02 May Travel leg 2022: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

For the second part of our 2021/2022 travel leg, we chose to spend it in San Miguel de Allende. So many people recommended this city to us, we just had to find out for ourselves! And we were not disappointed! A complete opposite to Tulum: dry, on altitude, colonial. We loved it! A very quaint village with beautifully colored buildings and steep hilly roads.

Via Airbnb we rented a nice place just outside the city center with a semi-indoor 25 meter pool. At walking distance to the main square, which is really important if you want to go places with two young kids. If they can walk there it is so much easier! And so walking we did! We roamed this city inside and out!

Our favorites:

Geeks and Coffee
A outdoor coffee place at the Fabrica Aurora, a restored factory where artists expose their work. It has great coffee, pies and a nice menu. It has a small playground and toys to play with. There is a small library where kids can read books. And the internet is good. A plus for parents who like to work a while.

Parque Juárez
In the center of town sits a beautiful tree lined park with a big playground and basketball court in the middle. Well maintained and clean (like everything in San Miguel and a big contrast to Tulum.). This park was a favorite!

Main square
Listen to the mariachis, play and run around the central pagoda. Watch people and eat an icecream. Visit the church (on weekdays great, weekends very busy: best avoid).

La Luciérnaga
Outside of town sits a large shopping mall with an indoor trampoline garden. Our kids loved to go there to jump for a while and drive the little go carts outside. Both for rent: jumping and driving. There is a Soriana supermarket next to it so the other parent can do some groceries. There is another indoor Game Center tailored to older kids where they can win things by playing the (video) games. There is a movie theater next door and a Liverpool where they sell upscale, quality items, household, interior, clothing, shoes etc.

Xote water park
A huge favorite with the kids. Xote is about 20 minutes away by car and offers a great water experience: tobogans, a variety of pools, water installations for smaller kids. Almost all the pools are heated, which is great. At night it cools down in San Miguel and normal, I heated water will give your kids blue lips and face 😉

After four months on the road, spending time with friends in Tulum and getting used to the Spanish language again, it was time for the kids to go to school.

We chose an ‘outdoor’ school in the tiny but famous village of Atotonilco, about 20 minutes drive from our house. Árbol de Vida is a Waldorf education community with a huge outside terrain full of trees and natural playgrounds.

The kids attended this school in two different preschool group for 3 months, fully immersing in Spanish. It is possible to attend this school for only a part of the school year. The price per month is a little higher because we only stay for a few months. But it is great to see them play with other kids and hear them speak the language!

Isa and Vesper at Árbol de Vida, Atotonilco, Queretaro, Mexico (2022)

Isa mingled into this new routine without any problem and made a new friend quickly. Vesper had a challenging time because of the language. We had been in Holland for 18 months, returning when he was 2,5 years old. This is such an important age for language acquisition, which he missed. At least for the Spanish language. When returning to it, it was a challenge to understand and start speaking. But in the end he did it! He still sings the school songs at home in Holland 😍 and answers me when I say something in Spanish.

We hope to give them more of these language immersions in future travel legs!

In May 2022 we traveled back to Holland to spend the summer there.

Our next travel leg is not planned yet, but we will keep you posted here! In 2023 we might join travelingcircus.co for two semesters in South America or join the Nica World School in San Juan del Sur Nicaragua.

Check out their website for lots of worldschooling inspiration!