Cost: Tuition per week is 500 dollars for 25 hours of instruction per week, or 950 dollars for two weeks. All materials needed for completion of the course, including 5 ounces of sterling silver, will be provided. To register, please click here and fill out the online form. After you register, a 50% deposit is required to secure your spot. Deposits should be mailed to:
HALO Conservatory
c/o Diana Maycotte, 220 N Zapata Hwy # 441
Laredo, Texas 78043 - 4427
Lodging: The Conservatory has several one and two bedroom casitas available on site. Please ask for availability when you register if interested. If you are interested in finding your own lodging, you can find useful information at the following links:
1. www.san-miguel-house-rentals.com - Luxury homes for rent in San Miguel
2. http://www.portalsanmiguel.com/hotels/list.html - Listing of San Miguel Hotels
Transportation: Transportation will be provided by van to and from La Luciernaga, the new commercial center on the north side of town.
Getting There: Flying - San Miguel de Allende's nearest international airport is the Aeropuerto del Bajio (BJX), located 110 km (about 70 miles from San Miguel). Some travelers may find it difficult to get to San Miguel by bus, as this involves taking a taxi to Leon's bus station (about 20 minutes drive from the airport). Many visitors have found it simpler to arrange airport pickup through one of the transportation services, because the drivers are not only bilingual, but also are familiar with San Miguel and can take you directly to the doorstep of your hotel.
These same companies also can arrange to pick you up from Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX). This is definitely worth pre-arranging, as getting from the Airport to Mexico City's Terminal Norte (Bus Depot) can be a challenge.
By Bus - To/From Mexico City: It's a 4-hour trip to San Miguel from Mexico City's Terminal Norte, on a first-class bus (with one stop in Querétaro). Primera Plus, Satelite, ETN, and Omnibus de Mexico all have one to six deluxe buses per day. Flecha Amarilla and Herradura de Plata have buses that leave almost every half hour (most are first-class). Make sure that your bus is a "directo". If you can't get a quick departure, catch a bus to Querétaro and change buses there.
To/From Guanajuato: Flecha Amarilla has nine buses a day to San Miguel.
To/From Querétaro: If you arrive in Querétaro by first-class bus, go out the front door and cross to the terminal in front. Buses for San Miguel leave about every 15 minutes. You can choose between Satelite, Flecha Amarilla, and Herradura de Plata. The trip takes one hour.
To/From Nuevo Laredo: Transportes de la Frontera/Estrella Blanca has a first-class bus that leaves Nuevo Laredo at 6:30 PM, arriving in San Miguel de Allende between 7 and 8 AM the next morning. The return bus leaves San Miguel at 7 PM and arrives in Nuevo Laredo around 7 AM. You can buy a ticket through Greyhound.
San Miguel's El Centro de Autobuses, (the bus station) is 1 1/2 miles west of town on the westward extension of calle Canal, called calzada a la estacion. Taxis are 15 pesos day and usually 20 pesos at night into town and available at all hours.
Driving - There are many very modern toll ways running throughout Mexico. It costs about US $70 in toll fees to drive from Nuevo Laredo to San Miguel de Allende, but the money is well worth it to cruise on these modern suerhighways. Gasoline is a little more expensive in Mexico than in most of the United States, about $2.25 per gallon. From Central Texas, it takes one long days drive, or two easy days, to get to San Miguel.
In order to enter Mexico with your own vehicle, you need to get a temporary import permit at the office of Hacienda (the Mexican IRS) at the Mexican side of border. You will need a valid driver's license and you must have ownership documentation, such as the original title or vehicle registration (it is also a very good idea to make copies of these documents and keep them in a safe place).
