Atotonilco A Devotional And Artistic Legacy Of San Miguel

Jalal (from Follow Me Tours) drove us out to see the Atotonilco church and gave us a very thorough tour, explaining the history and cultural context as well as describing what we were looking at everywhere we went. She is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide and we would recommend her tours without hesitation.

Follow Me Tours is a great company..you can trust them! Jalal was wonderful. Fun, informative and she got us into a secret room at the church. She knew we were hungry and she stopped at one of her favorite spots. We were lucky to have her as our guide!!

Loved the tour. Our tour guide, Jalal was very passionate about the tour and provided a lot of history. I would recommend this tour.

Informative trip outside SMA to this beautiful church. Comfortable ride in the van with the small group, easy cadence, lots of good info, and a great tour guide. Bonus points for the short walk through the food stands after the church!

The artwork in the parish was unique, intricate, and well worth the trip alone, but having Felipe explain the surrounding historical and cultural significance gave us much more of an appreciation for the art, the church, the history, key figures, and the town in general. We also walked a few streets of the town and grabbed a blue corn gordita on our way out of town and I’m so glad we did. Absolutely worthwhile if you’re visiting SMA or nearby areas.

Amazing artistic ceilings in a small town of 500. Try the local food in historic Atotonilco. Awesome

Did the guided tour of atotonilco on my 36th birthday. Felipe was a wonderful, thoughtful, caring tour guide. No one else was on our tour so it was completely private and felt exclusive. Felt safe and taken care of from pick up to return. Gave us historical and cultural context for the rich surroundings we took in. First, grounding us in the landscape, relating the ideology of the sanctuary’s founder, and the idea of sinners as having the hearts of a dry spiny cactus in the desert summer (which we saw many of, driving by) and through penitence and seeking of Gods mercy, would bear fruit and flowers. Felipe’s English was outstanding and he was very sweet and friendly, asking if we had questions and going into great depth as we immersed ourselves in the intense tapestry of images and sculpture throughout the Baroque church of Atotonilco. He had many unique insights and as artists and non-Catholics, illustrated many accessible points and related universal ideas for us. He even peppered in some humor, and helped us order chorizo gorditos from a local vendor. This church has very intense spiritual and visual messages (demons, bleeding and wounded Christ, rooms for self flagellation, etc). As Felipe explained, the road to this church bears deep historical significance on 3 levels: Camino de Plata (silver trade route), road of Mexican independence from Spain, and a spiritual path for worshippers who do a yearly pilgrimage from Atotonilco to San Miguel. As artists, we really appreciated the paintings, the architecture, and the historical lessons. This was a wonderful day for us and a treasured experience. Thank you Felipe!

Entering this magnificent church was quite overwhelming… having a guide to hep walk you through it greatly enhanced the experience for us and Felipe was a fabulous resource . He was able to explain the organization of each chapel, the origins, meanings of symbols etc. If we had walked in without a guide we would not have been able to absorb or understand nearly as much . It was also great that he supplied videos of areas we were not able to view bc they were under renovation etc. Thanks to Follow Me for helping enrich the experience !

Aldo was a great guide. His knowledge of the history and culture of the area was so helpful. It helped to have the explanation of what we were seeing.

Atotonilco is a treasure of the Mexican independence movement as well as being an artistic feast for the eyes. Our guide, Jamal, has a deep knowledge of the area, the struggle for independence, and…well, everything! She has studied extensively all the art, history, religion and social constructs of the region. Our tour was a masterclass regarding the interweaving of all those topics. Don’t just go to see the pretty church, this tour will help you understand why it is important enough to cause SMA to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Don’t miss it!

Jalal was an excellent tour guide to Atotonilco. She was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the experience truly special. Her explanations about the history and culture of the sanctuary were clear and engaging, and you could feel her passion for the place. She made the visit memorable and enjoyable.

Easy meeting spot for the tour. Short drive to the church and a very thorough tour both inside and outside.

Yalal provided a wonderful tour of Atotonilco. She was so informative, engaging, and personable. Just outstanding! The church is amazing! We absolutely loved this tour.

Jalal is a wonderful tour guide annd a wonderful person with a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Mexican history. I highly recommend her and this tour.

Very worthwhile tour. The explanation was so good, we truly understood the importance of this Catholic Church in Mexico. Without her expertise, it would have been another beautiful church. Thank you!

Our guide, Jalal, incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. Pleasure to be on tour with her. Comprehensive coverage on the history and significance of this Unesco site. (Gordita tasting at end of tour also worthwhile and delicious!) Gracias!

