San Miguel Women: Myrna Camacho. Building Brands. Elevating San Miguel.
- San Miguel Life
- 4 hours ago
- 7 min read
Some women have a talent for truly seeing a place—and showing it to the world.
Myrna never imagined her path would begin in the corporate world, much less within one of Mexico’s largest institutions. Originally from Monterrey, she built her early career in design and communications, working in social communication for Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), where she contributed to national campaigns, publishing, and creative direction.
But in 2013, as the political landscape shifted, something else began to take shape—a dream of living in San Miguel de Allende.
She didn’t know anyone. She simply followed the idea.
What she found was a city on the verge of transformation—and an opportunity to create something that didn’t yet exist.
At that moment, San Miguel was beginning to appear on global lists like the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards—a turning point that would soon position it as one of the most celebrated destinations in the world.
Through her work alongside the local tourism board, Myrna became part of that early effort—helping shape how the city was presented, experienced, and ultimately discovered by a global audience.
From there, she launched her creative agency, Proyecto Bendita, working with some of the most recognized names in hospitality in San Miguel and beyond. But perhaps her most personal project came from something simple: people constantly asking her where to go, what to see, and how to experience the city like a local.
That curiosity became Local Guide—a curated guide and local city map to San Miguel that goes beyond recommendations. Each edition features a local voice on its cover—artists, creatives, and community figures shaping the city in their own way. It’s an invitation into the real San Miguel, told through the people who live it.
Today, Myrna continues to create, connect, and curate—always guided by a deep love for Mexican culture and the people who bring it to life.
And often, she does it alongside Mango, her pug of twelve years—something of a local icon in his own right.
What first brought you to San Miguel—and what made you stay?
The first time I came to San Miguel was on vacation with university friends. From that moment, I had a very clear feeling: one day I was going to live here.
Later, I returned for two summers to study art at Instituto Allende, and even as time passed, that idea never left me.
After graduating, I worked for seven years at PEMEX in Social Communication within the Graphic Design and Editorial Production department. It was a period where I learned so much, and without realizing it, it would become the foundation for much of what I do professionally today.
When that chapter ended, my first—and honestly only—thought was to come to San Miguel de Allende.
I opened a showroom called Bendita, focused on Mexican design, at a time when spaces like that didn’t really exist in the city yet. Through a series of beautiful coincidences, I met the tourism director at the time and began collaborating as a freelancer. That was also the beginning of Proyecto Bendita.
Over time, more and more people would come into the showroom asking for recommendations—where to eat, which hotels to visit, what places to discover in San Miguel. I found myself constantly writing directions on napkins or explaining how to get somewhere. And that’s how Local Guide was born.
San Miguel became home because I fell deeply in love with its people, traditions, colors, architecture, and the creativity you feel here every single day. It’s a city that constantly inspires you—and I think that’s what made me stay.
What are you building, nurturing, or contributing to here?
I think the most important thing we’re building in San Miguel is community.
Everything started in a very simple way. As I mentioned, people would come into my showroom asking where to eat, which hotel to visit, what places to discover, or what was happening in the city. I started recommending places in a very organic way—and that became Local Guide.
Over time, I realized San Miguel didn’t just need a guide to beautiful places. It needed a platform that also told the stories of the people who make this city special.
During the pandemic, we moved the project fully into the digital world to support local businesses, online workshops, restaurants offering delivery, and creative projects trying to stay connected. That’s when Local Guide truly became a community.
Today, we don’t just showcase beautiful spaces or recommendations—we tell stories.
Through platforms like Local Soundtrack, we highlight the musicians and bands shaping San Miguel’s cultural scene. In Local Talks, we share conversations with the people and historic businesses that have helped define the city’s identity, from longtime local institutions to community figures. Local Connect focuses on entrepreneurs, creatives, wellness leaders, artists, and individuals who have chosen to make San Miguel home while contributing something meaningful to the city.
