Antigua Capilla Bed and Breakfast in San Miguel de Allende Mexico

Antigua Capilla B&B on the Trip Advisor 2013 List of Top 25 B&Bs in Mexico...Again!

2013-01-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

So today we receive a package in the mail, and it's this nifty metal plaque from last year's Top 25 Bed and Breakfasts in Mexico list. We'll be putting it up on our Hall of Fame wall in the office!

Just the other day, the 2013 awards were announced, and we were selected as the 12th pick overall for the travelers' choice top 25 Bed and Breakfasts in Mexico. Check the list out here!

Walking Route to the Jardín

2012-06-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering just how far we are to the town square and the main church, the "Jardín" and "Parroquia", as they are locally called, here's a map with walking directions from Antigua Capilla B&B to the corner of the Jardín.

This route can take under 10 minutes if you're from New York City or our home town of San Francisco, but beware of a phenomenon known as "Mexican time". You will slow down to absorb the surroundings, chat with complete strangers, people watch, eat something from a food stand, walk through an open gate just to see what's on the other side, step into a church or 10 to marvel at the baroque architecture, and on and on. If you are afflicted, you might not make it to the Jardín until...mañana!

A great alternative to walking are the very inexpensive, safe and plentiful taxis. Flag one down anywhere in San Miguel or call them to pick you up at the B&B, and you’ll be taken to your destination in no time. Click here for "official" taxi rates.

View Larger Map

Quality Street Food in San Miguel de Allende

2012-01-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Posner and Gaby Green with their Hierbabuena Cocina Food Truck

As we’ve mentioned in previous posts, eating street food is our favorite pastime. Needless to say, we were very excited to hear that San Miguel de Allende got its very first food truck late last year.

Vietnamese Sandwich Mmm Mmm Mmm!

Our friends Gaby Green and Jennifer Posner purchased a Bimbo bread truck early last year and took it to the US to be transformed into a world-class food truck worthy of any street in New York City or San Francisco. The result is a black beauty they call "Hierbabuena Cocina" from where Gaby and Jennifer serve up delicious international dishes like Chicken shwarmas, Vietnamese sandwiches, and of course Mexican tacos all served on paper-lined basket plates.

Cochinita Pibil Tacos Mmmmmmmm!

We were finally able to sneak away from the Bed and Breakfast one afternoon last week and tracked Hierbabuena Cocina down on the corner of Sterling Dickinson and Potrero. We are very happy to report that what we ate was pure street food deliciousity!

Chicken Shwarma Mmmmm!

Visit http://hierbabuenacocina.com/ to check out their changing menu and locations.

Cañada de la Virgen Video

2011-07-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a short video of our recent visit to Cañada de la Virgen, our newest attraction. It's a 20 mile trip from San Miguel de Allende, and it is well worth a visit.

Archeological site of Cañada de la Virgen

2011-06-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

We recently visited the newly opened archeological site of Cañada de la Virgen located approximately 20 miles from San Miguel de Allende. We spent the morning exploring the ruins with Albert Coffee, an archeologist and tour guide that has been directly involved with the excavation of the site for several years.

If you choose to visit the park, you must know that you will need to park at the entrance and take a shuttle with a guide to a spot located about 1km from the ruins. From there, you will walk the rest of the way.

Here are some pictures that we took of the site.

Our Hummingbird Friends Stop by for a Drink

2011-06-26T10:27:00.001-07:00

It has been a few months since we filled our courtyard with hummingbird feeders. Now our hummingbird friends are constantly here feasting from the endless supply of "comida casera para colibris" also known as simple syrup. Check out these photos taken by our recent guest, Bob Lickiss.

Hummingbirds Enjoy Complimentary Drinks at Antigua Capilla B&B

2011-03-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago we discovered Camino Silverstre, a store that sells the coolest bird feeders in San Miguel de Allende. We thought we’d buy a few to try them out. Within days, we had hummingbirds visiting us throughout the day.

Here’s a video we condensed from a one-hour recording made one afternoon at Antigua Capilla Bed and Breakfast. We captured several brown and white Violet Crowned and green Broad-billed hummingbirds as they stopped by for a slurp. If you look closely, you will see their white tongues after they come up for a breath.