This was my first visit to San Miquel de Allende & I am so glad that found this tour! Jalal’s English is very good & she explained the significance of this church & its connection to San Miquel in a way that a book never could. She encouraged us to try a blue corn tostada from a local vendor outside of the church & I was scared at first but she told me that it is very safe. She was correct-no problems! She explained the history of this church, the independence movement & the culture of this place now being a UNESCO hertiage site. Jalal customized the tour to our interests & walking abilities. She even guided us to additional things to see during our visit.

We took the private tour to antontolico to see the church. Our guide was Jalal Salazar. Jalal did a wonderful job explaining the historical importance and impact this church has on the community. The inside of the church is beautiful and fully restored. After seeing the church we stopped at a great place outside Antontolico for garditos🥰. What a special treat! We also saw the neighborhood with murals painted on the walls. We very much enjoyed this tour with our great guide Jalal🩷. Thank you!! We would recommend this tour to see the church.

We had an excellent tour and guide. We learned so much about the history of the area around the church, the ties to Mexico freedom, and the history of the church itself. It was amazing!! I would honestly do the tour again the next time we’re in San Miguel. Our guide went above and beyond to help is locate a lost item. She was an angel! The tour is good for all mobility levels, even more senior travelers

Jalal is great and very knowledgeable. Very beautiful church in Atotonilco and the gorditas are very good.

I enjoy visiting UNESCO world heritage sites and Atontonilco did not disappoint! We have been to different UNESCO world heritage churches in Europe and can understand why this church is on the list because of its beauty, art, architecture, and history. Felipe was well-versed in all of these as a guide and was extremely personable. He answered any questions we may have had and his depth of knowledge was deep. The information and conversation was not something he memorized, but something he truly is passionate about. An added light lunch was part of the tour. Even better, you get to get out of a big city and see small town Mexico life, which was a nice change of venue. Highly recommended!!

On the drive, Our guide Jalal asked if we wanted to try a local favorite snack, gorditos, it was one of the most authentic & delicious foods I’ve had here. Another fantastic part of the tour was Jalal’s knowledgeable narratives regarding this aspect of Mexican history. The architecture & paintings were impressive but the story behind it all was even more so. Highly recommend if you are into history & authentic Mexico.

This was a well run tour experience from making the reservation to the conclusion of the tour back at Follow Me Tours. Aldo and Beatrice (sp?) were so informative and engaging. We learned so much about this lovely UNESCO World Heritage Site....Atotonilco A Devotional and Artistic Legacy of San Miguel!

This church is a must-see. And the guide is very knowledgeable and passionate about the history and importance of this church. It's what made San Miguel a Unesco site! Very, very reasonable price to go there, so go there. You will be glad you did!

My friend and I did a City walking tour and enjoyed it so much we signed up for the Atotonilco Tour. Our guide for both tours, Jalal was excellent. She is passionate about history and passing on her knowledge. We loved her enthusiasm. I will book with this company again.

This site is rather overrated, in my opinion. Some interesting history, for sure. And the architecture was not unimpressive. But it was NO Sistine Chaoel.

What an incredible tour! I have spent ample time in San Miguel de Allende and the area, and I can honestly say this tour should not be missed! Atotonilco is such a beautiful town that feels like the heart of Mexico. Jalal, our guide, was incredibly informative, insightful, fun, kind and overall made sure that every moment of our experience was made to be memorable. The history that she gave of the church, the reason it was erected in its place, the history of the pilgrimage that still takes place today, walking us through the artisan stalls and explaining the crafts, and of course the gorditas! She covered everything and more. It was a truly special and serene experience to walk through the history of the town and church. This tour should not be missed - and I couldn’t recommend Jalal and Follow Me Tours more. I have taken several of their tours and I always leave incredibly impressed. Thank you, Jalal! What a beautiful, memorable and informative day! ✨

I wasn’t sure what to expect when visiting Atotonilco, especially since I’m not Catholic. I thought it might not really capture my attention, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Thanks to our guide Jalal, the tour went far beyond the religious aspects. She presented the church not only as a place of faith, but also as an architectural and cultural masterpiece that earned its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Jalal also explained why the nickname “Sistine Chapel” is misleading. Her way of “navigating history” helped me see aspects of the building I likely would have missed on my own. The tour was nicely balanced - not too long, not too short. Afterward it was interesting to step outside the church and experience the “deep Mexico” feel of Atotonilco itself (a tiny village of just a few streets). We also ate delicious Mexican “gorditas” (thick, stuffed tortillas) at a food stand not far from the church. A treat not to be missed - but go easy on the hot salsa! As a long-time San Miguel resident, I’ve been on several tours with this company whenever friends or family are in town, and I’m very happy I decided to accompany them on this one. Highly recommended!