San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – Vacation Before You Buy!
by Joni Gordon
San Miguel de Allende has become a very popular places in which to retire. But before you make any plans, it is always wise to check all the possibilities. My husband and I checked out Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Honduras, and five different towns in Mexico.
San Miguel de Allende in Mexico was our ultimate choice. Why?
Let’s start with near-perfect weather. Nothing more to be said here. We were absolutely sick of sleet, snow, and cloud-filled skies.
But many places we checked out had great weather. The many pluses of San Miguel outweighed all of the other locations. San Miguel has an interesting mix of expatriots. There are lots of artistic types and there is a range of rich to “living off our social security”. This makes for a nice spread. The expats are not show-offs about their wealth and they do not separate themselves from the locals. In fact, we saw more work done for helping the less fortunate than we saw anywhere else. There are 38 charities, all of expats working to supply breakfasts for school kids, tuition for girls to attend high school and college, houses for people who are living in tin and cardboard huts, daycare for single mothers. The list goes on and on.
The natives of the town seem to mix well with the residents. And, I have the opportunity to learn a new language which I’m hoping will keep my brain active.
On top of this, there are lots of creature comforts that I’ve grown accustomed to, such as charming cafes that have excellent coffee, an extensive bilingual library where I can get all the latest best sellers, movies in English, and many lectures and performances. Most of these comforts were not available in any of the towns that we investigated.
And then there is the money issue. Our property taxes in the US were $8000 a year. Here our taxes are $240 and our house size is the same size. We can do a lot with that extra eight grand! We keep it in a special fund that pays for lots of trips home to see the grandkids. To us those trips are free!
So, prior to moving I highly suggest that you check out a lot of places. If San Miguel is on your list, at least come and visit. I’ve met a number of people here who sold their homes and never came for a San Miguel vacation. Where you live is a BIG decision. At least come to San Miguel for a vacation.
So, prior to moving I highly suggest that you check out a lot of places. If San Miguel is on your list, at least come and visit. Where you live is a BIG decision. At least come to San Miguel for a vacation.
An award-winning documentary film called Lost and Found in Mexico was shot in San Miguel de Allende. It is a great Christmas present for any people on your list who are toying with the idea of retiring in Mexico. www.lostandfoundinmexico.com
Joni Gordon was a high school teacher before she retired and moved to San Miguel de Allende. She now spends her time writing travel articles.
