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El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden
Place Category: Community, Non-Profit Orgainzations, Places to Visit, and Tours and Travel
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Much of San Miguel’s splendor can be discovered in its abundance of man made beauty, but at El Charco del Ingenio, nature is the aesthetic draw. At this more than 170-acre botanical garden set in an ecological preserve, you’ll have the chance to spot wildlife, walk along greenery-lined trails and learn about various species of local cacti. Meanwhile, the San Miguel community often gathers in the garden to watch performances, partake in ceremonies and attend environmental education programs. Recent travelers recommend enjoying a hike through the park, picnicking alongside the waterfalls or spending an evening at a concert in the outdoor amphitheater.
Located just a mile northeast of central San Miguel, El Charco del Ingenio can be reached on foot (it’s about a 30-minute walk from the municipal market) or by taxi. The reserve is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Led by English-speaking guides, two-hour tours of the conservation area operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m.
NATURAL HISTORY TOURS AT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN (in English)
Recorrido de la Historia Natural por El Jardin Botanico (en inglés)
Tuesdays/Thursdays 10am-noon general public: 150pesos; members 100pesos
Martes/Jueves de 10am a mediodia; public general: 150pesos; miembros 100pesosBird Watching Tours every first and third Wednesday of the month. 9:00-11:30am;
general public: 150pesos; members 100pesos
Excursiones de observación de aves cada primer y tercer miércoles del mes. 9: 00-11: 30 am;
public general: 150pesos; miembros 100pesosFor more information, visit the garden’s website.
El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden is a nature preserve that spans over 170 acres in northeast San Miguel de Allende. It is a beautiful natural monument, with a spring-fed reservoir nestled in an impressive canyon filled with cactus and other indigenous plants. It is a unique place for strolling, jogging, hiking, meditating or simply enjoying a peaceful time in nature. The preserve consists of an extensive network of paths that lead to various points of ecological, scenic or historical interest. In 2004, El Charco del Ingenio was proclaimed a Peace Zone by the Dalai Lama during his visit to Mexico. If you’re visiting San Miguel during a full moon, you can see their full moon ceremony, held at sunset. They have an outdoor concert every March 21, and the Fiesta de la Santa Cruz del Charco del Ingenio is celebrated during the first fifteen days of July. The fiesta, coordinated by San Miguel natives, includes a candlelight vigil, raising of the standing offering súchil (an offering in the form of a tall construction made from local plants), a procession of the Holy Cross, dances of the rayados (striped dancers), concheros (shell dancers) and locos (the crazies, disguised as women and political caricatures), as well as a public dance and huapango arribeño (traditional music from the neighboring Sierra Gorda).
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