Mexican big cities off the beaten path.

Less-touristed cities in Mexico, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.

Cholula's Great Pyramid — the largest by volume in the world, with a colonial church crowning its summit — sets the tone for a list that rewards curiosity across Mexico's full geographic range. These 22 cities include Pachuca, where Cornish miners introduced football and left behind a pastry tradition, Xalapa, where Alexander von Humboldt once called it the "City of Flowers," and Aguascalientes City, home to the largest fair in the country.