he Valle del Maiz Center is located in a small, gated community. The grounds are attractively landscaped and tree-shaded. The compound has a night watchman and a grounds gardener during the day.

Cascada – the main house

The main property is a tall, modern three-story house, called Cascada, in honor of the cascading waterfall fountain in the patio directly outside. Renting with the house is a small one-bedroom annex (La Casita). It has a full bathroom with hydro massage tub and a lovely small roof deck, with table and chairs and a view of the city below.

The house, with annex, has three bedrooms and three and a half baths and sleeps six. (In a pinch, two portable cots can also be used, making eight people that can be accommodated in the main property.)

On Cascada’s ground floor is a single bedroom that opens on to a flagstone patio with fruit trees. This room has three twin beds and a full bath with tub and shower. Two of the beds sit atop a large boulder (really!). Needless to say, the “boulder bedroom” is a favorite of kids of all ages.

The large master bedroom on the second floor has a luxurious bathroom and king-size bed. On the third floor is a large, fully-equipped kitchen, dining area and spacious living room with fireplace.

Off the living room is a lovely breakfast patio, lined with potted plants. The patio has a gorgeous view of the city and the mountains in the distance. A big pepper tree is just out of reach. At dusk, the swallows swoop up the valley and pass by the patio, often at near eye level.

Topping it all is a large rooftop observation/sun deck that can easily accommodate twelve or more people. The deck faces west, and the sunsets are usually glorious.

Casita, the bedroom annex

Casita is right outside the main house in a shaded patio with fruit trees. It has a double bed, closet and full bath with hydro-massage tub.

The second property – La Casa de Deseo

The studio second property, called “The Wishing House,” is below and across the lawn from the main house. Deseo is a two-story, glass-enclosed structure, with one large room on each floor, a full bath on the first floor and a half-bath on the second. It has a fully-equipped kitchenette with a large refrigerator.

Deseo will sleep four to five people. It has a couch that converts into a double bed on each floor, as well as an additional single bed on the first floor. Outside is a good-sized flagstone patio, with table and chairs plus a comfortable swing, large enough for three – and the lawn with a banana tree, plus a large eucalyptus tree and a pepper tree.

Amenities

The main house and the studio, which rent either together or separately, both come with ample amenities. They include -

Purified water, safe to drink from the tap
A fully-equipped kitchen with large refrigerator, microwave, dishes, pots, pans and utensils
Linens
Washer and dryer use
Free telephone calls to the United States and Canada
Local phone
All utilities covered, plus
Free cable TV and
Broadband Internet access
Maid service for two hours, three times a week (additional hours available for a fee)
And off-street parking.

We can also often provide a cook for Mexican breakfasts and special dinners. Let us know well in advance.

For large-family gatherings, family reunions and group holidays, both properties rented together can accommodate eleven people. Space elsewhere within the compound can be made available for an additional four people – making fifteen in total.

Safety, parking, transportation

San Miguel is an eminently safe city. Nevertheless, it may also be reassuring to know that the compound has 24-hour coverage – a night watchman plus a community gardener during the day.

We provide parking within the compound for at least one car per property – often more.

Provided parking is valuable for visitors who drive to San Miguel or who plan to explore the surrounding countryside and rent a car to do so. The city is over 450 years old. Its streets were obviously not built for cars and are very narrow. Driving in the central city is frustrating. Parking on city streets is challenging at best.

Our compound is located close to the major routes leading in and out of the city. Municipal buses are plentiful and very inexpensive. A bus ride to the city center takes about five minutes. You can walk from our place to the main city park and the historic center of the city in 15 minutes. When you get tired of walking and don’t see a bus, take a taxi. Taxis are everywhere. Local taxi trips cost 20 pesos (currently less than $2.00 USD).


In the city – but quiet

Our location is perfect for visitors who want both easy access to the hustle and bustle of the fascinating central city and – when they are tired of taking it all in - a place to go that is quiet and private, a place on a hill where a cool breeze blows, where there are out-of-the-way nooks for reading, a lawn to stretch out on and gorgeous views from on high. That’s us!

Interested? Check out our rates, then get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.

- David Sanford

guest houses gallery