36 Hours in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times

Santuario de Atotonilco, just outside San Miguel de Allende. More Photos »

San Miguel de Allende is almost 500 years old, and for more than 50 it's been a beloved tourist destination. Nevertheless, it's still possible for newness to wash over this famous Mexican mountain city of snaking cobblestone streets and colonial buildings in delectable fruit-bowl-meets-spice-rack colors (think mango and avocado next to paprika and turmeric). After a spell when some Americans hesitated to travel to their southern neighbor, San Miguel — a Unesco World Heritage site — feels fresh again, with rebooted energy from an influx of sophisticates far younger than the expatriate retirees traditionally associated with the town. Stores focus on regional designers and artists, and restaurants specialize in the locally grown — organic produce and livestock from surrounding farms that thrive year-round in the eternal spring climate at roughly 6,100 feet. Lovely as always and livelier than ever, it's a new old San Miguel.

FRIDAY

4 p.m.
1. In the Sister 'hood

The most famous building in town is the multispired pink Parroquia church, which stands guard over the town's heart, the Jardín. But the most beautiful building is the nearly 250-year-old Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez "El Nigromante," a k a Bellas Artes on Hernandez Macias. First a convent, then an art college, it's now a newly renovated community center and art gallery. It's easy to imagine nuns scurrying off to Mass under soaring bóveda ceilings and through the large interior courtyard that is surrounded by two stories of arched colonnades. Stone stairs dip in the middle from centuries of footfalls. Though exhibitions rotate through five gallery spaces, the permanent art is the most impressive — frescoes of pueblo life by one of Mexico's finest muralists, David Siqueiros. Free. (Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez, Hernández Macías 75; elnigromante.bellasartes.gob.mx)

5:30 p.m.
2. Choose Your View

La Azotea (Umarán 6; azoteasanmiguel.com), a sleek rooftop bar off the Jardín, offers a two-for-one special: two of San Miguel's most extraordinary views from one spot. To the east is a crane-your-neck close-up of the Parroquia; the ideal perch at sunset, however, is the outside patio, where you can sip your margarita (70 pesos, or $5.60 at 12.45 pesos to the dollar) while watching the light disappear over a panorama of the Guanajuato Mountains in the distance.

7:30 p.m.
3. Piece of Peru

Leche de tigre figures prominently in the delights of the beautiful La Parada (Recreo 94; laparadasma.com). That's the name for the citrus concoction that "cooks" the unusual ceviches (fish, corn and sweet potatoes, for instance) at this popular bistro, which a Peruvian Cordon Bleu-trained chef and her fiancé opened last year. The snug dining room with a fireplace flows onto a patio surrounded by an ivy-draped stone wall (heat lamps keep the chill away on cool nights). Other memorable dishes are the pork ribs and the gnocchi with shrimp and pecans, and don't leave without a pisco mojito; 550 pesos for two.

9:30 p.m.
4. The Fat Mermaid Awaits

Traditionally, women, members of the military and police officers aren't allowed in a cantina — a down-and-dirty version of a gentlemen's club. But everyone's welcome at La Sirena Gorda (Calle Barranca; 52-415-110-0007), which retains the hole-in-the-wall look of a cantina — swinging doors, dim light, faded paint on the walls — but with a more refined bar (and fewer chances of a fight). Also known by its original name, La Manantial, which is painted on the front, this is where you want to nestle in for the late-evening hours, drinking the signature ginger or tamarind margaritas, for 60 pesos each.

SATURDAY

9 a.m.
5. Start in the Middle

Situated right in the Jardín, El Rincon de Don Tomas (Portal de Guadalupe 2; 52-415-152-3780) provides front-and-center seats as the city wakes up. Sit outside under the arched portico and watch street sweepers work with twig brooms under the carefully trimmed laurel trees as a newspaper vendor calls out in a baritone near-yodel, trying to attract buyers. Dig into wonderful traditional breakfasts like huevos otomi (scrambled eggs in a bean stew) and huevos divorciado (one fried egg with green salsa, the other with red); 270 pesos for two.

10 a.m.
6. On the Hunt

Treasures can be found on every San Miguel street, but with limited time for exploration, you need a cheat sheet. You'll hit the mother lode at Mixta (Pila Seca 3; mixtasanmiguel.com); along with fun trinkets and handicrafts, Mixta carries furniture (elegant log stools by Carey Berkus Designs sell for 3,800 pesos) and fashions (hand-embroidered dresses and tops by the San Miguel designer Almudena, 800 to 2,200 pesos). Another local fashionista, Laura Reyes, sells tapestry coats and vests made from coffee-bean burlap bags (965 pesos) at her boutique, Altelier (Relox 79; opens at 11 a.m.). Load up on rebozos, or shawls (starting at 500 pesos) and other woven goods from 35 Oaxacan villages at Juana Carta Textile Art (Recreo 5-A), and if you want hand-painted pottery, you don't have to go all the way to Dolores Hidalgo (the traditional ceramics center). The most beautiful designs can be found right in San Miguel at Quinta Irma (decorative serving platter, 1,400 pesos). Camino Silvestre (Correo 43; caminosilvestre.com) started off selling handblown glass bird feeders (480 to 750 pesos), but has evolved into a smart home furnishings store. San Miguel is a fabulous place for jewelry; for the most imaginative designs head to UMA by Sami (Cuna de Allende 11; opens at 11 a.m.). At a store called Recreo (Recreo 26; recreosanmiguel.com), the traditional Mexican serape gets a graceful update — made from fine fabrics like cashmere and linen, with some trimmed in beads or fur (starting at 5,700 pesos).

1 p.m.
7. Shack Chic

San Miguel's most-buzzed-about new restaurant, De Temporada (Camino a San Miguel Viejo 8; de-temporada.com), brings new meaning to the farm-to-table concept. The table is literally at the farm, 10 minutes from centro, overlooking fields of organic produce. The humble, colorful shed built by the young owners (he's American; she's Mexican) from wood pallets gives the air of a picnic, but this is not your ordinary picnic food. Dishes like the spicy papaya and octopus salad and quail eggs on mustard butter with arugula purée indicate a mature but playful hand in the kitchen. A fine afternoon in the country is finished with a divine pear and vanilla bean panna cotta; 300 pesos for two.

4 p.m.
8. Costume Party

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: March 8, 2013

An earlier version of this article incorrectly listed the price of elegant log stools by Carey Berkus Designs at Mixta. They cost 3,800 pesos, not 38,000 pesos.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: March 13, 2013

An earlier version of this article misspelled part of the name of a cartoon character. The character's name is Wile E. Coyote, not Wiley Coyote.

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