The two faces of San Miguel de Allende

Published January 12, 2023

By Raleigh Burleigh

San Miguel de Allende (SMA) is often referred to as the “heart” of Mexico due to its importance in history and its location within the Mexican Republic. However, the rapid growth of this city and the arrival of thousands of foreigners as tourists and new residents have displaced those who originally lived there.

The economic boom from 2008 to 2019 was a cornucopia for everyone, especially for the middle and working class of San Miguel. According to Datamexico.org, in September 2019, the town had a favorable international trade balance of approximately $13.8 million. In August 2022, that figure exceeded $33.2 million. Not surprisingly, early this year, SMA was lauded as the best travel destination in the world and, “a great place to live all year round,” according to Forbes and Travel and Leisure.

However, not everything is milk and honey, there is another side to SMA, that of the merchants, artisans, waiters, stylists, makeup artists, musicians, chambermaids and micro-entrepreneurs who have faced a devastating economic crisis during the pandemic.

These families, lacking the government support provided in the United States, counted pesos and tortillas to survive during the pandemic. Now, they grimace and struggle to reimagine their lives while faced with an overwhelming influx of wealthy outsiders buying all the surrounding land to live in this jewel of the Ruta de la Independencia.

“For me, the pandemic made me reflect,” Fabiola, a stylist and daughter of the owner of a small beauty salon in Callejon Loreto, told me. “Now I study English and nursing in the evenings, to join the caregivers who cater to the retired foreigners who come to live out their last years here,” she said.

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