In the middle of this historic colonial city resides a modernist government building known as the UFO.

A sculpture dedicated to the trade that gave the town its name.

Get three sheets to the wind at this desert winery with a nautical theme.

This former hotel and casino was part of a paper mill operation that was one of Mexico's largest employers.

On a picturesque lake island, a massive, “broken” crucifixion has become a popular pilgrimage destination.

At this hillside site that was once home to a Mixtec community, you'll find ruins with a view.

Traditional craftwork and modern pop culture merge in this piñata workshop.

This church turned museum is dedicated to the last Mexica ruler, whose remains were allegedly buried under the altar.

Pause in an abandoned hydroelectric station, now overrun with wildlife, to consider a thought-provoking poem.

This art center located in a former hydroelectric plant uses native plants to create paper for kites, bags, jewelry, and more.

Amid lush greenery, a man-made channel peppered with graffiti that dates back to 1881.

A lake at the bottom of the ocean.

This church, buried halfway in lava rock, is all that remains of a Mexican village destroyed by a volcano.

Statue of Edgar Hernandez, the first victim of swine flu.

A wild Hollywood resort thwarted by mosquitoes.

Shocking dioramas of human torture, meant to promote human rights awareness.

The largest cave shaft in the world is home to thousands of birds and popular with BASE jumpers.

No telescopes, no power, no gift shop: The Observatory of Chichen Itza, one of the world's oldest observatories, takes astronomy back to basics.

The ruins of an ancient Mayan city, beautifully preserved and only accessible by boat.

If you can look past the nearby sewer pipes, this urban sinkhole grotto is a mini-paradise.

Bright, rebellious indigenous murals dating back to the Spanish Conquest inexplicably cover the walls of this Catholic church.

This church devoted to Mexico's "dead saint" is a festive celebration of a formerly hidden religious figure.

There is nothing like a religious festival celebrated with blow-up sledgehammers.

An ancient system of freshwater caves filled with animal bones, including that of species long-extinct.