Just 2 hours away from Mexico City you’ll find the largest heritage center in Mexico. The state of Puebla has more than 70 museums, and approximately 30 of those are in the city. The best part is that all of them are free on Sundays! Puebla is also famous for its gastronomy, especially mole poblano and chile nogada. Although this might sound overwhelming, there’s a way to enjoy this rich city on a short trip. Here I will share my experience during my 24 hours in Puebla City: how I traveled, what I saw, and what I ate in this quick tour.
How to get to Puebla
Puebla has an international airport (PBC) with flights arriving from various cities in Mexico, Central America, and the U.S. The airport is about 30km or 19 mi from the city. If you would like to avoid a 30-45min cab ride, a more affordable option is the direct bus from the airport to CAPU, Puebla’s bus station. There’s a booth near the exit where you buy a one-way or roundtrip ticket. Buses depart often and the one-way ticket costs about $10 USD. The buses are comfortable and have clean restrooms.
Puebla can also be easily accessed by bus. The trip from Mexico City is about 2 to 2.5 hours, depending on traffic. The prices range from $230 – 400 MXN depending on the bus line, which is around $12 – 22 USD, depending on the current exchange rate. ADO is the most common bus line, departing every 30mins. You can either take the bus from Mexico City’s airport or from any of its bus stations. In my opinion, the most centric bus station is TAPO. You can take a 15-20min cab ride from Condesa or Roma neighborhoods.
It’s important to note that cab drivers and ride-share drivers in Mexico do not get along. When requesting a ride-share pickup at a bus station you will have to walk outside of the station and away from the taxi stops. In CAPU, Puebla’s bus station, I found my Didi driver next to the pedestrian bridge which is near the passenger drop-off area.
A bit about Puebla
Puebla is also the state with the most Pueblos Mágicos, which translates into: Magical Town. The government of Mexico created a program that names several small towns in the country as “magical”, these towns have stories, symbols, and other attributes related to Mexican history. Symbols can be statues, cave paintings, churches, missions, virgin beaches, etc. I explain this more in detail in this post about Guanajuato Day Trips.
The most popular Pueblo Mágico in Puebla is Cholula, but locals say that Cuetzalan is the prettiest, especially on Sundays when the plaza or square, is full of local merchants. Other interesting facts about Puebla are that it has the largest ferry wheel in Latin America and the smallest volcano in the world! For $10 MXN (about ¢50 USD) you can reach the 13m (43ft) peak. If you like volcanoes, you’ll find the famous Popocatépetl volcano on the road from Puebla to Mexico City. It’s possible to hike Río Frío, which is the river surrounding this volcano.
Visit Puebla City Center
As always, I recommend a free walking tour when visiting a new city. This way you’ll get to see the sights and learn its history shared by a local within 2 hours. When visiting Puebla, I recommend Estación México, they also have tours in English and in Cholula as well. If you prefer to explore the city center at your own pace, below are some of the landmarks to visit.
Zócalo
The main square or Zócalo is located next to the cathedral. It is perfect for pictures and has the colorful letters spelling “PUEBLA” that are distinctive of Mexican cities. The Zócalo is surrounded by bars, restaurants, and cafes.
Cathedral
It is next to the main square and free to enter. It is only closed to tourists during religious service hours. My morbid taste was more attracted to the bullet holes in outdoor walls than the Catholic decorations indoors. Those bullet holes have been there since the Revolution in the 1800s!
Casa de la Cultura
Casa de la Cultura is a cultural hub. There are rooms with art exhibits, a main area for dance and theatre performances, and the main attraction is its beautiful library. Again, it’s FREE ON SUNDAYS!
Viewpoint Las Fuentes
If you have the time to hike up Mirador Las Fuentes, the entrance is centric but it will take a few minutes to reach the top. Pictures of the sunset from this viewpoint looked stunning. I, unfortunately, did not have the time for this stop.
Historical 5 de Mayo Passage
Another place I wish I had the time to visit is the Pasaje Histórico 5 de Mayo aka The Tunnels. There’s a small cover charge of $30 MXN (about $1.70 USD), but again, it’s free on Sundays! These underground passages have existed for centuries and it’s a great place for anyone to visit. It is rumored that they were built during the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862.
Museums in Puebla
As I mentioned before, there are too many museums to mention in one post. I will say that Puebla is famous for the ‘5 de Mayo Battle’ that started the Mexican Revolution. Because of this, the Revolution Museum might be interesting to those intrigued by history. Here is an official list of all of Puebla’s Museums.
Where to shop in Puebla
Artist’s Quarters
El Barrio del Artista or Artist’s Quarters is a long-open corridor with local artists showcasing their work. Mainly paintings, hand-made crafts, as well as cafes and restaurants. It’s definitely worth a slow stroll.
Avenue 6 West
Avenida 6 Oriente or Avenue 6 West, is known for its candy shops. You’ll find all sorts of Poblano and Mexican delicacies here.
El Parian Market
This is my favorite spot! I love exploring markets with hand-made curious and artisanal crafts. Mercado El Parian is the perfect place to get some souvenirs and picturesque photos.
Where to eat in Puebla
Taquería de Los Angeles
When visiting Puebla, you’ll have to try their famous taco árabe. Taquería de los Angeles was referred to me by my local tour guide. If you’ve had tacos al pastor before, you’ll see the resemblance since they were inspired by tacos árabes, which is also inspired by Lebanese shawarma. These tacos consist of slices of pork grilled on a vertical spit called a trompo.
La Chiquita
Here you can try comida corrida which is basically a daily menu including the day’s entree, sides, drink, and dessert. The attraction is that you can try home-cooked local meals, all for one affordable price. Therefore, you can find locals eating here.
Fonda típica ‘La Poblana’
This centric small restaurant is perfect to try all the local gastronomy. This place is also great for a quick, decent-sized meal. You can even try different things such as chicken with mole, which is a cacao-based salsa, or cemitas, a Poblano version of a sandwich (I know this oversimplifies it but I’ll let the picture speak for itself.) Or even, Chile Nogada, which is normally only served in September during Mexican Independence Day celebrations. This is a large, not spicy green pepper filled with ground beef and covered in a nut-based sauce with pomegranate on top. It’s probably one of the most unique traditional Mexican dishes.
La Casa del Mendrugo
This restaurant is ideal if you have the time to sit down and enjoy a “formal” dinner. The prices are accessible and the menu offers diverse local choices. You’ll be able to try different types of mole while enjoying live music on the weekends. Keep in mind that there’s a $30 MXN (about $1.70 USD) cover charge when there’s live music. There is also a museum on the second floor that is free to visit.
Bar La Pasita
Bar La Pasita is a landmark in Puebla. Here, you can find their local liquor made from raisins. It is a sweet but strong liquor, so please drink responsibly. Unfortunately, this is not encouraged at this bar. They promote a dangerous challenge where they dare visitors to drink 100 shots of pasita liquor so it’ll be free. Many have been hospitalized attempting this challenge, and some have even passed away.
The Ultima Puebla Tour
There are many reasons to visit Puebla! You can taste their unique gastronomy, visit their museums for free, hike around a volcano, shop artisanal crafts, explore ancient passages, and more! A quick tour in Puebla is better than no tour so make sure to include Puebla City in your next visit to Mexico. Even if you don’t have the time to do everything on this list, remember to enjoy every single moment and always BE PRESENT!
Do you prefer to enjoy a vacation at Mexico’s beaches? Here’s this post on having a unique vacation in Cancún. Have you ever traveled to Puebla or other cities in Mexico? Let me know what’s your favorite reason for traveling to Mexico in the comments below!