Owners, Alfredo and Jim, opened their beautiful store, Camino Silvestre, featuring hand-blown glass feeders designed by Alfredo and made in Mexico in vibrant colors of recycled glass. Aside from bird feeders, Camino Silvestre also sells jewelry, ornaments, dinnerware by Mexican potter Gorky Gonzales, garden torches, wind chimes and much more. Visit them on Zacateros No 46.

When it Comes to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Mexico tops the Americas List

2011-02-22T00:55:00.000-08:00

The historic center of San Miguel de Allende and several nearby sites in Quertaro, Guanajuato, Dolores Hidalgo and Atotonilco are on the list.

Click here for the article.

Book Captures the Essence of San Miguel de Allende

2011-02-02T22:33:00.000-08:00

Our friend, Susan Dorf, a part time San Miguel de Allende resident, recently gave us a copy of "Solamente en San Miguel, Volume II," a compilation of stories about life in San Miguel de Allende.

Susan is one of 42 writers that contributed material for the book. Her story about the soil merchant with the burros and the camera-toting tourist is classic!

Promotional Video of San Miguel de Allende

2011-02-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

We recently came across this promotional video of San Miguel de Allende on the web. Naturally, we had to share it with you. Enjoy!

Stay with us on Feb 18 for a Chance for Free Accommodations!

2010-12-13T19:12:00.000-08:00

Jan 3 update: Good news!! Your chances of winning have dramatically improved. Two of our eight rooms have been reserved to non-participants the night of Feb 18. This means you now have a 1 in 6 chance of winning free accommodations!

In honor of the San Miguel de Allende 2011 writer’s conference, we will have a writing competition exclusively for guests that stay at Antigua Capilla Bed and Breakfast on Feb 18.

We have 8 rooms, with two already reserved, and all guests will have the opportunity to participate. Therefore, the odds of winning are one-in-eight, assuming we receive an entry from every room.

In order for the competition to occur, all eight rooms need to be reserved on Feb 18. Otherwise, the competition will be canceled.

Here's how to play:

Register for the Writers' Conference. You must be registered to participate.
Reserve your room at Antigua Capilla Bed and Breakfast. Be sure your stay includes February 18, 2011.
Wait for further instructions.
Once all rooms are reserved, and the competition is confirmed, submit a short story of no more than 1,000 words on any topic of your choice by no later than February 11, 2011.
On February 18, vote anonymously for your favorite story (excluding your own.)

The winner will be announced on February 19. The participant with the most votes will have his or her accommodations reimbursed (up to four nights). If the winner has reserved a longer stay, he or she will only be obligated to pay for the additional nights. If the winner stays four or less nights, his or her accommodations will be 100% complementary.

Good luck!

Guess Who's in the latest Edition of Lonely Planet Mexico?

2010-12-12T19:51:00.000-08:00

The latest edition of the famous Lonely Planet Mexico guidebook is in bookstores now...and we're in it!

This is our favorite guidebook, and for years we've relied on it for excellent travel advice. It is truly an honor to be in this book.

You’ll find Antigua Capilla on page 570 under Boutique Options in the San Miguel de Allende section of the book. Here's an excerpt:

Smithsonian Magazine Writes About the Recent Past of San Miguel de Allende

2010-12-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

Photo of Sterling Dickinson from the John Virtue Collection

This very interesting Smithsonian Magazine article covers San Miguel de Allende's recent history starting from the arrival of Sterling Dickinson, the town's "first" US Citizen, in 1937 through today.

San Miguel de Allende: Best Place to Create Art

2010-12-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

ShermansTravel, a guide to top travel deals and destinations, as featured on MSNBC, has developed a top 10 list of cities for art lovers. San Miguel de Allende made the list as the "best place to create art."

Other cities that made the list are Berlin, Chicago, Florence, London, New York City, Paris, Rome, Vienna and Washington D.C.

Here's the full article.

Martha Stewart Visits San Miguel de Allende

2010-12-01T23:02:00.000-08:00

We heard rumors Martha Stewart was in town recently. Then a couple of days ago, the pilot that flew her down was back in town as our guest and confirmed the story. Here are a couple of Martha's blog posts with some nice pictures of San Miguel de Allende.

El Mercado in San Miguel de Allende - The Martha Stewart Blog

A Visit to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico - The Martha Stewart Blog

Communion Wafer Snacks?!

2010-11-30T21:39:00.000-08:00

Well, not exactly, but look closely at the products on the table. This enterprising church in Guanajuato has found a way to raise a little extra money by selling the “holey” wafer sheets left behind after the altar bread has been cut out.

