Mexico : Safety by City
- Acapulco
- Aguascalientes
- Cabo San Lucas
- Cancun
- Chichen Itza
- Chihuahua
- Cozumel
- Cuernavaca
- Culiacan
- Durango
- Ensenada
- Guadalajara
- Guanajuato
- Hermosillo
- Huatulco
- Isla Holbox
- Isla Mujeres
- Ixtapa
- Juarez
- Leon
- Los Cabos
- Manzanillo
- Matamoros
- Merida
- Mexicali
- Mexico City
- Monterrey
- Morelia
- Nogales
- Nuevo Laredo
- Oaxaca
- Piedras Negras
- Playa del Carmen
- Puebla
- Puerto Morelos
- Puerto Vallarta
- Queretaro City
- Reynosa
- Saltillo
- San Luis Potosi
- San Miguel de Allende
- Sayulita
- Tijuana
- Tulum
- Valladolid
- Veracruz
- Zacatecas
- Zapopan
- Zihuatanejo
San Miguel de Allende is located about 274 km northwest of Mexico City in Guanajuato state.
This city has vivid narrow walkways and streets.
Travelers come here to delve into the music, food and arts scene of Mexico.
Colonial city with a lot of baroque architecture and artisan shops.
Here is a lot of things to do: shopping for antique things, exploring the city’s Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel church, discovering handcrafted Mexican masks at the Another Face of Mexico mask museum.
Here you can meet artists work in studios throughout the city, and crafts, jewelry, and other folk art are sold along the streets.
Warnings & Dangers in San Miguel de Allende
OVERALL RISK: LOW
The city is safe enough, but you should be careful in crowded places and avoid bars after sunset.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
Public transport can be safe if you do not use it late at night. Taxis are safe enough, do not catch them on the streets, use only a licensed service or take it from the app on your smartphone.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
The risk of pickpocketing is high enough here. San Miguel de Allende has plenty of tourists, and travelers are a target for petty crimes. You should do not leave valuables unattended and keep especially important documents and things in the hotel safe.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
This region has practically no risks of natural disasters and is quite safe.
MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
Mugging risk is medium in this area. Inattentive tourists can become an aim for robbery. You need to take normal security measures to protect your life and belongings.
TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
Due to gangs showdowns time from to time the city sometimes suffers from terrorist attacks. Check new in official news' source before a visit to San Miguel de Allende.
SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM
In San Miguel de Allende you can meet scams with travel entry fees in popular sight, taxi cheat with the cost of the trip. Make sure you buy tickets in a licensed place.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Alone women travelers are not uncommon in the city. However, you must be careful on the streets, not to walk late at night and not to go to bars.
So... How Safe Is San Miguel de Allende Really?
But despite its allure crime index increase greatly in San Miguel de Allende in past years.
There is a home of the leading gasoline-stealing gang in Mexico, located just in an hour and a half from San Miguel de Allende.
And the very prosperous economy of San Miguel de Allende holds much interest for this gang.
Sometimes businesses have to pay protection money to another gang, so from time to time, the city suffers from gang showdowns.
However, compared with other cities of Mexico, San Miguel de Allende remains quite safe.
The new policy has priority to maintain safety, especially in cities that wish is attracted to tourists.
Violence and crime in the city mainly concern gang fights and rarely affect tourists.
As usual, you need to take measures for your safety, do not appear on the streets at night, do not get drunk in bars.
Public transport can be unsafe, you need to carefully monitor your pockets.
The occasional incident usually takes place late at night.
Most of the city center is heavily patrolled by armed police.
San Miguel de Allende visits a lot of solo travelers and women who travel alone are not a rarity.
Use common sense for protecting your life and belongings.
How Does San Miguel de Allende Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| San Miguel de Allende | 75 |
| Playa del Carmen | 69 |
| Cabo San Lucas | 68 |
| Acapulco | 63 |
| Cancun | 71 |
| Guadalajara | 62 |
| Mexico City | 45 |
| Calgary (Canada) | 82 |
| Buenos Aires (Argentina) | 60 |
| Vancouver (Canada) | 82 |
| Cordoba (Argentina) | 61 |
| Toronto (Canada) | 81 |
| Melbourne (Australia) | 80 |
Useful Information
Visas
No visas required for tourist proposals to enter Mexico for many countries of Europe, US citizens and so on. You should have a valid passport and a tourist permit. The maximum possible of stay is 180 days. For a longer stay or other options, you should visit the Mexican embassy.
