Located in central-eastern Mexico, Puebla is a place not to be missed in Mexico. The capital, Puebla, is famous for its handicrafts. As well as for its gastronomic tradition and its incredible traditional flavours, combining history, tradition and art. It is characterised by the manufacture, distribution and sale of the exclusive pieces of Talavera. In addition, they are produced in the locality and which adorn many of its buildings. Puebla, Mexico is an ideal destination to learn more about the culture of the country; so we invite you to open your five senses and let yourself be surprised.
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Things to see in Puebla Mexico
Cathedral of Puebla Mexico
The Basilica Cathedral of Puebla is one of the tallest in the Americas and a must-see in Puebla, Mexico. It is 70 metres high and is considered one of the most beautiful in all of Mexico. Located in the historic centre of the city, this work of colonial architecture has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Moreover, it was built in the 17th century and has different styles. Its interior looks like an art museum, as we can find baroque paintings, remarkable frescoes and details of sacred art.
Palafoxiana Library
The Palafoxian Library, registered by Unesco as a Memory of the World, is the first public library in the American continent. It was founded in 1646 with the donation of 5000 books by Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza. This library is a national treasure that currently holds more than 45,000 books and manuscripts dating from between 1473 and 1821.
Zócalo
Converted into the main square of Puebla, the Zócalo is nowadays the meeting place. Surrounded by a unique atmosphere, this corner is one of the most animated of the city, and the starting point of any route in Puebla.
Market of Poblano Flavours
This bustling place was conceived to show all the breadth of Puebla’s gastronomy in its 130 premises. Also, it is always crowded with residents and visitors. Located on 4 Poniente, between 11 and 13 Norte, here you can eat the famous moles of Puebla. As well as typical products of Mexican gastronomy, such as moletes, tamales, cemitas, carnitas, and quesadillas. It is a unique place where you can be surrounded by local products, Puebla atmosphere and great gastronomic delights.
Avenida 6 Oriente. Santa Clara Street
This is the typical sweet street of Puebla. Calle 6 Oriente offers the classic borrachitos, as well as dedos de novia and camotes de guayaba (guava sweet potatoes). It is a place you cannot miss in this city, since its gastronomy plays an essential role in its cultural richness. You can also visit the Casa del Alfeñique. Here you will discover its façade decorated with mortar, a product similar to the sweet of alfeñique, made with sugar, egg white and almonds.
Artists’ Quarter
On weekends, the city of Puebla is a showcase of artistic activities, just take a walk through the streets of the Barrio del Artista. Here real talents of the plastic arts gather, whether painting, drawing or moulding metal. Moreover, you will find some artists working live in front of the public. A beautiful environment where to discover the typical art of this city and great treasures to take as souvenirs.
Plazuela de los Sapos
This famous street of Puebla with colonial houses owes its name to the floods caused by the rising of the San Francisco river. The neighbours, in order to make use of the excess water, decided to install windmills, but this measure brought with it a plague of toads. Nowadays, this street of coloured houses is a reference market for art and antiques lovers. This square has become almost an open-air museum of antiques, where Mexican tradition is palpable in the atmosphere.
El Parián Craft Market
You can find a wide range of regional handicrafts at the El Parian market, located on Calle 6 Norte. The handicraft market El Parian is one of the must-see places in Puebla. This is one of the best places to get to know and understand the local handicrafts of this part of Mexico, and surround yourself with pieces made with a palette of incredible colours.
Talavera Poblana
Calle 5 Oriente, the Mecca of Talavera Poblana, recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Besides being the best place to buy a handicraft made with this artistic technique. Some workshops and galleries offer tours to learn about the minerals used to work the ceramic and how it is painted by hand.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
What to see in Puebla Mexico and surroundings
Archaeological Ensemble of Cholula
Located in the municipality of San Andrés and San Pedro Cholula, 15 kilometres from the capital of the state, is this prehistoric city considered to be the oldest inhabited urban nucleus in America. As different studies date its foundation to the 6th century BC. The Great Pyramid stands out here, considered the largest in the world considering its base. But not its height, with 400 metres on each side. It is an essential place to see in Puebla, as well as being a very interesting place culturally speaking. Undoubtedly, it is worth a visit to admire this incredible monument.
Cholula
Cholula is a municipality belonging to the State of Puebla, it is located approximately 17 km from the capital. It is famous in Mexico for the popular myth that it houses a total of 365 churches. The locals assure that it has a considerable amount of temples. But at the most it will amount to a little less than 50. This undoubtedly makes it stand out as one of the cities with the greatest number of religious precincts in the country.
According to the legend, at the time of the conquest, the Spaniards contemplated Cholula from a hill and such was the number of towers and temples that could be seen. That they exclaimed that “it had as many as the days of the year”, for which reason they baptised it as the Rome of Anahuac.
Atlixco
Known as the city of flowers, Atlixco is located less than 30 minutes from the capital. The fertility of the valley, the abundance of water and its unbeatable climate made it an ideal place for agriculture during colonial times. Today it is the nursery of Puebla. Its roses, tulips, nochebuenas, are some of the varieties that you will find throughout the year in the nurseries of Colonia Cabrera. It is at the foot of the Popocatépetl volcano, haciendas, convents and colonial constructions that frame the delicious gastronomy of the region.
