On July 7th, 2026, Travel + Leisure magazine announced its “World’s Best Awards 2026”. There are awards for “Best Hotels in the World“, Best Islands, Best Cruises, etc. and
Best Cities in World.
The awards are chosen by the magazine’s readers. This year, 207,000 readers voted. These are probably people who travel a lot.
According to the poll, the Best City in the World is San Miguel de Allende (pronounced “Ayenday”), a central Mexican city (in the state of Guanajuato) popular with tourists and home to many expatriate Americans and Canadians.
Second place went to Kyoto, Japan; 3rd place to Chiang Mai, Thailand; 4th place to Hoi An, Vietnam. Several other Mexican cities were on the list: Oaxaca at #5, Mexico City at #9 and Guadalajara at #15.
San Miguel de Allende is a pleasant and picturesque city indeed. In its 2024 list of the 20 Most Beautiful Cities in the World, Architectural Digest placed San Miguel de Allende as #4.
The Travel + Leisure article about the city is entitled This City Was Just Named No. 1 in the World—and It Has Cobblestone Streets, World-class Food, and a Thriving Arts Scene .
The article describes the city thusly: “Tucked away in Mexico’s central highlands is a Colonial-era town known for its charming cobblestone streets, stunning architecture, and global food scene: San Miguel de Allende.“
Check out the article here for photos and information about the city.
I’ve visited San Miguel de Allende a couple of times and enjoyed it.
I invite the reader to check out my article on the Mexconnect website about the state of Guanajuato, located here. It has some information about San Miguel de Allende and three photos of the city:
Source: Lilia Wall, Mexconnect
Source: Raphael Wall, Mexconnect
Source: Lilia Wall, Mexconnect
Congratulations, San Miguel de Allende !