Fodor's Expert Review El Jardín

San Miguel's heart, the plaza commonly known as El Jardín (the Garden), is where much of the town's action takes place, from live music to dance presentations and fireworks on special occasions. You can get a real feel for the town just by sitting on one of its wrought-iron benches, where locals and expats alike enjoy the early-morning sunshine or the shade of the geometrically cut laurel trees on a hot afternoon. The Parroquia bells toll each quarter-hour, and at dusk the square fills with lovers smooching, men getting their shoes shined, roving musicians, and teenagers practicing break-dancing moves in the central kiosk.