our Winter Retreat
Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel: The Iconic Heart of San Miguel de Allende
It really started back in the fall of 2021. We knew we wanted to get away during the cold, dark stretch of January. Living in the Pacific Northwest, that time of year can feel pretty long—grey skies, rain, and not much sun. What we were after was simple: warm days, sunshine, and a break from the drizzle.
After talking with a few friends, we landed on Mexico. That part was easy. The harder question was… where in Mexico? Since being on the beach wasn’t a must for us, the number one place that kept coming up was San Miguel de Allende.
So, we did what everyone does—we started researching flights, looking at places to stay, and before long… we just went for it. We booked a 10-day trip for early January 2022.
🦠 Traveling During COVID
At the time, the world was still very much dealing with COVID. The Delta variant was spreading, cases were still rising in many places, and it was something people thought about every single day. Travel wasn’t back to normal, but it was starting to open up.
Mexico made things relatively easy. Entry requirements were minimal, masks were still common, and places like San Miguel were open—but noticeably quieter than usual. Looking back, it was actually a pretty unique time to visit.
✈️ Getting There
Getting from Seattle to San Miguel is a bit of a journey—it’s a full-day, two-flight trip.
We flew American Airlines from Seattle (SEA) to León (BJX) with a stop in Dallas. Other options are United through Houston or Aeroméxico through Mexico City.. Since our flight landed after 10:00 PM, we stayed overnight at Fiesta Inn Suites Aeropuerto del Bajío near the airport in the town of Silao, then took a BajioGo door-to-door shuttle the next morning into San Miguel. Easy, smooth, and definitely the way to do it after a long travel day.
The Spring House at Casas Primavera
🏡 First Stay: Just a Taste
For that first trip, we rented an Airbnb in a newer condo complex.
What we didn’t fully realize at the time was that it sat about a 30-minute walk downhill from the city center. Not a big deal going down… but you definitely feel it on the way back up. It was a short trip—just 10 days—but it didn’t take long for us to know:
We’d be back, And next time… for longer.
Centro, 4 Private Bedrooms, Casual Luxury, Sunsets
📅 2025: The Return Trip
Fast forward to February/March of 2025, and we were back.
This time, we “moved down the hill” and rented a much larger Airbnb, Honestly, bigger than we needed—but we got upgraded to accommodate the owners, who were selling the original unit we had booked.
What was supposed to be a 4-week stay turned into 5. At the three-week mark, we looked at each other and thought, why not? We had the time, there were no airline change fees… so we stayed another week. No regrets.
We had friends visit from the Pacific Northwest, explored more of San Miguel, and even took side trips to Guanajuato and Dolores Hidalgo by bus.
Pasport Control In Mexico
😬 A Quick Travel Lesson
The only hiccup came on the way home. When I handed over my passport, the airline agent said, “Your visa has expired.” What she meant was the entry stamp. When we arrived in Mexico, the immigration officer asked how long we’d be staying. I said, “About a month.” He stamped it… for 15 days.
That led to a bit of an adventure at the airport:
Filling out multiple forms
A visit to the immigration office
And an $80 USD penalty
Lesson learned
👉 Be very clear on how long you’re staying
👉 And always double-check the date stamped in your passport
After that, the trip home was smooth—but it’s something we won’t forget.
✈️ 2026: Finding Our Sweet Spot
By April of 2025, we had already booked our return for 2026.
And once again… we moved a little further down the hill.
This time, we hit the sweet spot. We rented and Airbnb that would comfortably provide space for us and friends from the Pacific Northwest and family from New Mexico,
The location, the space, the feel of it—it all just worked. We’ll link the full details in our “Where We Call Home in San Miguel de Allende” post here.
Now, as we head into the final stretch of this stay, we’re still discovering new things every day:
Streets we hadn’t walked
Shops we hadn’t stepped into
And of course… more food than we can keep up with
❤️ Final Thoughts
Every time we leave San Miguel, we say the same thing, “Let’s come back—and stay longer next time.”, and so far,… we keep doing exactly that.
Looking Down To The Center From Our Street