We loved the wonderful food of Puebla, Mexico, but this city had more to offer than just food. We walked a few blocks from our Airbnb to the Zocalo (a historic square in the center of the city) for a walking tour. Usually, a walking tour is the first thing we do in each new city as a way to familiarize ourselves with the historic sites. Then, in the next few days, we return to the museums and churches to explore more.

Puebla’s historic center has been designated as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1987. However, outside of the center, the city is modern with large office buildings, fancy malls, and gated communities.

For a long time, the city was an important agricultural district, supplier of Talavera tiles and pottery. Today the city’s economy relies on manufacturing and services and the largest Volkswagen plant outside of Germany is in the northern part of the city.

Museums

Puebla has a lot of museums, but few large, grand museums. Most are tucked away off quiet streets and without a tourist map, it’s possible to pass them by.

Museo del Estado “Casa de Alfeñique”

As we walked by Casa de Alfeñique we were intrigued by its elaborate plasterwork facade. When we took a closer look, we realized that it was a museum.

According to legend, in the 1800s a young man from Puebla asked his girlfriend to marry him. The girl set as a condition that he give her a house made of candy as proof of his love. He rose to the challenge and built this house with an exterior decorated like the traditional sweet known as afeñique. Today, the museum has a large collection of objects and pieces related to the history of Puebla.

Casa del Mendrugo

Casa del Mendrugo is another museum we almost missed. The house was built by Jesuits and run by the Espiritu Santo Jesuit School and in 1825 it became the Federal Treasury building.

In 2010, the building was rescued from total abandonment. During the restoration, the 3,500 year old remains and the grave of an indigenous woman were discovered under the foundation of the building. The house became a museum and the grave site, as well as objects from that age, are displayed.

This museum also has a very nice restaurant and coffee shop located in the heart of the house. We enjoyed our daily Café Latte surrounded by antiquities.

Biblioteca Palafoxiana

Biblioteca Palafoxiana is recognized as the first library of the Americas. It was founded in 1646 and has over 45,000 books and manuscripts dating as far back as the 15^th century. The oldest text in the library is the Chronicle of Nuremberg dated 1493.

It has been a historical monument since 1981 and in 2005 was included by UNESCO as part of the Memory of the World Program.

Churches of Puebla

Puebla boasts that it has a church for every day of the year (365) although officially there are 288 churches. We spent time going through some of the most beautiful and oldest churches. Some of the churches would not allow photos and our photos do not capture the beauty. Two of our favorite churches were the Cathedral of Puebla and the smaller church, Chapel of the Rosary.

Catedral de Puebla

Like most Latin American cities, the center of Puebla (Zócalo) is anchored by a cathedral or large church. Construction on the cathedral started in 1536 and it took almost 2 centuries to complete due to economic and administrative problems.

According to legend, angels were responsible for raising the Santa María bell to the tower. In the last stage of work, construction workers were faced with the problem of raising the 8-ton Santa María bell to its place in the bell tower. The legend says the workers spent 30 days trying to raise it without success. Some say that a construction guard had a dream one night in which he visualized angels coming down from heaven to help raise the bell. The next day the bell rang, and, to everyone’s surprise, the bell was mounted in place.

Capilla del Rosario

The Capilla del Rosario is unique in Puebla. It was built around 1690, took 40 years to complete, and is located in the Temple of Santo Domingo. At the time of its completion, it was considered one of the “Eighth Wonders of the World” and dubbed “America’s shrine” by Pope John Paul II for its New Spain Baroque style interior.

Also known as “The Golden House”, Capilla del Rosario is covered in 24k gold stucco and features countless details in Talavera and onyx. It also features six large oil paintings by artist José Rodríguez Carnero depicting key moments in the life of the Virgin Mary. To say that the Rosary Chapel is breathtaking would be an understatement.

Markets of Puebla

Puebla has many open-air markets. Some are open every day while others are limited to Saturdays or Sundays. You can find everything and anything at these markets and prices are significantly cheaper than in supermarkets or brick-and-mortar stores.

We spent time in several popular markets. This is where we bought our fruits and vegetables and occasionally ate lunch at some of the many little eateries in the market.

El Parian Market

This is the first and largest artisan market in Puebla. Here you can find traditional clothing, pottery, jewelry & other local wares. It really caters to tourists and it is worth a stroll through this open market. Most locals go to other, smaller markets around the city.

Mercado 5 de Mayo

This market has everything you could possibly want. It’s housed in several connecting buildings with small isles running up and down the interior. If you want to learn a little about the culture of the area, visiting these local markets can give you insights into the local culture.

You can find meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables lining the isles. Kitchen appliances, electronics, clothing, and artisan items can also be found. Of course, there are little restaurants all around where you can quickly grab an inexpensive meal. We enjoyed walking the aisles and looking at all the market had to offer.

But you must be careful not to be ripped off because prices are not displayed. We learned the hard way to make sure to ask the price before purchasing. Even after they give us our change, we counted twice to be sure we weren’t charged a higher price. Many times, gringos pay a higher price than locals so it’s good to know what the price should be in advance. But even at inflated prices, the food was a bargain.

Callejon de Los Sapos

The Callejon de los Sapos, is one of the prettiest streets in all of Puebla. In English, its name means “Alley of the Frogs,” because hundreds of years ago there used to be a pond in this spot that was home to hundreds of frogs and toads. This area is filled with cute cafes, restaurants, high-end boutique hotels, and lively nightlife. It gives a strong European feeling mixed with colorful Mexico. On Saturdays, there is a cute artisan/flea market set up all in the surrounding streets.

Other neighborhood markets we visited were Mercado de Sabores and a Market Parral two blocks from our apartment. Both markets were similar to Mercado 5 de Mayo but on a smaller scale.

Puebla was one of the most elite cities when Mexico was under Spanish rule so Spain invested a lot of money in making the city absolutely beautiful. The architecture throughout the city is extremely ornate, and the buildings are colored like pastel sidewalk chalk.

The temperature in the high-altitude city of Puebla is awesome all year. A visitor can wear shorts during the day and a sweatshirt at night. Our favorite cities to visit have a climate of “eternal spring” because the weather is always mild and comfortable.

After traveling for almost two years, we have had so many opportunities to learn about the world and its people. There are very few things that we love more than traveling together and every day being able to experience new places and cultures.