Draped over a mountainside overlooking a fertile river valley in the state of Guanajuato, San Miguel has managed to conserve its historical center, including some of Mexico's finest examples of eighteenth century architecture. Since the 1930s this peaceful retreat has attracted an international community of artists and writers. An important educational resource in San Miguel is the Public Library, founded as a nonprofit organization by the expatriot U.S. community in 1954. Today it houses more than 40,000 books in English and Spanish. San Miguel de Allende offers numerous and varied services for visitors, including furnished apartments, hotels, restaurants, crafts shops and hot springs.
Many visitors decide to take up permanent or semi-permanent residence here.
The surrounding region has much to explore, including pre-Hispanic ruins, early Spanish missions, colonial mining towns, haciendas and natural wonders. The Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Carribean Sea can easily be reached by plane or bus.