This Hidden Gem in Mexico Has Blue Water, Waterfalls, and Wildlife You Won't Want to Miss

Love exploring all of Mexico's most Instagram-worthy destinations? It's time to add one more to the list: La Huasteca.

In the state of San Luis Potosi lies a hidden oasis that will surely delight everyone who's willing to make the trek to get there. And we mean trek. To get to what could arguably be one of the most beautiful places on earth, you must be willing to take an eight-hour car ride from Mexico City to Ciudad Valles, a spot that acts as a gateway to the spectacular outdoor spaces you're about to roam. But all this travel will be handsomely rewarded with lush, mountainous terrain that also comes filled with vibrant, electric blue rivers and waterfalls that gush down to calm lagoons below. This includes the 345-foot Tamul Waterfall, which is surrounded by lush vegetation.

Getting to the falls also means having to canoe with a local tour operator. In total, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to reach the falls (depending on how hard you want to paddle). Once there, guests are invited to gaze upon the falls for as long as they wish, before being taken to a safer area for a dip.

And really, the falls and the blue water are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the area's natural bounty. The region is also one of the most biodiverse in Mexico and home to more than 2,000 species of plants, which house parrots, macaws, spider monkeys, owls, toucans, and even larger animals like jaguars and wild boar, making it the ideal spot for a guided hiking tour to see how many you can spot.

While in the area, travelers can also explore its multitude of caves, including the cave of swallows, a 1,680-foot-deep abyss that's home to thousands of vibrant green parrots. In the morning, the parrots exit the cave to start their day, and as the sun goes down, you can catch them flying back by the hundreds. (Again, it's best to go with a guide.)

If planning a trip to a blue-water destination is on your travel list, then be sure to add Huasteca Potosina. It's far from average and anything but ordinary, so let everyone ask, "Where is that?!" when they see your photographs.