Non-Premium #3327

Elegant, Large House with Fantastic Views, 1 Block from Centro Historico

House • San Miguel de Allende Mexico

    6 Guests  
    3 Bedrooms  
    4 Beds  
    4.5 Bathrooms  
    1 Car space 
  Primary home

Exchange types accepted

  Simultaneous  

Statistics

Listed  April 2021
Views  1531

General overview

Our home is one block from the Centro Historico in a very quiet, upscale area called Los Balcones (the Balcones). Since we are just above downtown, we enjoy spectacular views from almost anywhere in the house, tons of light, fresh air and quiet, (all of which are rare commodities in the center of town), but we are just an easy 10-minute downhill walk to the Jardin, the heart of San Miguel, with it's world-famous Parroquia church (which was supposedly the model for Cinderella's castle at Disneyland). A 20-minute walk will take you to the outer neighborhoods. San Miguel is one of the most historic, picturesque, well-preserved (and safe) cities in Mexico and even all of Latin America. An UNESCO World Heritage site, San Miguel is home to 80,000 people, including about 7,000 foreign residents. And, it was named the top tourist destination in the world by Conde Naste Travelers in 2014 and 2018. It is a center for the arts and language study, with a thriving cultural life as well as great restaurants--from the simple to world-class (but not at world-class prices) and excellent shopping. San Miguel is also a great jumping-off point for visiting other historic "Silver Cities' including Guajuanato, Dolores Hildalgo (the center of Talavera pottery) Queretero, San Luis Potosi, and, within 3-4 hours, Zacatecas, Morelia and Patzcuaro. The Pacific beaches (our favorite is Zihuatenejo) is an easy six-hour drive (or shuttle from San Miguel if you prefer) away. San Miguel can be accessed through a number of international airports including Queretero (45 minutes); Leon (90 minutes) or Mexico City (3 hours). There are very reliable shuttle services from San Miguel that make regular trips to all of these airports.San Miguel is one of the most historic, picturesque, well-preserved (and safe) cities in Mexico and even all of Latin America. An UNESCO World Heritage site, San Miguel is home to 80,000 people, including about 7,000 foreign residents. And, it was named the top tourist destination in the world by Conde Naste Travelers in 2014 and 2018. It is a center for the arts and language study, with a thriving cultural life as well as great restaurants--from the simple to world-class (but not at world-class prices) and excellent shopping. San Miguel is also a great jumping-off point for visiting other historic "Silver Cities' including Guajuanato, Dolores Hildalgo (the center of Talavera pottery) Queretero, San Luis Potosi, and, within 3-4 hours, Zacatecas, Morelia and Patzcuaro. The Pacific beaches (our favorite is Zihuatenejo) is an easy six-hour drive (or shuttle from San Miguel if you prefer) away. San Miguel can be accessed through a number of international airports including Queretero (45 minutes); Leon (90 minutes) or Mexico City (3 hours). There are very reliable shuttle services from San Miguel that make regular trips to all of these airports. Our views are spectacular and its a perfect house for indoor/outdoor living. The interior is filled with light and art and is very comfortable. It's an easy 10-minute walk to the Jardin (the epicenter of SMA) but without the constant noise and ringing church bells of Centro. And, our wonderful housekeeper, Norma, comes three days a week. She does all of the cleaning, laundry (including ironing your socks!) and will cook for you if you wish-- she's a wonderful cook!And, the weather is beautiful, year-round; there is no 'bad' time to visit.' During the 'winter'-- December and January-- the average high is 74 degrees. In the hottest months, which are April and May, the average high is 82 degrees. And, no matter what the temperature, it's sunny pretty much all the time.

