Mexico's San Miguel de Allende and Oaxaca among hemisphere's top 10 cities to visit

The Mexican cities of San Miguel de Allende and Oaxaca have been chosen as two of the top 10 cities to visit in the Americas by Conde Nast Traveler's readers choice awards.

San Miguel de Allende, which has a large expatriate community, was praised by the survey for its "beautiful colonial buildings, gardens, and the Gothic-styled Parroquia, one of Mexico's most famous cathedrals."

The top 10 cities to visit in the Americas, according to the survey are:

1. Buenos Aires
2. Vanvouver
3. Quebec City
4. Victoria
5. San Miguel de Allende
6. Cuzco
7. Montreal
8. Oaxaca City
9. Toronto
10. Rio de Janeiro

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City

Comments

[brian o'connell(Ireland)]

Espi's comments on his trip to San Miguel and Mexico are beyond belief. He makes a fundamental mistake in not taking another country's immigration procedure and documentation seriously and then blames others for his mistakes. If he were a foreigner visiting the U.S. he would have a lot more hassle if he did not have his entry card on exiting. Judging by the tone of his comments, I think Mexico is way better off without him retired or not! Mexico is a wonderful country. I spent 4 years there and visit frequently.

[KZ Dallas]

That "white piece of paper" was your VISA!!!! The document that allows you to visit in a foreign country. It is YOUR responsibility to hold onto it because it also allows you to leave the country...

VISAs (the bottom part of the form you probably filled out on the plane) is required at ALL airports in Mexico & similar VISAs are required in other countries as well. So, it's not just Leon airport and it's not just Mexicana airlines and they are not just trying to rip people off. I have flown American Airlines requiring the same documentation and I have flown USAIR to the Yucatan, also requiring said documentation. It's the law!

[Espi]

I just returned from a VERY expensive trip to San Miguel De Allende & I probably will never return. My experience flying out of Leon airport (which is one of two airports closest to San Miguel) was a frustrating, nerve wracking & expensive NIGHTMARE. I wasn't allowed to board my flight home on MEXICANA airlines because I did not have a piece of paper which may or may not have been issued to me by the Mexican Customs clerk when I entered the country. Upon my arrival in Mexico I went through customs & handed over my passport which was stamped & handed back to me with not one word uttered let alone any type of instructions about what to do when I leave Mexico by the Mexican customs clerk. When I went to check in for my return flight home the MEXICANA airlines clerk informed me that they would not let me board my flight back to L.A. without a paper from Mexican customs which supposedly had been given to me upon my arrival. I was sent to a window with a Mexican customs official who told me I must pay a $56 fine in order to be re-issued this paper, but he did not accept cash and that I would have to go to the bank at the airport and pay the fine then return to the customs window with proof of payment in order for him to issue me a new paper allowing me to leave Mexico. The bank was CLOSED. It was 6:15 am and was supposed to have opened at 6am. My flight was scheduled to leave at 6:55 am. The bank clerk finally showed up at 6:30 and sat at his desk looking at a computer for 10 minutes before he opened the doors. ALL the americans on my flight were in that line waiting for the bank to open to pay our "fine". Just as I'm ready to pay my fine a clerk from MEXICANA airlines approached us and told us to go back to the Mexicana Airlines desk because they wanted us to board the plane & they would let us board without the paper from customs. So all 12 of us ran back to the Mexicana check-in counter only to be told by the supervisor that we would not be allowed to board because we were too late! Mind you it was 6:40 am and the plane was not scheduled to leave until 6:55am. We pleaded to no avail. The Supervisor instructed us to go to another window to find other flights out of Leon to LAX. When we arrived to that desk we were told we had to pay for new tickets and the only flights available with seats were in 6 days. The cost was $800 for a one-way ticket. I ended up renting a car ($130) and driving to Guadalajara airport where I booked a flight later that day on American Airlines through Dallas & back to LA. Thanks to the corruption at Leon it cost me $1040 to get a flight back to Los Angeles not including the cost of the rental car. My travel companion, who is a Mexican citizen, stayed with me and didnt board our flight in Leon. When she got to the Mexicana ticket counter at the Guadalajara airport she was told that she could rebook a flight to LA for $150. She got a flight that afternoon back to LA. There was only one seat available. I had already booked my flight on American so I couldn't take advantage of paying $150 to get home. On my flight home the man sitting next to me was returning home to Louisana. When I told him my story he said, "You mean that white peice of paper they give you when you come in? THEY NEVER ASKED ME FOR THAT PAPER WHEN I BOARDED THIS FLIGHT! So this is a warning to all who are considering a trip to San Miguel De Allende. The mexicana airlines counter people & Mexican Immigration officials at LEON AIRPORT have figured out a way to MAKE $$$ off of Americans traveling to Mexico. When you enter MEXICO MAKE SURE you get that paper issued by Mexican Immigration. If they don't give it to you ASK for the paper that allows you to get out of Mexico. Its a racket to get $ from unsuspecting people. When I've traveled to other countries Ive never been asked for anything other than my passport to board my plane home. Those crooks at LEON have figured out a way to take make $ by taking advantage of foreigners. PLEASE TELL EVERYONE you know who plans on traveling to San Miguel De Allende my story. Aside from this the town is lovely BUT VERY expensive! They're charging the same prices for food/drinks at restaurants that we pay here in the U.S. I was considering retiring there but after this experience - NO THANK YOU!

[gio]

Both nice cities for a weekend, but once you've been, I really have found no reason to return... the same stultifying provincial culture found all over Mexico, with some nice little churches and mediocre cuisine. Oaxaca city does have some nice hikes in the surrounding area, at least.