20 Best Shopping in San Miguel de Allende, San Miguel de Allende and the Heartland

A 10-minute walk from the center of town, Fábrica La Aurora, which was established in 1902, was the principal source of fine-quality muslin in the region until competition forced its closing. It reopened in 1990 as exhibition spaces for dozens of art galleries and antique- and modern-furniture showrooms; also, many local artists have opened studios here.

The concentration of art galleries draws visitors in huge numbers, especially during the monthly art walk, Friday beginning at 5 pm. If you're shopped out and hungry, head for the Food Factory, with its old-world character and comfortable sofas under a covered patio. Or pick up a snack at the outdoor Café de la Aurora coffee shop.

Ceramicist Mayer Shacter and his wife Susan Page have an amazing collection of decorative and utilitarian folk-art pieces from all over Mexico in several showrooms. On the way to several hot springs, the pilgrimage center at Atotonilco, and the town of Dolores Hidalgo, the 5,000-square-foot gallery is a destination in itself, and not just a must for avid shoppers. In 2014 the editor of the art magazine series Artes en Mexico called the shop "without a doubt the finest exhibition and sale of Mexican popular art in the country." It's open by appointment only. If you are serious about high-quality folk-art pieces, make an appointment.

Although Abrazos also has napkins, place mats, pot holders, and baby bibs, the small shop is primarily known for dresses, blouses, men's shirts, and women's aprons in the store's outstanding cotton fabric, printed exclusively for the shop in Day of the Dead skulls and other iconic figures. The fabric is sold by the meter as well.

Artes de México has a huge selection of Mexican crafts, including ceramics, tin, paper, iron, and wooden items, at reasonable prices.

At Camino Silvestre ("wild road"), an eclectic and slightly eccentric selection of gifts and home furnishings delights the eye, all arranged as if in a home or garden rather than a store. Bird and nature themes predominate: choose among hummingbird feeders, birdhouses, framed prints, fine linens, wool rugs, art prints and paintings, and much more. Adjacent is a pricey but pretty tea room. There's a second location at Zacateros 46 (Tel.415/121–3359).

Casa Michoacana, located near Fábrica La Aurora, offers gorgeous, high-quality handicrafts from the state of Michoacán, one of Mexico's most prolific producers of popular art.

Cerro Blanco Joyería creates and crafts its own silver and gold jewelry, with clean lines and a modern look.

Directly across the street from Bellas Artes, Diva has an excellently curated collection of stylish women's clothing, with a small section for the guys. The jewelry as well is tasteful yet fun and unusual. It's the first shop within an old colonial plaza, across the passageway from La Victoriana herbal concoctions shop.

If shopping has sapped your strength, head to the back of the little mall for a delicious bakery treat at La Buena Vida, open until midday only.

Painter Daniel Rueffert paints landscapes and Mexican scenes with bold brushstrokes and bright colors that capture the essence of Pozos, where he lives, and the surrounding countryside.

Guajuye, on the road to the railroad station, is the local glass factory, where you can pick up all sorts of handblown glassware.

There's a "seconds" outlet directly across the street, behind the Immigration Office.

It also has a shop in town at Correo 11.

Established in 1963, Joyería David has an extensive selection of silver jewelry, much of it made on the premises. Jewelers on-site can help customers design their own pieces containing Mexican opals, amethysts, topazes, malachite, turquoise, or other stones.

The simple figurative acrylic paintings of Juan Ezcurdia, who can often be found working in his gallery in Fábrica La Aurora, are playful yet powerful, and often feature humans and animals. Look for iguanas drinking beverages through a straw, stylized humans riding bikes, and other fun and cheerful images.

Spilling out for several blocks behind the Mercado Ignacio Ramírez is the Mercado de Artesanías. You'll find vendors of local work at this artisans' market—glass, tin, and papier-mâché—as well as silver jewelry at bargain prices, Huichol beaded jewelry, and woven wool rugs from Oaxaca.

As its name implies, this shop has an eclectic mix of tasteful items (as well as piquaresque greeting cards for women of a certain age). Pretty, hip jewelry, a smattering of ceramic pieces from different parts of Mexico, and other potential gifts share space—in a gorgeous old house surrounding a central courtyard—with blouses, dresses, and other clothing with clean lines and a distinctive, modern look.

A few doors down from the tourism office, Ono offers a pleasing assortment of textiles and a wide range of traditional clothing—including blouses, shawls, stoles, and scarves—as well as jewelry, mostly in traditional designs.

San Miguel Shoe features a delightful selection of locally crafted shoes and sandals in a rainbow of colors, all designed for walking on cobblestones. Look for them in other boutiques throughout town as well.

Make a sharp right just inside the entrance to Fábrica La Aurora to find one of San Miguel's most intriguing galleries. The oil paintings, including hyper-realistic still lifes, landscapes, and unusual portraits, as well as charming sculptures and modern art pieces are always fresh and innovative, often provoking contemplation. There's a couch in a long, narrow lobby overlooking the sculptures for tired or crabby spouses.

Open daily, Skot Foreman sells the work of Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Peter Max, M.C. Escher, Ansel Adams, and other lesser known but collectible artists.

Although everyone calls it the "Organic Market," only some of the stands sell organic produce. Nonetheless, there's plenty of healthful, regionally grown raw food and honey plus organic coffee, wonderful breads and baked goods, cheeses, and desserts. About half the stands sell handicrafts or other nice gifts, including plant-based cosmetics, incense, wool rugs, cotton blouses, and hooked-rug pieces made by a women's co-op. Hot food stands do a brisk business selling quesadillas, gorditas, and regional snacks, and it's easy to strike up a conversation at the long outdoor picnic tables.

A small shop in a diverse little plaza (with an art gallery, sports bar, puzzle shop, and creperie, among other businesses) across from Bellas Artes, "Everything White" actually represents the full spectrum of colors and styles in dresses, scarves, hats, purses, blouses, and jewelry for women. Many of the unique pieces are designed by the owner; a few come from outside Mexico, such as blouses from India and kimono-style coats from Japan.