Why San Miguel de Allende is an “island” in the state with the most murders in Mexico and how it became a world tourist destination
Among the picturesque streets of San Miguel de Allende, one has to dodge the hundreds of tourists who take selfies in front of the beautiful corners of this municipality in the center of Mexico.
The cobbled avenues, its art galleries, charming restaurants and colorful houses have made this place a paradise for any instagrammer.
Also that of thousands of foreigners, especially retirees Americans, who have made this municipality their second or even first home, attracted by a pleasant climate and prices much lower than those of their country.
Because the fame of San Miguel has transcended borders. Last year, was distinguished as the best city in the world by the magazine Travel + Leisure and readers of the tourism industry Condé Nast Traveler.
However, it is striking that not many kilometers away and in the same state of Guanajuato are some of the municipalities considered to be the most violent in Mexico. This is, in fact, the entity in the country where the most homicides were recorded last year.
How does this paradise for tourism manage to escape the wave of violence that is hitting some neighboring areas?
Foreigners and security
Sitting in a restaurant in the central square of San Miguel de Allende, American Malcolm Halliday savors something as Mexican as Aztec soup.
In front of him, a group of tourists photographs the striking neo-Gothic cathedral that stands It has become the symbol of the city. “It’s like the Disney castle”, says a gaping boy.
Halliday arrived in San Miguel almost five years ago, attracted by the cultural life. “I love the city and the atmosphere. In the US we also have violence in some cities, but the truth is that we don’t have much of a problem here,” he tells BBC Mundo in correct Spanish.
Louise Gilliam, also an American and a resident of San Miguel, agrees. “In all my time here, I have never experienced any violence. I lived in Chicago, in New York , in Los Angeles… And he was careful not to go to the dangerous areas. Wherever you go, you will find crime if you are not careful”, he assures in English. to settle in the center of Mexico.
“Many foreigners are surprised. They think that when it gets dark, they can’t go out here. It is a paradigm that they bring, and then they see the reality. It’s like giving them the confidence that sí we are part of Mexico, but not at the same time”, tells BBC Mundo Tania Castillo, Director of Tourism of San Miguel de Allende.
But the municipality, which in its day was one of the key stages of the Mexican War of Independence and which hosted some of the meetings of conspiracy in the fight against the Spaniards, has not always been an attraction for tourists.
At the beginning of the 20th century, in fact, was on the verge of becoming a ghost town due to the various armed conflicts that hit the region. It was in the years 16 Y 40 that artists and promoters began to arrive who founded art schools and galleries that were attracting American students and expats.
According to the person in charge of tourism in San Miguel, what today makes it one of best destinations in the world is its architecture and multitude of temples, its gastronomic, artistic, vineyard and luxury hotel offerings, together with the lifestyle that “mixes the cosmopolitan with the life of small Mexican towns,” he says.
“An island” in Guanajuato
In a patrol carried out by the municipality together with the police to know the security situation, the local agent Esteban López says that most of his actions are “minor reports” to deal with cases of people who argue or drink alcohol in the street.
“Let’s imagine that we are like an island. Then , everything bad happens around”, he summarizes to BBC Mundo.