Currency
The Mexican peso - is the official currency in Mexico. There are one hundred Mexican centavos to every peso. The symbol for the Mexican Peso is $, so you can see MX$ or MN$ in banks and exchange points.
Weather
The best time to visit San Miguel de Allende is November through April. Temperatures in San Miguel de Allende don't vary too much. Less crowded time is from January to May.
Airports
Bajio airport - at Silao is the closest airport to San Miguel de Allende. It handles the domestics flight of the area of Guanajuato.
Travel Insurance
The medical travel insurance is required for travelers in any country as well as Mexico. On the border, any traveler may be asked by a customs officer to show insurance.
San Miguel de Allende Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 23 | 25 | 28 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 24 |
| Low °C | 7 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| High °F | 73 | 77 | 82 | 88 | 90 | 86 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 81 | 77 | 75 |
| Low °F | 45 | 48 | 50 | 55 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 57 | 54 | 50 | 46 |
Prison City/They Hate Americans
SMA sucks!!! There are police everywhere, and before corona they put 118 cameras up on the street. They treat people like prisoners…and the locals hate foreigners and will tell you to go back to your country.
You can NOT enjoy any cafes because they take your identifaication , they scan your forhead like you are a product on the shelf, an tell you to put on non organic chemicals on your sacred body….. There is a strong strong presences of Ex-CIA/assasins, and some MI6 here. Also, SMA has a strong history of witch craft and it is still strongly practices here. one foreign woman wrote a book on being attacked here by it and how the family separated her and her mexican husband and basically made her husband crazy. Shoppoign sucks because they watch you with camreas and ect………. Did I mention that they hate foreigners! The organic market charges higher prices for produce than they do in ERuope and CAnada.
What a crock. It is beautiful, and has good food.
Absolutely untrue. SMA is a magic, creative and friendly place to live/visit.
It's just fine; Ignore the crazy lady
Amen! I can’t believe you can’t flag comments here. That person needs to be in a psychiatric institution, not trolling the internet with their inane comments. Article is accurate. Facts. Not some totally schizophrenic idiot that can recognize CIA agents. And I’ll bet has never accomplished anything tangible. I’m really fed up with these crazies spewing their scree all over the internet.
Ignore ‘Shelly’
‘Witchcraft’ ‘CIA’ and ‘they watch you with cameras’ are kind of a tinfoil hat tip-off. 😂😂😂
Qanon devotee apparently
Crazy
I hope that first poster is seeing a psychologist.
Nuts
Cray cray! Boo! And they have ghosts too.
😂😂😂 absolutely false info….. This review comes from an overly paranoid person who shouldn’t travel outside her front door. Please disregard EVERYTHING Shelly says about SMA, she obviously hasn’t a clue what she’s talking about! Shame on you Shelly for spouting such stupidity.
Had a great safe time in SMA with friends. Recommend it. Friendly, colorful, historial, architectural beauties, full of artists and art galleries, delicious food, and modern amenities easy to obtain. Great value for the dollar. Lots of American expatriates living there for good reasons.
Russell Shields, California
insane comments.
I don’t agree
This person must be on another planet…, they DO NOT HATE FOREIGNERS… I’m guessing this person is rude and entitled so best to stay away,yes. They only want kind people to visit. It’s the most beautiful city in the world.
Omg!!! Shelly you are CRAZY!!!! SMA love must of the Americans who come to visit and appreciate our culture. We won’t miss lunatics like you!! Please don’t come back
Get an education and learn to spell.
This review of SMA is a total lie. I have a home in SMA and have found it safe and certainly safer then my old home town of Los Angeles where the homeless are a nightmare. Many of the expats have charities that benefit the local people especially the children, so, why would they hate us??
Seems to me like your the one with the issues not San Miguel if you like it then don’t go. I thought that locals hate foreigners if they make a living off them. But Mexicans hate complaining period so ya in you don’t like to corporate with their rules go home simple. Stop being annoying so else where. You are in Mexico and you must Obey their covid protocols period.
you sound like you need a hug
What a skewed view. I have no commercial, business, otherwise attachments in San Miguel. Such a response to foreigners would only be because one is rude, imperious, ethnocentric, pejorative, and monolingual. This is a welcoming and kind city to the adaptable, kind, humble and curious, appreciative and appropriately generous.
