Puebla
Destinations
Puebla
Puebla is the capital city and the most important city in the state. Puebla is known as the Heroic Puebla de Zaragoza and "Puebla of Los Angeles". It is the fourth largest city in Mexcio behind the Federal District, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Puebla is a beautiful city where you will find both old and new. It is surrounded by volcanoes and snow-covered mountains. This colonial city has more than 400 years of history that you can find in the historical center of the city. The impressive Spanish colonial architecture has earned Puebla a place on UNESCO's World Heritage List.
The city has a strong economy and many businesses in the region. Pottery is a strong industry and Volkswagen's central offices for North America are located here as well generating lots of employment.
Of all the colonial buildings, the most impressive is the Puebla Cathedral. This neo-classical style structure is said to be the largest in Latin America. The Chapel of the Rosary is another religious icon in the city that displays a bit of Mexican baroque style. The chapel is completely covered in gold and is a great tourist attraction.
The zócalo or central plaza of the city and the art district can be visited by tour bus. The Africam Safari Zoo is also worth a visit. The animals are not caged in this park and are free to roam. Visitors tour the park by car and can even visit the lions and tigers.
Without a doubt, one of Puebla's biggest claims to fame is its cuisine. Its two most popular dishes are Chile en Nogada and Mole Poblano.
Anther fundamental aspect of Puebla's history is it large number of convents, chapels, parishes and religious temples. Some of these include: the Compañía de Jesús Temple, the San Cristóbal Temple, the Santo Domingo Temple, the San Jerónimo Temple, the San Ildefonso Temple, the San Juan de Dios Temple, the San Pablo Temple, the Santísima Trinidad Temple, the Merced Temple and ex-Convent, the San Francisco Temple and ex-Convent, the San Marcos Parish, the Santiago Parish, the Our Lady of the Light Church, the Soledad Church, the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, the old San Agustín Convent, the old Santa Inés Convent, the Carolino Building, the Municipal Palace, the Casa del que mató al Animal, the Case del Alguacil Mayor, the Casa del Deán, the Concepción Convent, the Madres Clarisas Capuchinas Convent, the Soledad Convent, the San Jerónimo Convent, the Santa Catalina Convent, the Santa Rosa Convent, the Santa Mónica Convent, the Santa Teresa Covent and the Santa Clara Convent.
Its monuments are also great tourist attractions: the Statue of Don Benito Juárez, the Nicolás Bravo Monument, the Monument to the Serdán brothers, the Defenders of the May 5th Battle, Juan de Palafox and Mendoza, the Puebla Founders, China Poblano, the San Miguel Fountain, General Ignacio Zaragoza, Hombres Ilustres, the Column of Independence and Maximino Avila Camacho are just some of the monuments you will find in the area.
Puebla has many cultural spots to visit including their museums: the Poblano Popular Art Musuem, the Revolution Museum, the Aquiles Serdán Museum, the War or the non-Intervention Museum, the Bello and Zetina Museum and the Natural History Museum.
Tehuacán
Tehuacán is the second-most important city in the state. It is characterized by is arts and crafts like works in onyx, and wine, brandy and liquor making. Due to the large amount of mineral water springs in the region, there are several bottling plants that distribute their products across the country.
The city's tourist attractions include the El Carmen Convent, the Concepción Parish and the Anthropology and History Museum, as well as the Garci-Crespo, Riego, Peñafiel and San Lorenzo springs.
The San Francisco Church, the Calvario Temple, the Carmen Cultural Complex, the House of Culture, and the Regional Museum are other great spots to visit. Other must see sites are: the Botanical Gardens, the San Bernandino Lagoons, Tehuacán Viejo "the Table", the C. Ingeniero Pastor Rouaix Méndez monument on el Paseo Hidalgo, the monument to the family, the General Ignacio Zaragoza sculpture, the Casa de Altos and the Moorish-style Municipal Palace. The most important cultural sites are the old Carmen Convent and Museum. The San Lorenzo Baths, Cortijo Granada, the Private Molino Club, and the San Bernardino Lagoons are options near the city that are perfect for a weekend trip.
Atlixco
Atlixco is another important city in Puebla. Its most important attractions are architectural and religious in nature helping to reaffirm the state's identify as the state with the most churches in Mexico.
The old 16th century Convent of Carmen is one of the more important buildings in the city, but it's not the only one. The Merced Church, the San Agustín Chuch, the Chapel of the Third Order, the old San Francisco Convent, the Clarisas Convent and Church, the San Juan de Dios Hospital, the San Félix Papa Church and the Natividad Parish are other important tourist attractions.
The springs in and around the city are an escape to tranquility and rest. These waters are famous for their medicinal properties. The majority of this mineral water comes down from the volcanoes that border the state. The main hot springs are Apocopan, Curva, Agua Verde, Planta, Paraíso, Canoas, the San Pedro falls and Molinos.
The passage of the centuries in the city has left a religious and civil architectural legacy. Some examples are the Casa de la Audiencia, the Portal Hidalgo, the old Casa del Marqués de Santa Martha, the Municipal Palace, the Poblano Pharmacy, the Rascón Building and the Zócalo.
The Metepec Vacation Center is located only 7 kilometers from Atlixco in an old spinning and weaving factory that today, is home to the best spa in the state.
San Pedro Cholula
San Pedro Cholula is also known as Cholula de Rivadavia. This city belongs to the conurbada area of Puebla. It is home to one of the largest pyramids in the world.
Due to its proximity to Puebla, Cholula is famous for its nightlife. The city center and the zózalo have a large variety of restaurants and bars that are popular among the young people.
Cholula is a calm place that before the Spanish conquest was a great religious center. It was visited by the ancient Anáhuac.
Some of the main attractions here are the numerous and beautiful temples including the Our Lady of the Remedies Church, the San Francisco Acatepec Temple, and the Real Chapel, located in the main plaza with its numerous domes, and its seven naves. It was started in 1549 with the "mudéjar" influence by Franciscan missionaries.
Three thousand five hundred years of antiquity and the largest pyramid in the world are some of the characteristics of Cholula. The pyramid measures 404 meters on the side and is open to allow a look inside.
Another important monument in this area is the Santa María Tonantzintla Temple which is the greates baroque expression in the country. It is comparable only to the Santo Domingo Temple in Oaxaca.