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We've compiled the best of the best in San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Located just a few steps down a pedestrian alley from Plaza de Armas, this beautiful boutique run by the state's department of culture promotes Querétaro's rich heritage of arts and crafts. The traditional weavings, woodwork, ceramics, and other fine pieces here have been created by fairly compensated artisans young and old. It's one of the best places in the city to pick up a keepsake.
A 10-minute walk from the center of town, Fábrica La Aurora, which was established in 1902, was the principal source of fine-quality muslin in the region until competition forced its closing. It reopened in 1990 as exhibition spaces for dozens of art galleries and antique- and modern-furniture showrooms; also, many local artists have opened studios here.
The concentration of art galleries draws visitors in huge numbers, especially during the monthly art walk, Friday beginning at 5 pm. If you're shopped out and hungry, head for the Food Factory, with its old-world character and comfortable sofas under a covered patio. Or pick up a snack at the outdoor Café de la Aurora coffee shop.
Ceramicist Mayer Shacter and his wife Susan Page have an amazing collection of decorative and utilitarian folk-art pieces from all over Mexico in several showrooms. On the way to several hot springs, the pilgrimage center at Atotonilco, and the town of Dolores Hidalgo, the 5,000-square-foot gallery is a destination in itself, and not just a must for avid shoppers. In 2014 the editor of the art magazine series Artes en Mexico called the shop "without a doubt the finest exhibition and sale of Mexican popular art in the country." It's open by appointment only. If you are serious about high-quality folk-art pieces, make an appointment.
