Puebla

The city of Puebla is the fourth largest city in Mexico with 1.7 million inhabitants (2020), with 3.2 million in the metro area. It is the capital of the State of Puebla. It was founded on April 16, 1531 as "La Puebla de los Ángeles". It was the first city in central Mexico founded by the Spanish conquistadors that was not built upon the ruins of a conquered Amerindian settlement. Its strategic location, halfway between the port of Veracruz and Mexico City, made it the second most important city during the colonial period. During the 17th century, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz lived in the city until her confrontation with the Bishop of Puebla.

The historical and cultural value of Puebla's architecture is a major reason the city was chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Various styles and techniques such as Baroque, Renaissance and Classic are represented here in over 5,000 buildings included in the catalogue. The historic center is filled with churches, monasteries, mansions and the like, mostly done in gray cantera stone, red brick and decorated with multicolored tiles.

The city’s main claim to fame, however, is Cinco de Mayo, a festival commemorating the May 5, 1862 defeat of a French expeditionary army by Mexican general Ignacio Zaragoza. It was after this battle that the name of the city was changed to "Heróica Puebla de Zaragoza". The forts where the battle took place are a major tourist attraction of the city and the site of an annual month-long carnival marking the anniversary of the battle. However, despite the quite extensive St. Patrick's Day style festivities for Cinco de Mayo in the US, outside the area around Puebla, Cinco de Mayo is a minor festive day in Mexico, surpassed by independence day. The city is also famous for its cuisine, being said it is this city where mole — a famous Mexican spicy thick sauce — was invented.

• Los Fuertes. The forts, which sit atop the Cerro de Guadalupe is where the Battle of Puebla took place on May 5, 1862. This successful defense of the city by General Ignacio Zaragoza from invading French forces is commemorated every year in Puebla throughout the month of May and specifically on May 5 (Cinco de Mayo in Spanish). (updated Jun 2016)
  • 🌍 Fuerte de Loreto. 
  • 🌍 Fuerte de Guadalupe (a 950-m walk east from Fuerte de Loreto). 
• 🌍 Pasaje Histórico 5 de Mayo (Los Tuneles). Tu-Su 10:00-16:00. An entry to historic tunnels that lead to the forts. M$28 (Nov 2022). (updated Nov 2017)
• 🌍 Barrio de murales. A neighborhood near the forts with lots of murals from artists all over the world. It's easily accessible when going through the tunnels, which briefly surface in the neighborhood. (updated Nov 2017)
• 🌍 Zocalo. Puebla's historic downtown contains beautiful colonial architecture and was granted UNESCO world heritage status in 1987. The Zocalo is the central plaza is a place to enjoy, where you can find restaurants, bars and cafes. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 Catedral de Puebla (Cathedral). Built between 1575 and 1640, it has two of the tallest church towers in Mexico. (updated Jun 2016)

• 🌍 Biblioteca Palafoxiana (Palafoxian Library). A library built in the 18th century which contains a unique collection. It is not possible to browse the books; it's more of a museum. (updated Mar 2024)
• 🌍 Los Sapos. Art district where many painters have ateliers offering their paintings and a block away, every Saturday and Sunday, there is a flea market where you can find handicrafts and some antiques. (updated Jun 2016)
• 🌍 Volcan el Cuexcomate. Tu-Su 12:00-17:00. The world's smallest volcano (now extinct) is in Puebla, in the suburb of La Libertad. You can go deep inside the volcano. Next to it is an indoor market with stalls offering prepared food. M$14 per adult. (updated Mar 2023)
• 🌍 Iglesia de Santa María Tonantzintla. Built and decorated during the late 1600s and early 1700s in the Baroque style. Extremely lavishly decorated outside and inside. It has much more noticeable syncretic elements from pre-Hispanic culture. Photography is not allowed inside. The top of one of the bell towers fell during the 2017 earthquake, and has not been repaired. This is why access is restricted inside as well. (updated Nov 2017)
• 🌍 Templo San Francisco Acatepec. Built and decorated during the late 1600s and early 1700s in the Baroque style. Extremely lavishly decorated outside and inside. (updated Jun 2016)

• 🌍 Teleferico. It's a cable car with a nice view over the city. The trip is around 600 m long. M$30 for one-way, M$50 for a round-trip. (updated Nov 2021)
• 🌍 Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos (National Museum of Mexican Railroads), Calle 11 Nte. 1005, San Miguelito, ☏ +52 222 774 0106. Tu-Su 09:00 - 17:00 (closed M). One of the largest train museums in North America with a great location in an historic train station. Lots of locomotives and rolling stock. Many of the railway cars are open for tourists to enter. Most signage is in Spanish only. M$19. (updated Jun 2023)

• If you like night life, try the antros (clubs) in Cholula. Many don't charge cover. There is also abundant live music throughout Puebla. Smaller and less popular antros are also located in the Los Sapos district, only a few blocks from the Zocalo.
• Take a tour around the city on a tour bus. This may seem very touristy, but this is a really cheap easy way to get a quick view of some of the coolest attractions in the city. It also is a way to get a good bearing before you decide to set off and dive into some of the attractions the city has to offer. The tour is in Spanish, but you can ask for headphones when you get on the bus and then you'll be able to listen to a translated in several languages. The bus has several stops along the route where you can get down and get up.
• As the temperatures go down in the winter to 5°C at night, you can go to a sauna in the morning. For example to the 🌍 Baños de Vapor "Neptuno". You can have a private sauna room for M$42-46 per hour. Or go into the common sauna for M$35. Open F-W 08:00-20:00, Su 08:00-16:30 (updated Nov 2021)

ATMs are available throughout the city. There is an ATM of Caja Popular Mexicana in the CAPU intercity bus station. ATMs of Banca Inbursa and BanCoppel are for example in the historic center.