Popocatepetl
Popo Zoquiapan is one of the oldest protected reserves in the country, created in 1935 with the objective of protecting the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. At 46 kilometres from Cholula, we find the Paso de Cortés, which is the starting point of most of the trails that go through this magnificent natural park. Located at 3,695 metres above sea level, the national park has six well-marked hiking trails that you can follow on your own.
Climbing the Popocatepetl volcano is not allowed due to its high eruptive activity, but mountain sports enthusiasts can try their hand at summiting Iztaccihuatl. There are two options: hire the services of a tour operator. Or register well in advance at the Centro de Atención al Visitante, where it is mandatory to hire the services of a mountain guide.
Chignahuapan
It is the Magic Town of Christmas. Picturesque in each one of its corners, Chignahuapan is a canvas with the most cheerful colours that make this Magic Town the most lively and animated in Mexico. Its ancient tradition in the elaboration of spheres illuminates this great town with unique and incomparable Christmas decorations. A spectacle that combines lights and many colours.
Through the streets of Chignahuapan the great humour of the Mexican comedian “Capulina” was forged and through these same streets you can visit the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception. Enjoy the hot springs and be part of the Festival of Light and Life in November. A representation of the way after the death of a warrior to the Mictlan.
What is there to do in Puebla, Mexico at night?
Avenida Juarez has a variety of places to dance and enjoy the night. If you want to experience the typical nightlife of the city of Puebla, visiting Juarez Avenue is a great option. Here you can find La Bicicleta de Cleta, an establishment that has a great variety of drinks and delicious food, as well as a great atmosphere. Finally, if you like to dance and enjoy the party, “Assukar” is perfect, with live music such as salsa and cumbia.
In the centre of the city of Puebla you will be able to enjoy at night places with a more quiet and pleasant atmosphere to enjoy a night with family, friends or as a couple. In the bars of the city of Puebla you will live a pleasant experience. Since they have a great variety of food with homemade flavour and artisan beers. Some of the most recommended places are SuFrida, Café Milagros and La Casa de al Lado.
What to do in Puebla, Mexico, in 1 day?
Puebla capital is a place that you can perfectly cover in one day and absorb the magic it possesses. It is also the richest cultural and gastronomic point of the state of Puebla. Here is a selection of the most important places to see in one day in Puebla, Mexico.
- First, the Cathedral
- Then, Palafoxiana Library
- Later, Poblano Flavours Market
- Also, Santa Clara Street. 6 Oriente Avenue
- Moreover, Barrio de los Artistas, and Plazuela de los Sapos (Toads’ Square)
- Finally, El Parián Handicraft Market
What to do in Puebla, Mexico, in 3 days?
If you are wondering what to see in Puebla, Mexico for three days, here is a selection of the must-see places that will surprise you for sure. With three days you will be able to get to know in depth the culture of this area of Mexico and discover its magical villages.
First day:
- Cathedral
- Palafoxiana Library
- Poblano Flavours Market
- Santa Clara Street. 6 Oriente Avenue
- Barrio de los Artistas, and Plazuela de los Sapos (Toads’ Square)
- El Parián Handicraft Market
Second day:
- Archaeological site of Cholula
- Cholula town
Third day:
- Atlixco
- Popocatepetl
How to organise what to see in Puebla with Passporter?
If you have doubts about how to organise yourself before travelling, and you don’t know very well how to plan your travel itinerary, you can take this post as a reference and combine it with the options that the Passporter App suggests you. You will also find a wide variety of ideas and inspiration on what to see and do in Puebla.
Thanks to the App you can sort your selection in order of preference and organise it by days, creating quickly and easily the ideal trip for you in Puebla. If you don’t have the Passporter App yet, download it! And if you have doubts about how to use it, read our post: How to create a travel itinerary in Passporter.
Frequently Asked Questions about Puebla, Mexico
Puebla can be reached by road, either by car or bus. Due to the proximity between Puebla and Mexico City, there is no such route in the itinerary of any airline, but Puebla has the International Airport “Hermanos Serdan”, about 20 minutes from the capital of Puebla.
To move in Puebla you have several options; Public transport. Puebla’s public buses charge a basic fare of 6 Mexican dollars and run from seven in the morning until ten at night. Another option is the Taxi. And finally, renting a car. The most common car rental companies in Puebla have very affordable rates of 250 Mex$ per day.
The best time to travel to Puebla in Mexico is from February to November, when you have a pleasant climate or warm weather and hardly any precipitation. The average maximum temperature in Puebla is 28°C in May and 17°C in January.
Prevention. The city of Puebla became the city with the highest index of perception of insecurity in Mexico, since 92.7% of its inhabitants feel vulnerable living in it and 44.1% believe that the situation will get worse.
Puebla is characterised by the manufacture, distribution and sale of exclusive pieces of Talavera Poblana craftsmanship, a certified technique with designation of origin.
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