Chignahuapan

Large, immaculately maintained central park with several great photo ops for your Instagram selfies. The most unusual is the Kiosco Mudejar, the big wood 2-story bandstand with the myriad bright colors. No other town has one quite like it. The park also features a statue of popular Mexican comic Gaspar Henaine, known to a generation of Mexican kids as "Capulina".

The basilica is the largest and most important church in Chignahuapan, it's a modern church with an exterior of stone giving it a traditional look, but inside, the huge church is bright and full of important ecclesiastic art. A row of paintings line the upper level of the main nave, the largest of which hangs over the main entrance. The most startling work is the enormous carved sculpture of the Immaculate Conception that stands over the altar. The 14-meter-tall work was carved in cedar by artist José Luis Silva over a period of six years between 1966 and 1972. Don't overlook the fabulous ceiling either.

This is the town's original main church, built by the Franciscans in the 16th century using indigenous labor and craftsmen. The facade is a simply stunning blend of Spanish baroque architecture with indigenous themes of life and the use of bright colors. Just when you think you've seen it all when it comes to spectacular Mexican churches, along comes one like this to shake up your preconceptions.

Small museum laser-focused on one of the most fascinating creatures on earth, the critically endangered axolotl, a salamander that never undergoes metamorphosis and lives its entire life in the water breathing through gills. It's been called "the missing link" because it looks like a fish with legs. It lives up to 16 years and has the amazing ability to regenerate body parts, including vital organs like the lungs. Scientists have been studying it with an eye towards someday being able to generate human body parts, thus curing currently incurable maladies and restoring lost limbs. Guided tours explain more about this fascinating animal and some guides speak English (but don't count on it).

A mushroom was found in 1880 that bore a silhouette of Jesus. So the locals built a church for this allegedly miraculous mushroom and preserved the mushroom in a glass casing and set it in the middle of a cross, where visitors can come and see the mushroom. There's even a balcony built specifically for this purpose. The church has a big festival on May 3 each year. An interesting church with a unique pink interior.

The Quetzalapa Falls are about 10 km from the city center, an easy taxi or bike ride. The falls are 200 meters high, and are a favorite spot for outdoor extreme sports enthusiasts who enjoy rappelling, climbing, and zip-lining.