• Talavera (Fine china-like wares.)
• Local crafts and artifacts from El Parian.
• Jewelry, antiques and crafts from Los Sapos.
• Freshly ground coffee or beans from Cafe Britania, Av de la Reforma 528a, available per kilo and also sold in 250-g bags. The coffee comes from the nearby Veracruz region.
• Local Puebla folkart: the store Cihuatl sells crafts made by indigenous women: 7 Poniente 110, Colonia Centro

Eat the street food. Travel books will almost always tell you not to, but generally speaking, it is entirely safe and can be one of the best cultural experiences of your trip.

Street foods to try:

• Quesadillas with mushrooms, sausage (chorizo), pumpkin flower (flor de calabaza), or huitlacoche (corn truffle, an Aztec specialty)
• Memelas (tortillas made with mixed masa and beans red or green salsa on top, then topped with onions and cheese)
• Elote (corn on the cob with Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise if desired, and chili powder).
• Pelonas (fried sandwiches filled with meat, lettuce, cream, and salsa)
• Gorditas (similar to memelas, but topped with chorizo, chicharron --fried pig skin)--or chicken, avocado slices, salsa, onions, and cheese).
• Potato chips, usually fried the same day (extra crispy) and topped with lime juice and hot sauce.
• Mixiotes - piece of chicken or carnero (goat) in a special sauce made out of guajillo chile and spices with an avocado leaf cooked in vapor all wrapped in foil paper or special mixiote paper.
• Chalupas a tortilla with green or red sauce then topped with onion, chicken or beef shreds. (Traditional chalupas have no cheese.)
• Cemitas - a special bread that looks like a torta prepared with milanesa, avocado, queso oaxaca in shreds, papalo, aceite de comer and chipotles.
• Tacos árabes, similar to kebab usually made of pork meat

All street food generally includes anything with mole poblano, tacos Arabes (made with lamb or pork, originated from the large Arab population in the city), chiles en nogada, pozole, pambazos, pipian, adobo and chanclas.

Local drinks include pulque, agua miel (honey water), tequila, agua de limon (lemon water), agua de tamarindo, agua de jamaica, horchata, chocolate Mexicano, atole (cornmeal drink), cafe de olla (coffee with cinnamon), pasitas (in los sapos), and tortas de chalupa (mini telerra roll with mashed potatoes, beans and 2 fried tortillas covered with green or red salsa).

• Vittorio's. See "Eat" above. 
• El Mural de los Poblanos. See "Eat" above. 
• Hotel Royalty, Portal Hidalgo #8 (On the Zócalo). Great for drinks with views of the Zócalo. 
• Cafe Teorema, 2 Pte # 703-B, ☏ +52 2 98 00 28, +52 2 32 78 99. Cafe, bar, bookshop and arts venue, with frequent evening concerts. 
• Paradeplatz, Calle 16 septiembre 1713-A. M-F 09:00-21:30, Sa 09:30-20:30. Fashionably designed Swiss-style cafe serving good quality coffee and hot chocolate, along with delicious Swiss-style cakes. A little pricier than other coffee shops in Puebla but unique ambience and style (as well as taste!). 
• Yelao, 3 oriente 207B, ☏ +52 232 12 45. Tu-Sa 09:00-23:00, Su 09:00-20:00, closed M. Cafe which opens late (closed Monday), selling a variety of hot and cold drinks, some alcoholic beverages, home-made ice cream and various cakes and salads. Nice upstairs seating area including small balconies. 
• Along Avenida Juárez there's a good selection of bars and clubs.

For the night you don't really need air conditioning. In winter the temperatures go down to 5°C, in the warm season to 13°C.

Drink bottled water and be careful with valuables in public.

Because of the altitude tours can be quite exhausting. This can cause problems for travelers. The mild climate may also lead you to underestimate the strength of the sun. Sunburn and sunstroke are a threat, so it is vital to wear sunscreen/sunblock and drink plenty of bottled water.

At mealtimes, exercise extreme caution with salads and fruit, or avoid them altogether. If you must eat fruit, peel the skin, as washing is not enough. Salads may be tempting, but enjoyment may be short-lived! For all cases of diarrhea take appropriate drugs and seek medical advice.

You will rarely see locals wearing shorts, doing so will identify you as a tourist. Jeans are generally acceptable, except perhaps in some of the nicer restaurants.

If you are staying in a hotel and you want to take a taxi, someone working the front desk will most likely be able to call and arrange for a cab to pick you up, or you can hail one off the street if you speak enough Spanish to be able to negotiate the price with the driver. In Puebla, there are a multitude of taxis but your best bet will be a radio taxi.

The radio taxis are the best cabs in appearance and since they are registered they are also the safest, but they tend to charge more: about 10 pesos more than if you hail one on the street. If you run into a friendly cab driver, it is a good idea to get his cell phone number, so you can call whenever you need safe transport.

• Livit Immersion Center, www.livitspanish.com Nuevo León 18, El Carmen, +52 222 290 6060. The family-run, small and intimate, Livit Immersion Center, offers Spanish language and cultural immersion programs and classes for all levels. Learn Spanish while exploring Puebla's fantastic colonial arquitecture, rich history and exquisite traditional cuisine.
• Spanish Institute of Puebla, 11 oriente No. 10 Centro Histórico, ☏ +52 222-242-2062. A language Institute located in the Ex-convent of Las Capuchinas that offers intensive Spanish courses year around. 
• University of the Americas Puebla (Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP)), Sta. Catarina Mártir (in Cholula), toll-free: 1800 22 77 400. The prestigious university offers Spanish instruction in the form of regular classes for fee-paying students as well as Spanish immersion and tailor-made programs. (updated Oct 2020)

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