The Order of San Juan de Dios was founded in the sixteenth century by a Portuguese-born soldier turned nurse, Juan Ciudad, who opened a hospital in Granada, and it spread across Spain's empire. In the colonial towns of New Spain, its brothers ran hospitals for the poor, the sick and the travelling, and a royal hospital in San Miguel belonged to this tradition. In a silver town on the great trade road the need was real: muleteers, miners and soldiers fell ill, and the church and crown shared the cost of caring for them.
Buildings like this tell you how colonial society worked. A hospital had a chapel, courtyards, wards around a cloister and a small pharmacy, and it was supported by donations, rents and royal grants. The architecture is modest but sturdy, with thick walls of local stone, arched arcades, and heavy wooden doors. Today old hospitals and convents in Mexico are often reused as cultural centres and schools, and San Miguel is no exception, with its old religious buildings now housing art classes, galleries and museums.
The centre of San Miguel is a World Heritage zone, together with the Sanctuary of Atotonilco outside town, so the colonial fabric is protected. Strolling here, you notice the details: carved stone portals, iron balconies, thick wooden doors with brass studs, and tiled house numbers. Streets slope steeply, and every corner opens a view of domes and bell towers.
For riders, the same advice applies as elsewhere in the centre: park outside, preferably in a guarded lot, and walk. The cobbles are rough, the gradients are sharp, and the tourists are slow, so a bike is more trouble than pleasure inside the old town. Outside, the roads towards Dolores Hidalgo and Guanajuato run through open country and are enjoyable, with good views of the dry hills and the occasional hacienda.
Fuel stations are on the edge of town and along the main roads, and food is everywhere, from market stalls to fine restaurants. Try the fresh fruit water and the sweets sold near the main square. Mornings are the best time for walking, while the afternoon sun is strong, and thunderstorms in summer clear the air by evening.