Two Kinds of Colonial Beauty
San Miguel is the prettier of the two in the postcard sense. Steep cobbled lanes are lined with houses painted deep red and ochre, bougainvillea spills over walls and church bells ring across the rooftops. UNESCO listed the town along with the nearby Sanctuary of Atotonilco. It is compact, tidy and made for slow strolls that end on a terrace.
Oaxaca is bigger, livelier and a little rougher around the edges, which is much of its charm. The baroque church of Santo Domingo anchors a center of green cantera stone and pastel facades. The Zócalo buzzes with vendors and music and markets overflow with chiles, chocolate and woven goods. The mountains around the valley turn blue in the late afternoon.
Couples who love design, order and quiet escape fall hard for San Miguel. Couples who love energy and discovery tend to prefer Oaxaca. Both are walkable, but bring shoes with grip in San Miguel, where the hills are steep and the stones polished.
Food and Drink
Oaxaca takes this round. Mexicans often call it the soul of their cuisine and you can taste why in the moles, the huge crisp tlayudas and the grilled meats of the Mercado 20 de Noviembre. Restaurants such as Los Danzantes, Casa Oaxaca and Criollo take those flavors somewhere new. Mezcal is the local spirit and tasting it straight from the still at a family palenque in Santiago Matatlán is a highlight of the region.
San Miguel eats very well for its size. Expect refined Mexican tasting menus, French bistros, wood-fired pizza and serious coffee, often in courtyards strung with lights. Rooftop dining facing the Parroquia is a local signature, so book a sunset table early. Guanajuato's young wine region sits close by and a vineyard lunch in the highlands makes a lovely day out.
For eating your way through a culture, choose Oaxaca. For a gentler mix of international and Mexican cooking with a view, San Miguel fits nicely.
Hotels and Where to Base Yourselves
San Miguel's hotel scene is one of the best in inland Mexico. Rosewood San Miguel de Allende is the most complete luxury option, with 67 rooms and suites, fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, three pools, a spa and the Luna Rooftop bar facing the Parroquia. Casa de Sierra Nevada, a collection of restored houses near the center, is a long-standing favorite. Many smaller boutique hotels occupy colonial mansions with courtyards and rooftop terraces. Stay within a few blocks of El Jardín to save your legs.
Oaxaca's stays are smaller and often simpler. Escondido Oaxaca is a 12-room design hotel in the historic center with a rooftop pool and mezcal bar over the old city. The Quinta Real occupies a 16th-century convent with arcaded patios. The classic choice is a restored house with rooms around a courtyard of orange trees. Base yourselves near Santo Domingo.
As an approximate guide, the Rosewood starts around US$650 a night and Escondido around US$460, while charming smaller hotels cost far less in both towns.
Days Out From Town
Oaxaca offers the richer menu of day trips. Monte Albán, the hilltop Zapotec capital, is about 20 minutes away and best in morning light. A day east of the city takes in the vast Árbol del Tule, weaving workshops in Teotitlán del Valle, the stone mosaics of Mitla and mezcal tastings in Matatlán. Hierve el Agua, with its mineral pools on a cliff edge, is a memorable sunset outing. A cooking class for two is the other must.
San Miguel's outings are softer and closer to home. A dawn hot air balloon drifts over the town, the reservoir and ranches before ending with a toast. La Gruta, a hot spring near Atotonilco, has a tunnel leading into a warm domed pool and the painted ceilings of the nearby sanctuary are worth the stop. El Charco del Ingenio, a botanical garden above town, makes a quiet morning walk. Fábrica La Aurora, a converted textile mill, is full of galleries.
Oaxaca wins on culture and history. San Miguel wins on pampering.
Getting There and Ease of Travel
Oaxaca is slightly simpler to reach. Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) has some nonstops from the US, including Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and Los Angeles, plus many connections through Mexico City, an hour away by air. Taxis and shared vans reach the center in 20 to 30 minutes.
San Miguel has no airport of its own. Querétaro (QRO) is about an hour and fifteen minutes away by car and Bajío/León (BJX) about an hour and a half, both with some US nonstops that change by season. Mexico City is three and a half to four hours by road, which makes a good first stop if you want to start with the capital. Most couples arrange a private transfer through their hotel.
Once there, San Miguel feels more effortless. English is widely spoken in hotels and restaurants and the town is set up for visitors from the US and Canada. Oaxaca rewards a little Spanish and a willingness to go with the flow, especially on village days.
Season, Altitude and Safety
Both enjoy their best weather from about October or November through April, with sunny days in the 70s and low 80s Fahrenheit. San Miguel's winter nights can drop close to freezing, so pick a room with a fireplace or heating. Oaxaca's December and January nights are cool too and March through May can reach the mid 90s. Summer rains bring green hills and afternoon storms to both. Oaxaca's July Guelaguetza and the Day of the Dead fill hotels in both towns and raise rates.
Altitude is noticeable in each. Drink water and go easy on alcohol and on mezcal in particular, for the first day.
On safety, the advisories differ. Guanajuato state, home to San Miguel, carries a Level 3 advisory from the State Department, largely because of violence in industrial cities elsewhere in the state. Visitors to San Miguel mostly report the usual tourist-town concerns, but read the advisory and the fact table above. In Oaxaca, the more common disruption is road blockades, so keep day-trip plans flexible.
