The Frugal Foodies are taking on Mexico! For each new place, I’ll give a rundown of my initial impression, where we stayed, and what we ate!
Puebla is a culturally rich city teeming with baroque architecture, religious buildings, and historically significant landmarks. From well curated museums to unique regional eats, Puebla has something for every type of traveler. Peubla is a 2 hour bus ride away from Mexico City, and while it’s a popular day trip locale, why not stay a night? Or better yet, two!
Here is the rundown of our 2 days in Puebla City, Mexico.
Fun Fact: Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Thus, Puebla is the home of Cinco de Mayo!
Initial Impression:
The streets of Puebla are lined with bright colored buildings that have unique architecture dating back hundreds of years. There are impressive churches around every corner, and plenty of charming plazas with fountains and shaded sitting areas. There are distinguishable sections of town dedicated to selling one item: shoes, car parts, lighting fixtures, toys and games, plain clothes for custom design, gold, silver, and my personal favorite, a whole strip dedicated to epic ball gowns.
The historic district is pristine and clean with fountains and plenty of restaurants. The areas surrounding the historic district are just as clean and beautiful, but with more street food, traffic, and locals going about their daily lives.
Where We Stayed:
Hotel Palace is one block away from the Pueblo Zócalo (Zócalo means main square.) All the major museums and attractions are within walking distance, making it the perfect location for our 2 days in Puebla City.
The room was spacious and homey, and we were dumbfounded at how it was only $21usd a night. While the shower water smelled like chemicals and the free breakfast was only two pieces of toast and a couple pieces of fruit, for that price, you can’t be mad.
Things to Do:
Museo Amparo: This museum has galleries featuring pre-Columbian art, contemporary art, and 19th century religious paintings. The wide range of pieces gives a special insight into Mexico’s artistic past and present, and it’s a must-see when visiting Puebla City. (Note: Some of the galleries have English translations, some don’t. Be sure to download the app for the audio guides so you don’t miss out on important information!)
Catedral de Puebla: Construction for Catedral de Puebla began in 1575, and was finished in 1690. From the Sagrada Familia to St. Peter’s Basilica to Notre Dame, I’ve seen quite a few cathedrals in my life. And let me tell you, this one is quite impressive. There is a towering center altar adjacent to an ornate pipe organ. Beautiful paintings, statues, and frescos are lines with gold, and it’s truly a site to see. Many Mexicans are Catholic, and witnessing so many people praying and paying their respects added an feeling of significance.
Fun Fact: Puebla has nearly 365 Baroque Domes!
Barrio del Arista: Next to the artisan market (I am quickly finding that all “artisan” markets seem to sell the same things), you’ll find the barrio del artista. This street is lined with art galleries, and you’ll even see some painters busy at work.
Murales de Xanenetia: Just south of Zona Historica de Los Fuertos (another spot to check out!) you’ll find a street with stunning murals. It’s a quirky spot that fellow artists shouldn’t miss!
The Great Pyramid of Cholula: The Great Pyramid of Cholula is the largest pyramid in the world by volume, and its construction began in 3rd century BC. Various groups occupied Cholula and added layers, homes, and temples onto it. At its peak, there were 100,000 inhabitants.
Cortés came through and admired Cholula’s beauty. But when he discovered an alliance between Cholula and Tenochtitlán, he launched an attack, and his armies slayed 3,000 people in just 3 hours. The Spaniards build a church on top of it, which still towers over the area today.
I was jazzed to dive into The Great Pyramid of Cholula, but alas, it was closed due to COVID. We strolled around the town and had a delicious breakfast, but the excursion was a bust.
How to Get There: Cholula is 4 mi away from Puebla. There is a tourist bus and train (neither were running during our visit which should have been a tip off…) But an Uber is roughly $10USD and a simple and easy way to get to and from Cholula.
What We Ate During Our 2 Days in Puebla City:
Puebla has a thriving food scene with unique, region-specific eats. There are street food options as well as sit down dining experiences, and we tried quite a few spots over our 2 days in Puebla City. Check out my guide on 4 Unique Dishes to Try in Puebla to learn about some of the foods mentioned below!
Don Pastor: This Puebla chain serves up classic dishes in a hip, trendy setting. We tried the al pastor tacos, a gringa (similar to a quesadilla), a carne asada cemitas, and a arabe taco. Unfortunately, the al pastor meat and arabe were ultra dry. Try out the cemitas, but don’t go for anything with al pastor.
Casarenya: Puebla is famous for its mole poblano, and after searching through blogs, it seemed like Casarenya was a popular choice that wouldn’t break the bank. We tried the mole poblano chalupas as well as 4 different moles with chicken and pork. The moles were rich with deep, developed flavors, and did not disappoint. While the food was tasty, the setting was too fine dining without actually being fine dining—the waiters were overly attentive and the ambiance felt stuffy. The food tasted fine, but I’d recommend seeking out other options.
Cemitas Las Poblanitas: This no-frills hole in the wall is teeming with locals enjoying outrageously large cemitas with huge cups of horchata to wash it all down. Our Milanese cemitas was loaded with the thin breaded chicken, avocado, chili pepper, and a mound of shredded cheese. It kept me full for the rest of the day!
Semola Pan y Café: The drive to Cholula was worth it for our stop at Semola Pan y Café. They serve unbelievably fresh pastries and we were over the moon with joy to get a breakfast with eggs and vegetables. (Puebla doesn’t have too many dining options with veggies…). Each dish was fresh and delicious, and we were blown away.
Comal: The prices at Comal are very reasonable despite being situated right across from the Catedral de Puebla. And who doesn’t love dinner with a view? We were lucky enough to snag a terrace table for two, and settled in for 2 hours, enjoying the food, drinks, and people watching. We tried the mini cemitas, enchiladas tres moles, chalupas, and a carne asada cemitas. My favorite dish was the chalupas, which had a nice crunchy texture and solid heat from the salsas.
Final Thoughts on Our Two Days In Puebla City
Puebla is a culturally rich city and the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of Mexico City. The sheer quantity of religious architecture is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and there’s something beautiful to look at around every corner. Not being able to see Cholula was a big blow, but hey, that’s the nature of traveling during COVID.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend paying Puebla a visit if you find yourself in Mexico!
