Top Ten Mexico Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventures

Heads up, adventure hounds: Visiting the "Fat Sierra" is not for the timid. Marked roads? People who speak English? Ha! Get off the path; in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve it's well worth the effort. The cloud forests and canyons provide habitat to more than 300 species of migratory and native birds, including the trogon, woodcreeper, parrot, and peregrine falcon.

The entire Sierra is a refuge for several animal species in danger of extinction: jaguars, tigrillos, jaguarundi, and the military macaw. There are also more than 500 archaeological sites, many of which have yet to be studied and documented. Local environmentalist Grupo Ecologico often offers tours. They have an office in the mountain town of Jalpan de Serra.