Fans of botanical gardens will likely enjoy El Charco del Ingenio, a 170+ acre garden/ecological…read morereserve in San Miguel de Allende. It's a serene, safe place to wander pathways and explore, even if it lacks anything as colorful, vibrant, or artful as (my favorite), the U.K.'s Kew Gardens. Between the attractive gift shop one enters through, the building that functions as a museum for what you'll see here, and the al fresco cafe where fresh-squeezed juices are well-priced and delicious, you might mistakenly think you're in the Bay Area, with far cheaper prices. It's very aesthetically pleasing. The actual botanic gardens are somewhat less so. A map of the grounds will show you the trails and the layout but it's easy enough to just wander. There's some art (very little), some created habitats (e.g. medicinal plants), a greenhouse, and a lake/pond to cross and see some historic relics. Whether any of this appeals to you really depends on your mood. If you decide to come here I'd recommend you walk from wherever you are. The hilly walk here from central SMA takes you through a really lovely neighborhood of high end homes before suddenly navigating a dirt path with tumbleweeds and cacti. All of this nicely satisfies the desire you have to see things because, once on site here, what you'll see is - I have to admit - less exciting. Finish up with a green juice and purchase some organic honey for those back home. Then enjoy the walk back to where you came from.

This place was great, not only was it affordable but we really enjoyed the hike and the fresh air…read more Some people mentioned walking from the city center but I don't recommend it unless your ready to be tired when you get there. Just park directly at the location or get a taxi to drive you up there. Also it can be a bit challenging for kids and the elderly so I wouldn't recommend making the full circle. I would say to at least cross the mini dam since it was the most beautiful thing there. I also loved the abandoned villa with its ancient oven. The entrance was very nice and it had well kept bathrooms inside as well. Lastly, I would recommend bringing a bottle of water and to add some sunscreen.

Beautiful canyon views and experienced staff…read more My family of 4 booked 2 half-day tours with Coyote Canyon Adventures and really enjoyed the experiences. My husband and sons loved the horseback riding and got to gallop during the 2 1/2 hour ride. I really enjoyed the tour to Canada de La Virgen, learning more about the history of the region and climbing the pyramid steps. We did the 9 AM tours and enjoyed eating lunch at the end of each experience. I would recommend the tour company if you're looking for more outdoor adventures while visiting San Miguel de Allende.

Amazing experience!! Fabulous guide, wonderful horses and beautiful landscape! Highly recommend!read more

Beto was a great guide and he took care to be sure we had a great experience, with recommendations…read moreon a great local cantina down the street, to a taxi driver to get us to the bus station. The path we took mountain biking had all kinds of terrain, including a burro trail. It was lots of fun and great exercise. I had never done it before. The bikes were well kept, gears changed like like butter, and he provides helmets, gloves, water and snacks. We even got to visit an off-the-beaten-path Toltec site. Afterwards we went to La Gruta and he showed us around in there, too. He knows his bikes and takes pride in his bike business. You'll be in good hands with Beto!

Beto is an amazing host and guide. This is the perfect place to start if you want to explore San…read moreMiguel de Allende.

I could spout a tired cliche like exclaiming this is the beating heart of San Miguel de Allende…read more Suffice it to say, this is the city's main plaza and the place where everyone congregates. With an abundance of laurel trees and constantly tended gardens, it's directly adjacent to the iconic Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel (review: https://yelp.to/_OoAnNXEyX). A variety of local food kiosks surround the square, and bands of immaculately dressed mariachi musicians serenade visitors for tips. The benches tend to get crowded, especially near sunset, so grab an open seat when you can. RELATED - Exploring San Miguel de Allende? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/ZDY8M2samr

The Jardin Allende is what I like about smaller town in Mexico! It's the life of the place, the…read morespot where everyone gathers, rests, meets, relaxes, it marks the center of the town with a nice decor and energy. Usually you have a nice quiosk for bands to play in the weekend, a cute water fountain that gives charm to the area, benches where people meet, rest, take a break. It is a charming place with more activity in the weekends. Jardin Allende has a nice trimmed garden and nice views of the Parroquia, you can't beat that! Ideal place to rest and get the vibe of the town!

I was surprised that a city as picturesque as San Miguel de Allende doesn't have that many green…read moreparks. Sure, there are plenty of plazas with gardens and benches like Jardin Allende in the center of town, but hardly any expansive parks with shady clusters of trees, kids' playgrounds, and dense greenery. That was why this unique oasis stood out to Jamie W and me, especially since our hotel was just down the street. Attempting to recover from the cobblestone roads, we frequently walked to the park during our stay. We liked watching the schoolkids practicing their shooting skills on the basketball court. In the evenings, amateur guitarists strummed on random benches throughout the park, and on the weekend, artists displayed their works on the main walkway as did vendors hawking souvenirs. Of course, there were also stands selling local snacks. Finally, the eastern edge of the park proved to be an effective starting point for our stepwise climb up to El Mirador. This was one highly functional park and bucolic to boot. RELATED - Exploring San Miguel de Allende? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/goBt38P7tu

Decent spot to take the kids - we had fun for about an hour at the playground and walking around…read more They charge for the bathroom, so that was inconvenient. The walk was near many shops and food stops. Several families here during the week, recommend if in San Miguel.

