San Miguel de Allende, best travel and tour place in Mexico

In the Bajio mountains of Central Mexico, there is a small colonial destination known as San Miguel de Allende. The city is bursting with history: It was founded by a San Franciscan Monk, played a big role in the war for Mexican independence from Spain and was a vital spot on the Mexican silver trail. Today, it is best known for its colonial architecture and enchanting cobblestone streets. Historic buildings like the pink Teatro Angela Peralta and the Santuario de Atotonilco, an enormous church complex, are among the top attractions in the city.

San Miguel de Allende (Spanish pronunciation: [san mi'ɣel de a'ʎende]) is a city and municipality located in the far eastern part of the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico. It is part of the macroregion of Bajío.[1] It is 274 km (170 mi) from Mexico City, 86 km (53 mi) from Queretaro, and 97 km (60 mi) from the state capital of Guanajuato.[2][dead link] Historically, the town is important as being the birthplace of Mexican General Ignacio Allende, whose surname was added to the town’s name in 1826, as well as the first municipality declared independent of Spanish rule by the nascent insurgent army during the Mexican War of Independence. San Miguel de Allende was also a critical epicenter during the historic Chichimeca War (1540-1590) where the Chichimeca Confederation defeated the Spanish Empire in the initial colonization war. Today, the town is a proclaimed World Heritage Site, attracting thousands of tourists and new residents from abroad every year.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the town was in danger of becoming a ghost town after an influenza pandemic. Gradually, its Baroque/Neoclassical colonial structures were "discovered" by foreign artists who moved in and began art and cultural institutes such as the Instituto Allende and the Escuela de Bellas Artes. This gave the town a reputation, attracting artists such as David Alfaro Siqueiros, who taught painting.

This attracted foreign art students, especially former U.S. soldiers studying on the G.I. Bill after the Second World War. Since then, the town has attracted a significant number of foreign retirees, artists, writers and tourists, which has shifted the area’s economy from agriculture and industry to commerce catering to outside visitors and residents.

San Miguel de Allende is a small colonial town in the Bajio mountains of central Mexico, about 170 miles northwest of Mexico City. Founded as "San Miguel" in 1542 by a San Franciscan Monk named San Miguel El Grande, it became a centerpiece in the war for Mexican independence from Spain; it was renamed San Miguel de Allende after Ignacio Allende, a hero of the independence movement. In danger of becoming a ghost town in the early 20th century, the town was declared a national monument in 1926 and building became heavily restricted in the town's historic centro district, allowing the city to keep the colorful native facades that have become the backdrop of many famous works of art and even modern motion pictures.

Reference:

1. touropia
2. wikipedia
3. wikitravel