For this third article on our trip to Mexico (following my practical tips for traveling in Mexico and my Mexican Food Tour), I’m going to tell you about our 3-day stopover in the pretty city of Puebla. The capital of the state of Puebla is a charming city with very colonial architecture, located a 2.5-hour drive from Mexico City. It’s a stop I highly recommend, because even though Puebla is a very touristy city for Mexicans, it is much less so for foreign tourists, and discovering it allows you to be totally immersed in that Mexican atmosphere that my favorite photographer and I loved so much during our trip.
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Table of Contents
Practical Information for getting to Puebla
Getting to Puebla from Mexico City is extremely simple. Upon arriving at the airport, just take a first-class bus (I told you about this at greater length in the first article) directly on-site. Take the Estrella Roja company, which arrives at the 4 Poniente terminal station in Puebla. The buses are very well indicated in the airport, but otherwise, don’t hesitate to ask for directions. It’s not even necessary to buy your ticket in advance; we bought ours when we got off the plane, and 2.5 hours later we arrived (admittedly, not looking very fresh) in Puebla.
Trip price: between $380 and $450 pesos (approximately €18 to €22 / person depending on the time and service)
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Some cultural visits and other activities in Puebla
You will have plenty to do in terms of visits in Puebla, whether it’s museums, churches, Mexican craft shops, or simply strolling through the colorful streets of the city center.
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The Baroque Museum
This incredible museum, which opened less than a year ago, presents a very modern museography centered on the history of the Baroque worldwide, and also particularly in this region of Mexico where it is very present.
Baroque Museum
Boulevard Atlixcayotl 2501
Reserva Territorial Atlixcayotl, Puebla
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Price: $105 pesos (general admission) / $50 pesos (reduced rate) / free on Sundays
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The Museum of Viennese Music
This museum, housed in a brand-new and completely restored complex (it was formerly a textile factory, the Factory of the Constancia Mexicana), also contains the puppet museum that we unfortunately didn’t have time to visit.
Quite unexpectedly, we discover in the heart of Mexico, and in a very interactive way, the entire history of Viennese music. It’s fascinating and quite incongruous—I love it! It must be emphasized that music is something extremely important in Mexico, and every event in Mexican life is punctuated by music; it’s unthinkable otherwise.
Museum House of Music of Vienna
Ex Fábrica La Constancia Mexicana 10 , corner with Boulevard Esteban de Antuñano, Col.
Luz Obrera, C.P. 72110, Puebla
price: $25_
The churches of Puebla
In terms of churches, you will have plenty to do in Mexico, and even if you are not a believer, they are really worth a look because their rather flashy style is unique in the world.
I particularly recommend visiting the Cathedral of Puebla (pictured above), which is located a few steps from the Zócalo, or the city’s main square.
You must also absolutely see the Santo Domingo church, whose somewhat austere facade (photos above) houses a major work of baroque architecture and decoration: the main altar’s altarpiece and the extraordinary Rosary Chapel (Capilla del Rosario, photos below) at the very back of the church, which is a marvel of baroque—it almost hurts the eyes because there is so much gilding!
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The Palafoxiana Library of Puebla
If you like old libraries, you should also take a quick tour of the Palafoxiana Library, a historical and cultural treasure that houses more than 40,000 volumes, most of them predating the Independence of Mexico, including many incunabula (dating back to the 15th century). The original shelves that house its works date from the 18th century.
Palafoxiana Library Av. 5 Oriente 5, Centro, 72000 Puebla Open Tuesday to Sunday Price: $50 pesos (free on Tuesdays and Sundays)
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Talavera ceramic shops
Talaveras are ceramics typical of Puebla, for which the ancient manufacturing method has been preserved. Each piece is handmade, and it is a perfect gift and/or souvenir to bring back from a short visit to the city. This typically Mexican earthenware can be very colorful, but originally, it was composed only of blue patterns on a cream-white background. “Real” Talavera is produced artisanally only in Puebla and its surroundings.
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El Parián craft market
Don’t hesitate to also pay a visit to the El Parián craft market, east of the Zócalo. You can find plenty of ideas for specialties to bring back, including the famous Talavera ceramics I was telling you about just above.
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La Estrella de Puebla
A nice idea for a night out: take a spin on the largest Ferris wheel in Latin America (80 meters high), the Estrella de Puebla. Completely restored and reinaugurated within the Parque Sendela (Angelópolis zone), it has 54 cabins (including VIP cabins with a transparent floor).