The space

Casa de Alegria (House of Joy) combines the best of colonial design with a modern sensibility: large rooms in sophisticated colors; tile floors, baths and kitchen; huge windows and French doors, skylights and an atrium, drenching the house in light; and fabulous, inspiring views from the front terrace, large roof-top patios, living areas and the two master suites. Our very comfortable art-filled home is located in the lower Los Balcones area, one block from San Miguel's Centro Historico. It has spectacular 360-degree views, with 70-mile vistas including the nearby canyon all of San Miguel including it's spectacular churches and sunsets over the Guanajuato Mountains. From our home's quiet hillside location, it is an easy 10-12 minute walk downhill to the center of San Miguel, including the daily Mercado, and the Jardin - the main square and epicenter of life in San Miguel. A 10-15 minute walk in the other direction brings you to the Botanical Gardens for viewing native plants, bird watching, strolling beside the lake, or jogging along its trails. Our completely renovated, 3,500-square-foot home comfortably accommodates up to six adults or family groups. The main level encompasses a very comfortable living room with great views, which shares a stunning fire-ribbon fireplace with the elegant dining room, with an unusual octagonal boveda. The adjacent sitting/TV room has a large flat-screen TV, cleverly hidden behind a one-of-a-kind encaustic piece by a local artist, just above a fireplace built into the surrounding bookcase. Our large large covered terrace--with direct access from the sitting room-- has outstanding views of all of San Miguel--including the Parroquia and at least five other churches-- and beyond. It features a table for 10 as well as a chaise lounge that doubles as additional seating. There's also a fireplace and a gas/charcoal BBQ, and curtains to pull if the weather is not perfect (which is very rare) since we enjoy indoor/outdoor living year-round. Our spectacular cooks’ kitchen includes a 20-foot long brick barrel vault ceiling; high-end appliances including a Wolf stove; granite countertops with a travertine and terracotta tile backsplash; a pull-out pantry; a bar/work area overlooking the atrium and next to the sitting, dining and living rooms. 'The 'contemporary cool' office is also on the main floor, and features a wall-mounted gas fireplace and views of our kitchen garden, a 'pocket park' and the 'Balcones.' There's also a 'chair and a half' which folds out to make a single bed. The main floor also has a sky-lit half bath with a handmade copper sink and unique copper and limestone tiles. Plus, there's direct access to the charming 'morning patio' just outside of the kitchen. Throughout the main level, light pours from numerous windows, glass doors, skylights and an interior atrium--graced by a statue of our 'house saint,' St. Francis-- with a spiral staircase leading to our huge, two-part roof-top terrace/garden (we grow and cure our own olives) with a mosaic glass-topped dining table for eight, plus a smaller round table accommodating four, a gas/charcoal BBQ plus a built-in refrigerator, as well as a love seat with a Picasso-esque design. With their 360-degree views of town, the mountains and well beyond, the upper terraces are perfect for a margarita in the evening when thousands of birds fly in formation down the canyon. Down the grand staircase from the first floor--topped with a sky-lit boveda-- are two large master suites (both with queen beds) and the casita, which contains a guest bedroom. All of the bedrooms have been completely redecorated with wonderful deluxe fabrics, Oriental rugs, art and folk art. Both very comfortable, light-filled suites overlook and have direct access through French doors to the lovely front garden combining privacy with pleasant views over the canyon and San Miguel. Each suite has a high-efficiency, non-vented gas fireplace next to a sitting area with a couch or chairs; comfortable beds with luxury linens and featherbeds; large, light-filled travertine or marble tiled baths (one suite has a walk-in shower; the other has a tub/shower combination) as well as large separate dressing areas with double sinks and capacious 'his & her's' closets. The guest bedroom in the casita has a gorgeous travertine fireplace and a very comfortable queen sofabed as well as a one-of-a-kind hand-painted bookcase. The casita bathroom was recently redone with a marble show and unique glass vessel sink. The casita has its own spacious, sheltered patio with a sitting areas, flowers, fruit trees and a ‘weeping wall’ marble fountain. We provide high speed, wireless Internet access and unlimited Vonage long distance calls to the US, Canada and 60 other countries. Casa de Alegria has two entries. You can come up the front steps through the lush front garden to the bedroom level. Or, park in the house's secure gated parking area, which is next to our kitchen garden with a wide variety of herbs, citrus trees and even edible flowers. That entrance, which is next to a small, quiet neigborhood park, enters directly onto the main living floor. On the lower level, there is a laundry room with full-sized washer and dryer plus a service 1/2 bath, that is covered by a large skylight, so it is very bright and airy. But, you will not have to spend any time there since our lovely housekeeper, Norma, will do all of your laundry. You will love Norma, who comes three days a week (approximately 15 hours) and is bubbly, charming and outgoing yet amazingly efficient. Norma cleans, does your laundry, does the gardening and will cook your breakfast or 'comida' (mid-day meal) upon request. Norma is a fabulous cook with a wide repetoire. We also employ an excellent management company who will take care of any maintenance issues and emergencies that may come up during your stay. We have 'whole house' water purification and six high-efficiency fireplaces (plus the fireplace on the main terrace), so you will never get sick or feel chilly at our house! Note #1: Due to its high balconies and roof-top terraces, Casa de Alegria is not suitable for children under 13 years old. Note #2: We have two absolutely beautiful, sweet Ragdoll cats ( mother and son). They are a part of our household; we would like for you to take care of them while you are at our house. They are very low-maintenance, but they are exclusively indoor cats. If you like cats at all, you will absolutely love Elvis and Darling.

Notes

And, the weather is beautiful, year-round; there is no 'bad' time to visit.' During the 'winter'-- December and January-- the average high is 74 degrees. In the hottest months, which are April and May, the average high is 82 degrees. And, no matter what the temperature, it's sunny pretty much all the time.

Features


Washer
Washer
Clothes dryer
Clothes dryer
Oven
Oven
Microwave
Microwave
Fridge
Fridge
Iron
Iron
Hair dryer
Hair dryer
Heating
Heating
TV
TV
WiFi
WiFi
First aid kit
First aid kit
Smoke alarms
Smoke alarms
Bed sheets
Bed sheets
Towels
Towels
Workspace
Workspace
Fireplace
Fireplace
Home cinema
Home cinema
BBQ
BBQ

Travel Styles

    Romantic
    Foodie
    Relaxing
    Luxury
    Mountains
    Culture
    Hiking

House rules

    Suitable for infants under 2
    Suitable for children ages 2-12
    Pets not allowed
    No smoking

Dates of Availability

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Map of Approximate Location

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Michelle

Europe; South America; Southeast Asia; Mexico
Travelling group
LGBTQ+ friendly Retired Remote Worker
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Desired Destinations

Open to any destination
Can travel at any time