You sound like a Karen.
ha!!
Totally untrue. This person who is spewing this nonsense has a private agenda. We are happy Shelly is going elsewhere. Adios.
Been there. Had a wonderful experience.
SMA
My cousin has lived there for years and thinks for the most part it is quite safe. She wouldn’t live here alone, if she didn’t love it.
My questions are: what airport do we fly in to and then how safe is it to actually travel TO the city?
Lovely
We have been going to SMG for about 15 years .. we have never had ANY TROUBLE.. we sometimes go twice a year.. we’re not going this year because of the virus.. but as soon as we can we will arrange a trip.. we have made friends and look forward to seeing them each time.. we don’t stay out late at night.. and we get a private driver to and from the airport…we always stay very near the Jardin in walking distance from the hotel..
Driver?
Can you advise where to ca to get a trusted driver
?
wonderful except I think Summer when it’s green and has spectacular thundershowers is the best . high 82 each day, cooler at night. and great hot springs!
Bajio Go is a great transport used by many every day.
Just Go!
SMA is quite safe. It is a beautiful magical place full of lovely people.
Cartel activity and 100+ murders in 2020
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (Administrative unit: Guanajuato) – last known population is ≈ 72 400 (year 2014). This was 0.058% of total Mexico population. If population growth rate would be same as in period 2010-2014 (+0.91%/year), San Miguel de Allende population in 2020 would be: 76 465*. Current homicide (reported) is on track to be over 120 in 2020. This is a murder rate of 1 in 520 citizens of San Miguel . Kidnapping is on the rise as are all violent crimes though very few are reported or disclosed in crime figures. Let me put it in perspective. If SMA was included in US crime statistics of the cities with the most homicides per capita San Miguel De Allende would be number 1 on the list beating the top US city (St Louise MO) for homicide rate per capita by almost double. For those thinking of retiring I advise you not to believe all that city officials are saying about low crime numbers. How many of you would consider retiring to a small town in the USA with that is twice as violent as the most dangerous city in the USA. Not many takers I would guess.
Study the videos and internet commentary and local English paper re safety risks
Thank you. Other video blogs indicate the strong police presence and military guard tower outside the mall, and advise no movement after dark. I’ll retire to southern Italy, Puglia, instead…where the housing is actually cheaper than SMA, and Europe is fully accessible. Yes, it’s a magical city for a weekend, but likely to get riskier with time.
High Murder Rates in San Miguel De Allende
The local government try to hide the extremely high rate of violent crime in San Miguel De Allende. Cartel infiltration has happened and extortion and murder are a common occurrence. SMDA is now twice as dangerous as the most dangerous city in the USA. On track for 120+ murders in 2020. You have a 1in 500 chance of being murdered here. Armed robbery and home invasions resulting in murder is on the rise.
Incorrect info
Ummm population is almost 600,000… what planet are you on?
Felicia, wrong city. Try again.
Take the bad with the good
I was in SMA in the winter of 2015. I really loved it, as I do all of Mexico. This was truly a magical place, as is all of Mexico. My first visit there was over 50 years ago and I was charmed. BUT. Nowadays one can sense the tension in the air, and hear the gringo denial. I made friends with Mexicans who told me dark things that were happening. One artist had his horse show while she was grazing. Just for no known reason. He said many local people were being kidnapped and often killed, and the stories are covered up, never reported in the newspapers, but talked about among Mexicans, quietly. Another man told me about cartels extorting almost all the businesses, to the extent that it he said it would make sense to have a cartel mayor! Another called his homeland “pinche pais” after a priest got shot to death near his house. As for witchcraft, sure, if one is sensitive you will feel it. I did around one of the biggest churches. (Although the churches I went to for mass seemed OK.) Sorry. It kind of breaks my heart to see such a beautiful people get so darkened. If you think the good outweighs the bad, then so be it. But be real.
Serial Rapist
In 1975 when I attended the Instituto Allende, there was a serial rapist on the loose. In 2006, he was finally arrested and put behind bars with help from the FBI. My visit to the police in 1975 was met with laughter and a refusal to take a report. Hopefully, times have changed. It is a beautiful city.
The most dangerous thing is San Miguel is that you will die of boredom. If you’re a tourist with some very basic street smarts you’ll be totally fine here.
