Ah, Mexico.

The place where sandy white beaches and turquoise oceans make you forget the stresses of daily life, transporting you into a small slice of heaven. However, if you are sick of the beaches and want to know more of Mexico, the places that I am about to describe will definitely help.

Beautiful colonial architecture and a warm churro filled with toppings like chocolate or caramel in your hand might just be the thing that everyone is missing out on. Besides, you will get to see a little slice of the wealth, regarding culture, Mexico has and forever will.

1. San Miguel de Allende

Capilla de Piedra

Receiving the status of a city in 1826 and founded by Juan de San Miguel, San Miguel de Allende definitely has an allure to the past as it's colonial architecture, a remnant of Mexico's colonization from Spain, transports you into a world of simpler times. Local entertainment, such as the Estudiantina of Guanajuato, a musical group founded over 100 years ago, is composed of students studying in Guanajuato's State University dressed in the colonial uniforms from the University and plays happy and traditional Spanish music for the passerby with the aid of guitars, tambourines, and basses. This musical group, paired with a snow cone filled with traditional Mexican ice-cream, will definitely lighten up your evening as you enjoy the shops latticing the beautiful architecture that makes up this beautiful city.

2. Mexico City

Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia

Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, is truly a hidden gem. Often only chalked up as a puzzling city riddled with pollution and overpopulation, is actually a city where old-age culture, ranging from Aztec to Spanish, meets the modern and tech-advanced side of Mexico. For example, if you stay in the heart of the city, you can find various outdoor markets that sell antique things like an old teapot from the 1500's or a gold coin dating the Aztec civilization to delicious foodstuffs like elotes and chicharrones. Another thing, is that you can go to the famous bookstore called "El Péndulo" and sip coffee and enjoy a read from famous hispanic authors like Octavio Paz. However, if bustling cities are not your thing, maybe the mecca of Aztec ruins will be. Teotihuacán, pictured above, was the capital of the Aztec empire, and as such, it has monumental pyramids like the Cuidadela, the Temple of the Feathered Snake, the Calzada of the Dead, the famous Sun and Moon pyramids, and finally the palace of Quetzalpapálotl. These impressive buildings are adorned by famous murals like Tetitla, Ateteloc, Tepantitla, and the Ventilla.

3. San Luis Potosí

El Universal

This place, unknown to many locals, is a place where dream and reality combine. The thick forests is filled with the artwork of Edward James, as he built a surrealist garden in the middle of the place pictured above known as La Huasteca Potosina. The surrealist garden can be climbed upon, and it offers a wonderful view from the height it possesses. Aside from this, the Tamul Waterfalls is one of the main tourist attractions as peole can swim and enjoy the refreshing turquoise water in the midst of the semi-arid climate that the state of San Luis Potosí has. Finally, another thing La Huasteca Potosina has to offer is the beautiful Basement of the Swallows (El Sótano de las Golodrinas) in which, if you are an early riser, you can see flocks upon flocks of Swallows exiting the 512 meters deep cavernous hole.

Mexico, overall, is filled with various tourist attraction that generate wealth for the country. These, however, are much less known due to the fact that it is not what Mexico is known for: its beaches. Are you ready to adventure?