Just OK for the price and here's why: We booked a Sunday morning flight. We were told to be at the…read moreRosewood hotel to meet up at 6am. We were there on time but waited around until almost 7am to leave. I get that they need people to sign stuff and do a brief (like 2 minute) safety talk, but we don't need to be there for an hour in advance. We traveled by comfortable vans to the balloons. We watched them inflate them which was quick and interesting. We loaded up into the baskets. We think it was too tight. each section of our balloon should have held two people in our opinion but in two of the compartments they shoved three people in. It was too tight. We got lucky that we had only the two of us in our section but I would have been pissed off if we were stuck shoved in with three people. Our balloon operator only spoke Spanish but that was fine. He seemed to be very experienced and knowledgeable about what he was doing. We took off and the ride was smooth. We landed 3 times. Each time we landed, the balloon operator radioed the van guys to try and get to us and they couldn't so we would take off and land in another field. In the third field we waited for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes we started to get out and one of the bilingual people explained to me that the van cannot get to us and we need to walk about 2 miles to the van. The reason the van could not get to us was because of the huge rains the night before, they made the dirt roads impossible for the vans to navigate. I get it, but we waited a long time to find out we needed to start walking. We walked through 2 miles of mud, up and down gulleys, through two barbed wire fences, etc... it was an adventure. I didn't have a problem with that, it was part of the adventure for me and I enjoyed the nature walk. What I had a problem with was the attitude of the guy running this. Tashi (I think I am spellong that correctly) is completely bilingual and met us at the balloon landing field eventually. He was very grumpy and explained the situation. I said ok and started walking. He just complained the whole time about how the rain caused this and people needed to understand that we signed up for this and they cannot control everything. I never heard ANYONE complain to him. Maybe another group did (there were three balloons) but no one in my group did. His attitude was bad. He was grumpy and complaining and trying to explain things away that had been complained about. I walk quickly and so does he so I heard this from him the whole way back but at a point I realized he had left all the older people behind. He should have made sure they were ok and should have periodically circled back. Once in the van, he continued to complain and then started in on the government and how they required van of a certain year and that's why these vans couldn't navigate the roads. He made what could have been a light hearted adventure into a grumpy unpleasant one. Yes, this took much longer than anticipated. As we returned back to the hotel, he said we could go get breakfast but then reminded us of the cost. I think he should have offered free breakfast but that would have been good customer service. And clearly, he was very grumpy. If things don't turn out like you expect, find the silver lining! If you are the face of a company, stop complaining and be pleasant!! Because of our experience with their attitude and customer service, we would not recommend them or use them again. We paid USD $275 for two people.

We've never been up in a balloon and was recommended by friends as a must-do in SMA. From the…read moremoment we arrived at our mtg spot, we were fully at ease. The ride was spectacular and very relaxing, almost too quick. And it was delightful to watch the process of prepping & decompressing the balloon. Highly recommend!!

SO Fun! We loved Xote and would definitely return. My kids loved t and there are several…read moredifferent options for different aged kids.

Crowded, bad ventilation, equipment on top of each other…read more Cash payments disappear Burn out Better choices like SportForce San Miguel and Boom Fitness

Just wrapped up a 3 month stay in San Miguel de Allende and the folks at Wolf Gym made it one of…read moreour best visits ever. My wife and I are "gym rats" and always look for welcoming places to work out when we travel. We joined 'the pack" at Wolf gym and never looked back. Great facilities, a warm and friendly environment, and a wonderful mix of young and old, expats and San Migueleses. The equipment is up to date (better than my gym in the States) and includes new cardio machines following an extensive renovation and enlargement of the gym. It's got a sweet cafe too (great tortas and smoothies). Ramiro and Elisabeth Ramirez (owners) go the extra mile. We look forward to our next trip to SMA.

Float Sano is a beautiful boutique spa that has kept up with trends and the advancement of wellness…read moretechnology. I was having a stressful day and googled my heart out to find the best option. I called, and they were able to get me in...SAME DAY APPOINTMENT!! WOOHOO (I needed it). I scheduled a float session at 5:00 pm (45 minutes) and an infrared sauna session to follow at 6:00 pm (45 minutes). It was my first time floating, and for some reason...I was scared? Thankfully, the staff explained everything to me. I felt at ease in the tank (they have a floating foam headrest, so your face doesn't get wet and your neck stays in perfect alignment!) and earplugs to keep the water out of your ears. It took me a minute to calm down once I closed the lid, but once I did...I was giggling from the inner peace I felt. Completely suspended in the water, every muscle in my body could relax. There was a button to the left of me that allowed me to chose whether I wanted complete darkness or ambient lights. Anytime I got scared, I turned on the lights. When I was calm enough to do the full sensory deprivation...I turned them off. It was nice to feel in control of my environment. I cannot stress this enough, I WAS GIGGLING BY THE END. So happy, so relieved, and stress-free. Afterward, I took a shower and switched to the sauna. Can anyone say, "heat shock proteins?!" It's the best form of heat I've experienced. Your skin doesn't burn because the IR works from the inside (like a microwave but without the harmful radiation!) My hair felt terrific afterward, and they having calming lights in the sauna in case the heat starts to get to you! It wasn't my first time in an IR sauna, and it sure won't be my last. I'll be back at Float Sano ASAP, whether you're on vacation or a resident...I highly recommend this place. Great prices and they offer options for private parties?? ***calling all bachelorettes and girls night out*** I LOVE THIS SPA

Itzel is an excellent masseuse. My husband and I did a float and massage today for a date. They…read morehave two float pods. My husband loved his massage too but we did not catch the name of his masseuse.