San Miguel es un lugar amigable , magico, eapiritual y con mucho arte, la gente es muy servicial. Como en todos Los lugares del mundo hay lugares que es mejor evitar;creo que personas como Shelly si son un peligro para San Miguel. Por favor Shelly no vuelvas a San Miguel We won’t miss you !!! no queremos gente que no aprecia la riqueza de nuestra cultura.
Patrolling soldiers
February 2020: walking a few streets back to our Centro rental home from a dinner also in Centro, ( 9 pm – yes it was dark) , we encountered a patrolling army truck with three soldiers with automatic weapons held in the “ready” position. One of the soldiers crouched behind a mounted machine gun. Highly unusual and disconcerting. Other than that, the dinner was great.
Lovely place to visit or make your home
I have lived in San Miguel for 12 years and have never been a victim of crime. The negative comments here reflect absolute ignorance and illogical fear based on hearsay and misinformation..
Does anyone know what’s happening now in SMA during this July 2021? Also can anyone advise on where and how to get Covid-19 testing? Do the hotels there offer it? Where does a tourist get the test?
Beautiful town & kind people
I have been visiting San Miguel de Allende for nearly 30 years. The people are kind, welcoming, and helpful. I never experienced anyone hating me as a visitor (like a previous post reported). In all the 20+ times I’ve been there, sometimes for a month at a time, I had just one incident of any crime, when a ring I left in my room was pilfered (I should have used the available safe; many people I know have experienced similar losses in hotels throughout the US). It is a beautiful city, with wonderful culture, and amazing people.
Fact check/research
I would ask folks to be aware and not be willfully ignorant.
“The town of Celaya is a defacto hell-hole. It is called the “The most Violent City in the World” by the Rio Times. Do you know how far it is from SMA? 35 miles.”
“Current SMA homicide (reported) is on track to be over 120 in 2020. That is 120 per 100,000. The murder rate in the US is 5.
SMA murder rate is twice that of the highest murder rate city in the US.
(ss John Aston on Sep 03, 2020:, below)
“According to the San Miguel Times last July, “70 murders [occurred] in less than 10 months in San Miguel de Allende’, which translates to about 90/yr, or about the 120 rate as per 100,000 (as per KL on Mar 28, 2020:)
For all crimes, property, and violence, in the US, only 25% are solved. I suspect it is way lower in Mexico and SMA, as with the crimes reported rate, as well.
Criminals, generally, like to be unseen, by witnesses, during their activity. So, it is of no surprise that many folks have not seen it. That would be the norm.
Stay safe, don’t be ignorant. Stay informed.
Just thinking about your quoted murder rates for San Miguel; have you checked the Chicago murder rates recently? Just saying…
Chicago has about 20 to 30 murders per 100,000 and Chicago has about 3.8 million people living there with 500 to 700 murders a year that means if San miguel had 3.8 million people people living there they would have had like 4200 people mustered that year so yes it’s still more dangerous per capita or by how many residents the city has so this city is technically like 6-7 times more dangerous then Chicago and it would actually be the most violent place in the world then just because someone who lives here doesn’t see it happen doesn’t mean it does not happen you think the rich millionaires who live in the suburbs of north Chicago or down town Chicago see crimes for real let alone murders they’re focused on them selves they’ll be lucky if they see the pettiest crimes
SMA - Great place but not perfect
Visited SMA at least 8 times 2 weeks each time in the Centro district. The locals treated us with respect and we found most to have a great sense of humor. We never witnessed a crime nor heard of crime problems from the many full time Gringos. Yes, there are police presence and sometimes armed military vehicles patrolling the streets. No problems with taxis or restaurant service. Overall a safe and beautiful place to visit or live.
Moved but returned
Several years ago my wife and I decided to move from Sausalito to SMA. It looked beautiful so we went for a visit stayed for a couple of weeks and knew it was for us. We bought a house in Balcones, moved all the household possessions, pictures, art, etc. and rented out our house in Sausalito. We applied for and became temporary residents and had plans to become permanent residents. Loved the food, the people, the vibe. Although nothing ever happened to us we began to feel an unsafe vibe as cartels visited. We returned to Sausalito because basically, we had decided to retire in SMA for financial reasons. The dollar did after all go farther. However, people in our neighborhood were putting triple locks on their doors, motion detectors, even electric barbed wire. We found ourselves sort of buying into that and we didn’t want to stay only for the money. We made friends, tell people about our experiences and if we had to do over, we would. Just sorry it didn’t work out. At least for us.