A Look at San Miguel de Allende

We have had our home in San Miguel de Allende for about 15 years, but have only recently begun to explore its history and culture. Shown below are four virtual tours that highlight the history and culture of the city and the region. The tours may be viewed within this page, or you may click on the title link to visit the site where they are hosted. Finally, links to the VR versions of the tours are provided below each tour, so that you can take them using your smartphone in conjunction with a Google Cardboard or similar VR headset for a more immersive experience.
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
Voted "the most beautiful city in the world" by Conde Nast in 2014 and Travel and Leisure in 2017, here are four virtual tours designed to acquaint you with our new adopted home: Churches of San Miguel de Allende, Historical and Cultural Highlights, and Parks, Plazas and Vistas. All are offered as apps as well as desktop tours.
The Churches of San Miguel de Allende:
ParraquoiaA big part of making this "the most beautiful city in the world" are the churches of San Miguel de Allende. They contribute mightily to its architectural splendor. This tour covers seven of the most prominent churches in the Centro Historico of San Miguel de Allende. They reflect the changing history of the city, its diverse population, and the changing architectural styles of colonial Mexico. The tour begins at the northern edge of the Centro Historico with Templo Nuestra de Salud and moves toward the Jardin and the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel shown here.
The Churches of San Miguel de Allende
Templo Nuestra Senora de SaludSnap Content

Virtual Reality Tour for VR Headsets:

There is also a version of this tour designed specifically for VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone and Android devices. It may be access by scanning on the QR code to the left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you may access the VR tour by following this link.


For iOS devices: scan QR code with your device's camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]

For Android devices: Open the camera app and use the built-in scanner to scan the QR code above. Confirm that you want to open the website, and wait for it to load--it should load in stereo view. Select the fullscreen ("X" option) from the menu at the bottom. Turn the device to landscape mode and you are ready to go. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]


Historical and Cultural Sights:
This tour begins in the Chorro where San Miguel de Allende was first settled and moves up toward the Centro Historico. The tour highlight San Miguel's role in the War of Independence and its later renaissance in the mid-20th century as a center of art and culture, the wellspring of its current popularity. Featured in the tour is Museo de Ignacio Allende, the Casa del Mayorazgo de la Canal, Casa de los Conspiradores, Teatro Angela Peralta, El Centro Cultural Ignacio RamirezCasa de la Cultura. (Bellas Artes), and




  Historic and Cultural Sights of San Miguel de Allende
El ChorroSnap Content



Virtual Reality Tour for VR Headsets:

There is also a version of this tour designed specifically for VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone and Android devices. It may be accessed by scanning on the QR code to the left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you may access the VR tour by following this link.


For iOS devices: scan QR code with your device's camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]

For Android devices: Open the camera app and use the built-in scanner to scan the QR code above. Confirm that you want to open the website, and wait for it to load--it should load in stereo view. Select the fullscreen ("X" option) from the menu at the bottom. Turn the device to landscape mode and you are ready to go. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page.
Plazas, Parks, and Vistas:
This is a virtual tour of the "green spaces" in San Miguel de Allende. It begins with the Plaza Civica, the original Jardin and then moves plaza by plaza to the Jardin Allende in front of the Parroquia. Also included in the tour is the Parque Benito Juarez, and the vantage point of El Mirador, overlooking the city.







San Miguel de Allende Plazas, Parks, and Vistas
Plaza CivicaSnap Content

Virtual Reality Tour for VR Headsets:

There is also a version of this tour designed specifically for VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone and Android devices. It may be access by scanning on the QR code to the left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you may access the VR tour by following this link.


For iOS devices: scan QR code with your device's camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]

For Android devices: Open the camera app and use the built-in scanner to scan the QR code above. Confirm that you want to open the website, and wait for it to load--it should load in stereo view. Select the fullscreen ("X" option) from the menu at the bottom. Turn the device to landscape mode and you are ready to go. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]
 
Caņada de la Virgen [under construction]
Visitor Center/MuseumSnap Content

Virtual Reality Tour for VR Headsets:

There is also a version of this tour designed specifically for VR headsets such as Google Cardboard, and it works with both iPhone and Android devices. It may be access by scanning on the QR code to the left. If you are viewing this on a mobile phone, you may access the VR tour by following this link.


For iOS devices: scan QR code with your device's camera app, tap on the prompt to open Safari. Select "Allow Device Motion" and the next prompt, "Allow Access to Motion Orientation." Turn the device to landscape mode and a split screen will appear. When the screen turns white, swipe up for fullscreen mode, and place in headset. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]

For Android devices: Open the camera app and use the built-in scanner to scan the QR code above. Confirm that you want to open the website, and wait for it to load--it should load in stereo view. Select the fullscreen ("X" option) from the menu at the bottom. Turn the device to landscape mode and you are ready to go. Here is a video of how to do this--it is simpler than it sounds! [The video opens in a new window--close when done to return to this page]



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