SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, MEXICO
Located in the mountains of central Mexico, San Miguel de Allende is one of those sleepy colonial towns you're always reading about. Except in September, when things get decidedly un-sleepy. The season starts on the 16th, Mexico's Independence Day, with the requisite fireworks, dancing, and festivities. Things really get bucking on the 23rd during the Pamplonada—the local running of the bulls. Presumably it seems like a good idea if you're fueled on the local pulque liquor, but we'll just watch, thanks. And while town is bustling, it's not bustling with gringos, which makes it easier to get a taste of the authentic local culture (not to mention the avocado soups and stuffed poblano chiles). Savvy Pamplonada fans book a courtyard suite at the historic Casa de Sierra Nevada, whose swimming pool and spa services sooth bull-jangled nerves.

Casa de Sierra Nevada
Tel: 52 415 152 70 40
Doubles from $261, suites from $316