Landing at Ponciano Arriaga International Airport in San Luis Potosi puts you right in the middle of things, with nearby cities and attractions within easy reach. San Luis Potosi is a quietly grand colonial city built on silver, with a string of plazas linked by pedestrian streets, a surrealist art museum inside an old prison, and a reputation for some of the best street food in central Mexico. It feels well kept and unhurried, more residential than touristy.

Standout experiences around San Luis Potosi: - Linger on the Plaza del Carmen beside the ornate Templo del Carmen - Visit the Museo Leonora Carrington inside the former state penitentiary at the Centro de las Artes - Walk the Calzada de Guadalupe, a tree-lined promenade ending at the Caja del Agua - See the ceremonial masks at the Museo Nacional de la Mascara - Eat enchiladas potosinas, filled with cheese and tinted red with chile, from a market stall - Spend a morning cycling or walking in Parque Tangamanga, one of the largest urban parks in the country - Watch the Procesion del Silencio, the candlelit Good Friday procession through the center - Shop for a handwoven rebozo shawl in Santa Maria del Rio

San Luis Potosi sits on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, and the old mining village of Cerro de San Pedro, where the city's silver came from, is about half an hour away. Santa Maria del Rio, the rebozo-weaving town, is about 45 minutes south, and Aguascalientes and Queretaro are each close to two hours out. The region's tacos rojos, dipped in chile and fried, are a breakfast habit worth picking up. Come for a long weekend and you will leave wondering why the city is not better known.