San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland Feature

From birding and bathing to mountain biking and golfing, enjoying the outdoors around San Miguel, with its eternal spring climate, is an opportunity not to be missed.

Our favorite outdoor adventures in the region include mountain biking and hiking, which may be the most intimate ways to get to know the San Miguel countryside. San Miguel is on the slopes of an ancient volcano called Los Picachos (not active). Riding or walking along narrow mountain paths, you'll find oak and pine forests, bogs, marshes, and streams where migrating birds come to feed. You may come across abandoned chapels, old mining sites, and ancient, solitary haciendas, all testimonies to long-forgotten times. There are several rental outfits specializing in mountain bikes, helmets, and gloves. Expert guides offer various tours for mountain biking and hiking according to your ability.

Whether you have been trekking through the mountains or trudging over cobblestones, a swim in one of San Miguel's thermal pools is a welcome way to relax. All the balnearios are a short drive out of town, on the Dolores Hidalgo Highway. Balneario Xoté, with its slides and swings, is an ideal place to take kids. Most balnearios have some facilities like snack stands.