5 Best Bars in Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland

A good plaza-side perch is Bar Luna, part of the hotel by the same name. It's open late into the evening. Indoors it's got cheeky design, and outdoors it's got a great crowd.

Students gather for drinks and salsa dancing (including classes) at Galería de Sabores.

Calle Sopeña hops with nighttime activity, thanks in part to interesting spots like La Capellina: restaurant by day, bar by night, La Capellina does great drinks and hosts live music ranging from Latin jazz to blues.

Calle Sopeña is one of the hottest streets on weekend nights. La Dama de las Camelias, with its dingy-hip furnishings and longtime regulars, manages to stay unpretentious while pulling off its dive-bar-meets-vaudeville theme. You'll find everyone from twentysomethings to sixtysomethings hitting the dance floor for salsa and cumbia. It's open until 4 am.

Bar-restaurant La Oreja de Van Gogh has reasonably priced drinks and both indoor and outdoor seating. Although you can eat here, the restaurant is recommended primarily for drinks and for its location on cool Plazuela San Fernando. There's a larger branch at Plaza de la Unión with similar offerings, called simply Van Gogh.