Today’s blog is written by our wonderful GenM Apprentice Anastasia Malavolti, who has extensive travel experience in Mexico.
Puebla is the fourth biggest city in Mexico. Located at just 2 hours south the capital, Mexico City, Puebla is a destination worth a visit on your travel. The city itself offers beautiful buildings from the Baroque era, colorful streets, and amazing food culture. You might not have heard of it, but if you are traveling around Mexico, Puebla is definitely a stop you won’t regret. Not only history, culture and food: Puebla’s landscape is also characterized by the view of the active volcano Popocatepetl or “Popo” as called by the locals. This unique combination of natural beauty with the city vibe, this growing metropolis offers to its visitors, makes Puebla a good travel destination.
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The city of Puebla is fairly easy to reach. It has an international airport but if you’re traveling from Mexico City, there are many buses getting to Puebla. Both from the airport and from the city. I would say that you should spend more than one day in Puebla, but of course, you can consider a day-trip.
Curiously, Puebla a destination in Mexico more popular among locals than tourists. No matter how long are you planning to stay, you’ll quickly realize how wrong you were not planning a visit there!
Travel to Puebla Centre (while falling in love with the local food)
Puebla’s Zocalo, with its imponent cathedral and the lively street markets during the weekend are an attractive place to wander about in Puebla. The Cathedral claims the two tallest towers in Mexico and is a wonderful piece of architecture.
Also, while strolling down Puebla’s wonderful, colorful streets don’t forget to try the local food! Puebla is the city where the famous Mole Poblano and the Cemita, the beloved sandwich filled with avocado, cheese and meat were born. Maybe they are not for every taste (I personally don’t like the mole) but are worth a try! At least to increase your knowledge of Mexican food and discover that there’s a lot more than tacos. These are only some of the tasty flavors that you can get from your travel to Puebla.
Furthermore, if you fancy some more history and art, go to Museo Amparo, it has a nice collection of art and a beautiful terrace from where you can see a beautiful view of the city.
In addition to that, Puebla also is house of the International Museo del Barocco, presenting the history of this art-style typical of the city. It is a fairly new building, with interactive activities to support the visit. It not only covers the Baroque art in Puebla but also its history and has temporary galleries from all over the world. On Wednesday, the museum has free access!
Pay a Visit to Cholula: Travel in Puebla
Cholula is a Pueblo Magico (yes, a “magical pueblo”) which is just 15 minutes from Puebla’s center. Its visitors can admire the largest pyramid in the world (No, it’s not in Egypt), on top of which stands the beautiful cathedral. At night the cathedral is lightened, which adds to the magical charm of the town.
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Apart from spending some time climbing the little mountain to get to the top of the pyramid, admire the archeological ruins and the cathedral, Cholula also has a vibrant center with a food market and many cute coffee shops to chill down, if you need so.
Puebla is a common destination among students who choose to move there for its many good universities that the city offers. Cholula hosts one of the biggest and most prestigious universities. The town, like Puebla, is also experiencing fast growth. Some bohemian coffee shops and fancy restaurants are sprouting. I lived in Cholula for about 9 months and I personally loved it there. The city is also getting more “bike-friendly”, which is another plus.
Visit the surroundings
If you have the time and you are willing to visit more of Puebla’s state, there are plenty of places you can explore. Most of them require you to take buses (if you are not renting a car). If you have time available, it won’t be a problem. As previously stated, Puebla is well connected to many of the main cities. But there are also many buses going to the smallest towns. If you are an adventurer looking for Mexican vibes, try to visit some of those. I assure you they are much less touristic and a bit more “real”.
If you are a nature lover, you can hike the Vulcano la Malinche. There, after a hike up of approximately 4 hours, you can get a wonderful view of the volcanoes. The path gets quite steep and long, but it is worth it!
There are some close towns like Huamantla or Atlixco. Those are smaller but offer the real “Mexican experience” to its travelers.
If you have time, try to pay a visit to Cuetzlan. Another Pueblo Magico, one of the few ones where you can still admire the spectacular tradition of the voladores. This is an ancient tradition dating back from the Incan time. It will amaze you! Furthermore, in Cuetzlan you can admire the numerous waterfalls and natural pools. I would recommend spending a weekend there, to fully enjoy the experience.
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Are you a solo female traveler? Check out this post about 10 Countries to Start with!
As you can see, Puebla is a destination with a lot to offer to any traveler. Plan a visit to this wonderful city and enjoy it!
More Mexico tours to consider…
What to Pack for Mexico
To help you pack for your trip to Mexico, the below list of must-have items can be really useful.
First of all, you need a plug converter. Absolutely essential wherever you travel.
To avoid pickpockets, we recommend bringing with you a theft-proof backpack, or a crossbody bag, and a money bag.
It is also a good idea to get a hanging toiletry bag, which is a fantastic way to keep all your belongings organized; and a practical rolling suitcase like the one below by Samsonite in lightweight polycarbonate.
In order to stay healthy while travelling, activated charcoal helps with stomach distress absorbing toxins that may be in your system; and natural jet-lag remedy pills help you sleeping while boosting your immunity and can avoid you to ruin precious days of sightseeing.
A raincoat is also super useful, especially if you are heading inland or travelling during the rainy season. Bring it with you to keep dry when it rains, or as an extra layer on top of your jumper when the temperature goes down at night.
Last, sunglasses and sunscreen are also vital to protect you from UV radiation that can be pretty intense in Mexico.