The founder of the local sustainable and organic ranch Vía Orgánica offers an authentic native’s view of San Miguel de Allende.
After living in the U.S. for several years, Rosana returned to San Miguel de Allende with her husband about 20 years ago. She subsequently co-founded Vía Orgánica, with support from the Organic Consumers Association, as a community project. The goal was to educate the local community about the importance of organic agriculture, as well as to incentivize the locals to stay in the region and cultivate its land to create economic opportunities in their own backyard.
From Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, walk straight out to the Parque Benito Juárez, which sometimes hosts open-air craft markets. You can also find a beautiful art center, Fábrica la Aurora, just a few minutes away. From there, walk east to the botanical gardens, Charco del Ingenio, which is the perfect place for artists to get inspired.
Lavanda Cafe is a little coffee shop that showcases beans sourced from all over Mexico and is most well-known for its coffee accented with locally grown lavender. There’s Zenteno, which features beans from Veracruz that they bring in while still green. For a beautiful al fresco experience, I love to sit outside at La Sacristia Café, which is tucked away in an alcove right off the town square.
Located in a former textile factory, Fabrica La Aurora is an art and design center full of galleries and home décor shops. I particularly like Sual Glass from Mexican designer Susana Alonso and La Bottega di Casa which sells handmade textiles and linens. Patio Décor offers home furnishings as well as beautiful ceramics from artist Lesley B Fay.
I firmly believe in holistic healing, and this is very much part of our culture in San Miguel de Allende. At Mercado de Artesanias, there are two family-owned stalls that have been selling sell herbs and natural remedies for over 80 years. La Victoriana is another herbalist boutique in town specializing in botanical beauty and wellness.
I love to go to places where you can taste the freshness of the produce. Jacques is an organic daytime café on one of the most picturesque streets in town, Del Pueblito, and offers a wide range of vegan and vegetarian options. For dinner, The Restaurant is famous for its more upscale food – the chef, Donnie, also grows a lot of his own vegetables.
For swimming, head to the thermal waters of La Gruta, which contain sulfur and minerals. Part of it is underground, where a waterfall hits you like a massage. It’s a great place to spend half a day. The pyramids of Cañada de la Virgen are also remarkable. They weren’t discovered until 1995, and then excavation started in 2002 and took almost 10 years. It’s a great way to connect with how San Miguel first started.
The rooftop restaurant, Luna, is one of my favorite places in the city. Whether it’s a full meal or just a cocktail at sunset, the experience is always magical.
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