We're not sure what the dark thing on the left is, but we hope it's some kind of spread. These wafers are about as flavorful as rice cakes.

Wine Tasting Event Features Locally made Cheese

2010-11-29T07:57:00.000-08:00

Our friend Cristina Gerez has been invited to participate in El Tomato's monthly wine tasting with a cheese plate. Cristina makes wonderful goat cheeses from milk she collects from her "girls," as she affectionately likes to call them, right here in San Miguel de Allende. Don't miss this opportunity to try her Special Reserve 1 year old El Capricho cheddar.

Malbec wines from the Finca Flichman winery in Mendoza, Argentina will be pared with Cristina's cheeses as well as a meal of typical Argentine dishes prepared by the owner.

Space is limited. Advanced reservations are reuired
$300
(415) 154-6390
Friday, 3 December 7:00pm
Mesones 62

Video of San Miguel de Allende

2010-11-27T17:24:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice video of images of San Miguel de Allende by Consejo Turistico de San Miguel de Allende.

Are you in Mexico Illegally? You can Fix it.

2010-09-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

There is good new for those of you that, after visiting our beautiful town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, decided to extend your stay and inadvertently allowed your tourist visas to expire.

Illegal immigrants in Mexico can fix their immigration status without fear of deportation. "Rather than deporting people who don’t have authorization to be in the country, there is a process for “regularizing” (illegal) immigrants. According the (Mexican) law...illegal immigrants are “never” arrested and sent to jail unless they have committed a crime in Mexico or in their home countries." The process includes paying a fine and filing the appropriate paperwork.

The bottom line: As long as the US Marshals are not after you, you can stay in Mexico.

Side note - Looks like the largest number of illegal immigrants in Mexico come from north of the border! Read more here.

San Miguel de Allende Artist Wendy Moyer wins at WOW in New Zealand

2010-09-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

Our friend, textile artist Wendy Moyer, has won the 2010 Commended Award for the Bizarre Bra Section in the Montana World of WearableArt (WOW) in New Zealand with her entry shown above.

Wendy’s creations are made entirely from recycled materials taken from top-name designer “seconds” that have made their way to the Mexican markets. She cuts, singes and manipulates these materials into her one-of-a-kind creations.

Congratulations Wendy!

Visit her website at www.textileartistmx.com.

Check out the other winners here.

Independence Day in San Miguel de Allende

2010-09-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

Some images from the Jardin in San Miguel de Allende on the night of September 15, 2010.

Mexican Independence in San Miguel de Allende

2010-09-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

Lucy Nuñez, in her first term as mayor of San Miguel de Allende gave the traditional cry for independence "el grito" this year from the second story balcony of the historical home of Ignacio Allende, one of Mexico's heroes of the independence movement 200 years ago. This year, 2010, marks the first time a woman has ever done it. It's too bad the microphone was so low.

Watch the video all the way through to see the fireworks immediately following the Grito.

Laura Fraser Writes About the Media's Portrayal of Mexico

2010-09-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article by Laura Fraser, a San Francisco based journalist living part-time in Mexico, about the media's portrayal of Mexico.

She writes, "The kidnapping and the narcotrafficante murders make for sensational news media, but it reminds me a lot of the media coverage after San Francisco’s last big earthquake: all you saw on TV were pictures of devastation, so that everyone thought all their relatives in San Francisco were dead. But the actual damage was small, it’s just that the media likes to focus on, and exaggerate, scary news."

We couldn't agree more!

San Miguel de Allende Light Show

2010-09-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

Every Friday and Saturday at 9PM, San Miguel de Allende's iconic church, La Parroquia, lights up for 15 minutes in an impressive display of lights and images designed by the French artist Xavier de Richemont to celebrate Mexico's 2010 Bicentennial.

This is something that is best appreciated in person, but to give you an idea of what to expect, watch the video below.

We like to get there early enough to purchase a hamburger and a soft drink at the burger stand directly in front of the Parroquia for 35 pesos (about $2.70US at the time of this posting.) Where else can you get dinner and a show for under three bucks?

Visit a Taco Truck and Get a free Trip to Mexico

2010-09-01T00:53:00.000-07:00

Who know that eating a taco at Los Compadres (good tacos, by the way) on Folsom Street in San Francisco could earn you a free trip to Mexico? All you have to do is use your mobile phone to check in using a location-based app like Loopt Star and Foursquare.

Read more about it here.