Puebla

Puebla is a city in Mexico. It is in the Puebla Valley, surrounded by volcanoes and snow-capped mountains, slightly over 110 km (68 miles) south-east of Mexico City. It has been listed as a because of its architecture. Puebla is also considered to be the "cradle of Mexican Baroque" in architecture and in the decorative arts, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico.

Understand
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.

By ridesharing
A ride between Mexico City and Puebla is around M$120 (Nov 2021) with Blablacar.

By bus
Traveling to Puebla from Mexico City is fairly straightforward and can be accomplished via bus. There are continual bus services between Mexico City and Puebla throughout the day and night both from the TAPO terminal (also known as Terminal Oriente, located beside the San Lázaro Metro station) and from Benito Juarez International Airport.

A one-way ticket on Estrella Roja (ER) or ADO from the TAPO usually runs about M$190 (Jan 2019) for regular non-stop service; a first class ticket ("Pullman Primera Clase" service) on Estrella Roja costs M$212 (Jan 2019). (The extra M$22 or so are worth it: the first class seat fewer people, thus less crowded, more space, more comfortable.) Buses leave for Puebla approximately every half hour from both locations. Travel time from TAPO to Puebla's CAPU is usually around 2 hours, but this time may vary by up to a full hour depending on Mexico City traffic conditions at that time of day.

There are two bus terminals in Puebla: the Centro de Autobuses Puebla (CAPU), which is the main bus terminal, and the neighboring CAP, a smaller secondary terminal.

Taking a city bus from CAPU to the historic center and further: Cross the bridge over the Blvrd Nte. In front of the Domino's depart After crossing the bridge there is a tasty taco stall: Two for M$16 (Nov 2021). For going to the center, get a bus number 44. Exit the bus as soon as it hits Av. 10 Ote and walk the rest (5 blocks to Zocalo).



By bus
For finding city bus connections, Moovit is somewhat better than Google Maps as of Nov 2021. Moovit shows you the number of the bus line. In the app you can filter for only showing you direct connections. The general fare is M$8.50 (Nov 2021), paid in cash. There is no public transport card. (Safety note about buses: they are generally safe, but they tend to carry pickpockets, especially when crowded. Always have a hand over any bags or backpacks that you have.) The buses generally run from about 07:00 to 22:00.

By e-hailing
Uber, Cabify and Didi are available.

By taxi
Taxis are almost always safe. They tend to run between M$60-120 (Sept 2021) for a ride. Negotiating a fare before entering a taxi is normal as the taxis do not carry meters in Puebla. If the driver does not offer you a fare that you like, you can wave them off and wait for the next taxi.

Do

 * 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

Further afield

 * – 10 km. Filled with as many as 365 churches (actually just 45..) and an archaeological site which contains the worlds largest (by volume) pyramid.
 * – 16 km. A town for an authentic northern Italian experience.
 * – 30 km. Known for its production of ornamental plants and cut flowers. The festival El Huey Atlixcayotl, a modern adaptation of an old indigenous celebration occurs the last Sunday of September.
 * The neighboring (in the west) or  (in the north-east) to spend a day hiking or camping there.
 * The neighboring (in the west) or  (in the north-east) to spend a day hiking or camping there.

Buy
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
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.

Budget
All these are in the historical center:



Drink
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).


 * Along Avenida Juárez there's a good selection of bars and clubs.
 * Along Avenida Juárez there's a good selection of bars and clubs.
 * Along Avenida Juárez there's a good selection of bars and clubs.
 * Along Avenida Juárez there's a good selection of bars and clubs.
 * Along Avenida Juárez there's a good selection of bars and clubs.
 * Along Avenida Juárez there's a good selection of bars and clubs.
 * Along Avenida Juárez there's a good selection of bars and clubs.

Sleep
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.

Stay safe
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.

Learn

 * 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.

Go next
Your next destination for staying can be:

To the west and north-west

 * Cuernavaca – 150 km. "The City of Eternal Spring" due to its climate. It's a popular vacation place and has beautiful parks and gardens.
 * Mexico City. From there to Toluca or Valle de Bravo

To the north-east

 * Xalapa – 170 km. Known as the "Athens of Veracruz". With some fine colonial architecture and a nice climate. There are many traditional villages nearby.
 * Cuetzalan - mountain town known for its lively tianguis and for its colonial flavor

To the east

 * Córdoba (Mexico) – 170 km. A lively city boasting of colonial places, parks and its gastronomy. You can see the building where the Mexican Declaration of Independence was signed with Spain.
 * Veracruz – 270 km. A large coastal city famous for its nightlife. Its spacious downtown area near the harbor comes alive with music and dancing with a strong Cuban influence.

To the south-east

 * Oaxaca (city) – 340 km in the south-east. With a rich culture. The old town is an UNESCO world heritage site. From the city you can go further to the beach village Puerto Escondido.

By air
Puebla has direct low-cost flights for example to Guadalajara, Cancún and Monterrey. (updated May 2022)