Founded in 1542, San Juan de los Lagos is set in the Los Altos region of Jalisco, an area distinguished by its devotion to the Roman Catholic faith. The Cathedral there is home to the diminutive image of the Virgin of the Immaculate Concepcion. Late in January, pilgrims on foot can be seen thronging toward the town for the celebration of Candlemas on February 2. read more

Flirting in Spanish is not a "how-to-do-it" book. It is the true story of Susan McKinney, the 33-year-old daughter of former NBA coach Jack McKinney, who moved to Mexico to write, but soon met and "fell hopelessly and utterly in love" with Carlos, a poor Mexican teenager.

The story began in 1992 in San Miguel de Allende. Susan, in Mexico less than three months and having "decimated whatever savings I once had," supplemented her meagre but easy-earned modeling income by teaching English.

Carlos, the poor Mexican teenager, was indeed wise for his years; after her first class was over, he alone "remained, still seated at the second desk in the middle row, watching me." read more

The Instituto Allende is a Spanish language and Art school in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico.  I recently attended sculpture classes there, and found it enjoyable and worthwhile. Classes o... read more

I took one look around the tiny, dingy room I had rented and began questioning my sanity. It was December 2 and I was in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, after a tiring 24-hour bus ride one thousand mil... read more

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla had the unique distinction of being a father in three senses of the word: a priestly father in the Roman Catholic Church, a biological father who produced illegitimate childre... read more

The Best How-To Book on Moving to Mexico is written by three people who have made the move. Carol Schmidt and Norma Hair moved to San Miguel de Allende in May of 2002. The third editor, Rollins "Rolly" Brook, "after visiting all 50 states in the USA and many countries around the world… found himself most at home in Mexico." In 2000 Rolly retired to Lerdo, Durango. Clearly this is no trio on extended vacation. They actually live here… permanently. These authors are bold and direct and the book is divided into four parts. Hats off to Carol, Norma, and Rolly! This just might be that best book. read more

We woke to the sound of gunshots – six in rapid succession. My husband levitated off the bed shouting “What! What was that?” The shots continued, punctuated by long black silence between them. E... read more

Rebels, we know, can range from wild-eyed anarchists to sober and judicious opponents of an established order who make a considered decision that the system under which they live is no longer viable. ... read more

Brown, arid hillsides barely visible in a distant haze. Isolated green cacti with contorted, knotted arms, coarse, spiny fingers and bright red, seemingly nailpolished fruits set against an endless tan... read more

We plan to visit Queretero, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende and Morelia next week--would like any tips on charming places to stay (moderate range US50-70) and great places to eat. read more

Being an expatriate has nothing to do with a lack of patriotism, it merely means a person who lives in a country he wasn't born in.

You must be thinking of ex-patriot; someone who's turned against his country. It's a different spelling, like here and hear.

Usually the reasons are about experiencing a new culture and a different kind of weather, as they were for me. And they're always about reinventing yourself against a background that in Mexico I think of as simpático. It welcomes people in a mood for a lifestyle change.

But how does it work, really? read more

The Anglos of San Miguel remind me of the frog that happily swims round and round in a pot of cold water, brought so slowly to a boil, that he doesn't recognize his demise until it's too late. They sti... read more

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was born at the Corralejo Hacienda in Pénjamo, Guanajuato, on May 8, 1753. He was sent to Valladolid (now Morelia) to study at the San Nicolás Obispo College, where he later... read more

I am gay and thinking of moving to Mexico. I would like to know what attitudes are like towards gays in Mexico. Also, I heard that there San Miguel de Allende has a "gay community". Is that true? Is San Miguel more accepting of gays than other places? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

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I recently returned from a wonderful trip down memory lane. My 40th high school reunion near San Jose, California allowed me to reconnect with friends I hadn't seen in 40 years. The reunion was held wh... read more

My sister in Morelia just finished getting her FM-3 in San Miguel de Allende this week, and she ís given me the latest report: read more

You'll find AA throughout Mexico, even in small towns. NA has a sizable presence in the larger towns. Alanon is almost everywhere. OA, SALA and other programs are less likely to be encountered outside major cities. AA is very visible. I have noted where there are meetings in many cases, but like here, they move or change. We urge readers to help us keep this list current.

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Isabella Tree tells about her solitary travels to various parts of Mexico. Is this becoming a sort of literary sub-category - single ladies taking on the world? This book largely consists of a half dozen essays covering specific geographic areas that Ms. Tree visited, including Mexico City, Chiapas and Lake Pátzcuaro. My own personal favorite was "Holy Week," the one on San Miguel de Allende. read more

The MapimI Reserve overlaps an area known as La Zona del Silencio (the Zone of Silence) which attracts tourists and curiousity-seekers from all over the world. These people and their guides are locally referred to as zoneros or silenciosos. They are generally considered to be slightly daft or a nuisance, but they represent a substantial population of strangers who wish to see, experience, and take away with them read more

Situated about 300 miles north of Mexico City at an elevation of 6,200 feet, San Luis Potosi doesn't suffer the high summer temperatures and humidity of coastal areas. Although it's out of the Colonial Circle of cities such as San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Morelia, and Patzcuro, SLP, too, is rich with colonial architecture and history.

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Popular Ajijic photographer Jay Koppelman has two things to celebrate this winter: one, the recent opening of Studio 18, on Colón 18 in Ajijic, which features exclusively his photographs; and two, the recent publication of the first collection of his Mexico photographs, in a handsome coffee-table format, The Through Line. read more

For some northerners, heading south of the border to live after a busy career, Mexico looks like the land of mañana. All they have to do is kick back and watch the monarch butterflies pass on their an... read more