The little extra: the VIP cabins, which are obviously much more expensive, but which allow you to skip the line, be in a smaller group (up to 6 people), and have a transparent floor to enjoy the view even under your feet.
Estrella de Puebla
Zona de Angelopolis, Puebla
Estrella de Puebla (Parque Sendela)
Zona de Angelopolis, Puebla
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
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A short excursion to Cholula
Cholula, a small town with many churches (it is said that during the Spanish conquest, Hernán Cortés swore to rebuild a Christian church in place of every pagan temple) and very close to Puebla, is one of the oldest still-inhabited towns in Mexico. It is established at the foot of what would seem to be a hill, but which is actually a very large pyramid, and it is surrounded by volcanoes.
If you don’t have a car, no worries: tourist buses (Turibus), local RUTA line buses, or ride-sharing services/Uber make it very easy to reach Cholula from the center of Puebla in 20 to 30 minutes.
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Hotel Xelhua
This charming boutique hotel has a very nice rooftop where it is possible to have a magnificent view of the city of Cholula.
Hotel Xelhua (Boutique Hotel & Rooftop)
Calle 4 Sur 106, San Pedro Cholula, 72760 Puebla
Rooftop vue panoramique sur les églises et la grande pyramide de Cholula.
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Things to do in Cholula:
- Visit the Santa Maria Tonantzintla church, an incredible mix of Spanish baroque and indigenous art.
- Visit the great pyramid of Cholula, considered one of the largest in the world. It is today almost completely hidden under vegetation and earth (at first glance, you would think you were seeing a simple hill), but you can go inside and get lost (just a little, eh) in its underground tunnels…
- Visit the museum explaining the archaeological site, to discover the objects taken from the Pyramid and understand a little more about the history of the city.
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Where to sleep in Puebla?
There are some very beautiful hotels in Puebla, each more typical than the last. I offer you a small selection of the two addresses I tested during my time in the city, plus another to perhaps test on a future trip.
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Hotel Mesones Sacristia
This superb boutique hotel in Puebla, a member of the TemptingPlaces label, does not lack charm. It is housed in a period colonial house, very well located in the city center of Puebla. All rooms are unique and different. The furniture is antique and sourced, and all the furniture in the hotel rooms is for sale, just like in an antique shop.
Our room: the Naveat Suite ($1,500 Mexican pesos per night)
It is also one of the finest gourmet tables in the city, and the establishment sometimes hosts musical evenings (I actually told you about it in more detail in my Mexican Food Tour), which I find really enhances the meal. You can also take some quite renowned cooking classes there. The colorful breakfast in the establishment’s courtyard is one of my favorite memories from this trip (even though there are many others, I can assure you!).
Mesones Sacristia
6 sur 304, Callejon de los Sapos, Centro Puebla
Price: between $1,350 and $2,000 pesos per night (between 65 and 95 €)
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Hotel Descanseria
Located just a 5-minute walk from the first hotel, this other establishment is a little less charming than the first one, I find, but it is larger and has more rooms if the first one is fully booked. The rooms are spacious and the beds are very wide (the Man in the Hat and I even slept in a single bed, and we fit easily for two…).
I was more than thrilled with the breakfast at this address; it was super good, and there was a really wide choice of different dishes to choose from. A very good way to approach Mexican cuisine first thing in the morning! Here are some photos below of the dishes we were able to try.
Hotel Descanseria
Calle 3 Oriente No.627, Centro, 72000 Puebla
Price: between $1,490 and $3,600 pesos per night (between 70 and 170 €)
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Hotel Boutique Casona de la China Poblana
I didn’t test this hotel, but it is very well located and I found its small interior courtyard very cute, maybe for a future stay then… I especially liked the legend that goes with the hotel’s name, the China Poblana, the story of this Asian princess sold as a slave who was freed upon her master’s death; she then reportedly joined a convent where it is said she began to have visions of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. This character is very important in Puebla, and people venerate her as a saint.
Hotel Boutique Casona de la China Poblana (Adults Only)
Calle 4 Norte No. 2, Centro Histórico, 72000 Puebla
Tarifs : hôtel boutique adultes seulement, à partir de ~90-180 € la nuit
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I hope that with all this, I have made you want to discover Mexico by making a little stop in Puebla, and if you also have your own tips for this destination, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my articles about my trip to Mexico in September/October 2016 below:
⇒ All my articles on Mexico
⇒ All my reviews of Mexican restaurants in Paris
MY STOPS IN MEXICO
⇒ Practical information for traveling to Mexico
⇒ Mexico City
⇒ Puebla
⇒ Mexican food tour
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
