San Luis Potosí State

One of Mexico's most scenic and varied states, San Luis Potosí manages to charm all those who visit, whether it be with the enchanting green valleys, steep mountainsides and towering waterfalls of the Huasteca Potosina, or with its eponymous historic capital, the genteel colonial center of which looks more like a film set than the workaday medium-sized Mexican city it is. Elsewhere there's the fascinating 'ghost town' of Real de Catorce, the epic journey to which culminates in a long drive down a mildly terrifying tunnel through the mountainside: quite an unforgettable experience that is instantly rewarded by arrival in one of the most striking pueblos mágicos (magical villages) in Mexico. Finally, do not miss a trip to charming Xilitla, the nearest town to Edward James' epic sculpture garden of Las Pozas, a delightful dadaist treat complete with waterfalls and rushing streams flowing down the thickly forested hillside.