Through Let’s Make and Let’s Eat, we invite chefs and mixologists to share recipes inspired by San Miguel that people can recreate anywhere in the world. Features like The Hotel of the Month and The House of the Month offer a more editorial look into the architecture, hospitality, and lifestyle of San Miguel. And through San Miguel Live, we help connect locals and visitors to the city’s daily cultural events, concerts, openings, dining experiences, and happenings across town.
At the end of the day, what we really do is connect people. We try to show the talent, creativity, and humanity that exists in San Miguel de Allende—for both locals and visitors alike.
How do you connect with or support the community?
I connect with the community by creating spaces where the people, projects, and stories of San Miguel can be seen, heard, and shared.
Through Proyecto Bendita, my creative agency, we dedicate time, creativity, and resources to developing much of the content and platforms behind Local Guide with a very clear intention: strengthening community.
For example, our monthly Local Guide covers featuring local personalities are invitation-only. They’ve never been paid placements because we want to genuinely recognize people contributing something positive to San Miguel through different industries, lifestyles, and creative fields.
The same is true for many of our interviews and editorial features, where we give visibility to artists, musicians, chefs, entrepreneurs, wellness projects, and local businesses that form part of the essence of the city.
I think supporting a community also means documenting it, celebrating it, and helping people connect with one another. Sometimes a simple conversation, recommendation, or story can create incredibly valuable connections.
And that’s exactly what we try to build every day: a community that feels more connected, visible, and proud of everything San Miguel has to offer.
What does a typical day in San Miguel look like for you?
A typical day in San Miguel is a mix of creative work, community, and small moments of calm.
I run a creative agency, so my days are usually very active and demanding, but San Miguel also has this incredible ability to help you find balance between work and a slower, more human way of living.
A big part of my routine revolves around Mango, my pug, who has become part of everything we do—and something of a small ambassador for San Miguel’s pet-friendly lifestyle.
During the week, we walk through Parque Guadiana, stop in pet-friendly cafés, and move through the city together between meetings, shoots, and client visits. I always joke that all my clients have to be pet-friendly because Mango truly goes everywhere with me.
On weekends, I often go to Rancho Las Lajas, where I spend time with my two donkeys (yup, I have two donkeys!). Being there completely disconnects me from work and reminds me of the peaceful side of San Miguel.
That balance is what I love most about living here. You can have a creative, cosmopolitan, and active life while still finding nature, calm, and real community.
What has San Miguel given you—and what do you hope to give back?
San Miguel has given me far more than I imagined when I decided to move here.
It gave me community. Inspiration. The opportunity to reinvent myself both professionally and personally. It also taught me another way of living—one where people still stop to talk, where live music fills the city during the week, and where you can still pause to watch a beautiful sunset.
Most importantly, it gave me the freedom to create from a place of authenticity and emotion. That’s really where both Proyecto Bendita and Local Guide were born.
What I hope to give back is exactly that: continuing to build community, document stories, and help more people appreciate everything that makes this city so special.
I also care deeply about supporting younger creative generations. Much of my team is made up of young designers and creatives, many just beginning their careers, and one of the things I enjoy most is helping them grow and sharing what I’ve learned along the way.
When you truly love a place, you naturally want to protect it, support it, and help it continue growing in an authentic and creative way. That’s what I try to do every day through Proyecto Bendita, Local Guide, and the people who are part of both projects.
Fast Five
One word that describes San Miguel: Inspiring.
Your favorite place to gather with friends: A rooftop at sunset or a table overlooking La Parroquia where we can sit and talk for hours.
The season you love most in town: Fall—especially Día de Muertos, when the city transforms through traditions, flowers, art, and color.
A local business, cause, or space you love supporting: Creative local projects, pet-friendly spaces, and people who are genuinely building community in San Miguel.
A view in San Miguel you never take for granted: Sitting in front of La Parroquia at sunset and hearing the bells. It never stops amazing me.
Connect with Myrna
To learn more about how to experience San Miguel like a local, explore Myrna’s projects and guides below.
Websites
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