Day of the Dead in Mexico has long been on my list of hoped-for experiences in life.

And, this year, I got to finally see it, alongside my best buddy Sarah Forman. We were celebrating her engagement on this adventure, and we vowed to simply wander the little town of San Miguel as we wished, with no real agenda. We wanted a vacation, not a trip. We wanted to leave tours and learning for another time, focusing more on recharging and enjoying the beautiful out-of-office settings on our gmail accounts.

San Miguel is pretty discovered in terms of Mexican destinations. It’s right up there with Tulum and Cancun on the BEST OF lists for the country. Some might even say it’s overly touristy and too much of a gringo expat town now. I’m not going to speak to that today, although I do hold my own feelings on the subject.

That being said …

We adored our week amongst the cobblestones, great coffee and cathedrals; particularly Dia de los Muertos. It was our first time in Mexico for this specific event, and I liked how compact the city felt, how easy it was to navigate, ducking and and out of parades and parties as we wished. In fact, we enjoyed ourselves so much, we promised to come back for Day of the Dead in San Miguel next year, or to head to Oaxaca for the much larger, crazier celebrations.

Here are a few images from the town and the revelry, and, a few thoughts on drinking, dining, shopping and spa-ing, should you be interested in San Miguel.

SHOP …

The intricately woven textiles, the Dolores Hidalgo pottery, the imported Italian silk and the velvet slippers from France … this is a shoppers paradise and you really need at least three days to even tackle the ‘Zona Central’ historic center, much less the outskirt options like Aurora Fabrica.

MIXTA

Great for … quality jewelry, slightly over-priced Indian-print cotton kaftans, a smattering of art, some cool bed linens and various sundries like candles and sandals. The space is stunning and features multiple enclaves, one after another. Zona Central

CERAMICA LOPEZ

Great for … exquisite pottery that doesn’t quite look like anything else in town. It’s intricately patterned and the colorways are ample. They sell everything, from large baking dishes to tea cups, really cool, heavy napkin rings to small plates. It might be tough to get the bigger pieces home, but I messaged them on Facebook and apparently they do ship. Zona Central

FABRICA AURORA

I found the coolest, original, Ortega Valencia matador poster here, but alas, I wasn’t able to ship it unframed. It’s just going to be a memory, not a house piece. Fabrica Aurora is an old textile factory from the early 1900s, now turned into a conglomeration of boutiques, furniture emporiums and art galleries. Each one flows into the next, and it’s actually confusing towards the center. I’d say you need at least an hour here, but two is even better. There’s also a great outdoor coffee shop/cafe for refueling. You can walk to Fabrica easily from the center of the city, or take a 10 minute cab.

DOCE 18 CONCEPT HOUSE

Our favorite spot for breakfast, Casa Arca, feeds into this place, which has multiple boutique/vendors under a single roof. The quality is high (as are some of the prices) but you pay for what you get, whether what you get is sunglasses, fine gem jewelry, independent designer pieces or a new bag.

DINING

We only had one ‘so-so’ meal over the entire five-day trip and it was merely a ‘meh’ hotel breakfast. Everything else was fantastic. Here are a few spots I’d head back to, were I to return.

FLORIOS COCINA DE FUEGO

We stayed at Clandestino, in their Pila Seca location, for two nights and I absolutely highly recommend the hotel. But, we also spent a long evening of drinks and dinner at their rooftop restaurant, and it might have been my favorite evening of the trip. They specialize in wood-fired preparations, the owner, Greg, is hilarious and the bar staff knows their way around a classic cocktail.

CASA ARCA

This gets my vote over Lavanda for breakfast, only because who can even get in Lavanda with the crazy lines and the tiny setting?! Casa Arca’s very open air, with large, traditional curved chairs, beautiful hanging rattan lights and eggs in creamy tomato sauce with all the trappings. Those are a thing of beauty … and now I’m starving.

FATIMA 7

The lamb is tender, the heirloom salad bright and tart, and the menu a great mix of Middle Eastern flavors with Mexican classic technique. But the real reason you come here is the view. You can almost reach out and touch the stone of the massive, Gothic cathedral opposite.

BOVINE

We wandered in this place, exhausted from so much shopping, and I was shocked by how good the burger was. And the salty, twice-fried fries. And the beautiful clarified tomato-water cocktail. I was also shocked at how confusing the bathroom was to navigate. Signs? We hate them? Oh. Okay.

SPA DAY

THE MAYAN BATHS

Make a half-day out of this, head 30 minutes outside of town ($50 taxi) and book a massage and lunch. There are underground thermal hot pools to relax in, a cliffside swimming pool with a second hot tub, lounge chairs for tanning and an excellent buffet lunch. Don’t forget sunscreen and a hat. There is no shade surrounding the pool.