10 Things to do in Puebla, Mexico

The city’s warm hospitality, amazing food, colourful scenery and rich history make it a great place to visit when traveling to Mexico. Plus, it’s located only a few hours from Mexico City and very easy to get to. Keep reading to find the top 10 things you need to do when you visit! One of the best places to visit in Mexico is Puebla!

Why Visit Puebla?

If you’re searching for things to do in Cancun, you might want to reconsider your search! In the spirit of travel, focus more on how unique an experience can be rather than trying to tick a box. Or at least once you’re done in Cancun, follow your way around the coastline and up to the magical city of Puebla.

This trip to Mexico was my first ever visit to the country. I flew from Vancouver to Mexico City and from there I made my way to Puebla. So, let’s talk about this place: it’s actually Mexico’s fourth largest city, and it’s also one of the oldest in the country. This equals lots of history, which equals no trouble finding plenty of things to do in Puebla Mexico!

The Rosary Chapel

The Rosary Chapel is arguably one of the most beautiful spots in Puebla. If you are traveling to Mexico, you need to plan to visit here. The ornate gold fixtures and stunning paintings attract people from all over the world, including this lucky blogger! The 17^th century chapel has earned itself a reputation as the unofficial “eighth wonder of the world”. This definitely makes it one of the coolest things to do in Puebla while you’re there.

It is divided into two sections: you enter through the back of the chapel and upon entry you’re immediately surrounded by the most beautiful, intricate paintings. As you near the front of the building you feast your eyes upon a room that is covered in floor-to-ceiling gold. While you step through the room, marvelling at the beautiful design, you’ll get a sense of what it must feel like to be royalty. This is quite the spectacular chapel and one of the best places to visit in Mexico.

The Street of Candies

A stark contrast to the rich tones of the Rosary Chapel was The Street of Candies. This street was three blocks filled with fun and excitement. Candy stores lined the street, and they were chocked full of sweets almost as colourful as the buildings. This was a confectionary aficionado’s dream!

This sweet street houses every Mexican candy imaginable, and it seemed each window was piled high with sugary treats and baked goods. Obviously, I had to taste test (for the blog, of course). It turns out that Mexican treats are just entirely way too sweet for me. Just another reason to go traveling to Mexico!

The area made for some cute shots though! Walking around this street, you can almost feel the buzzing atmosphere—although this could be everyone on a sugar high! Although the Street of Candies didn’t solve my sweet tooth, it more than met my content cravings. If you’re curious about places to go in Mexico, this needs to be on your list.

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My Trip to Mexico Vlog

You can watch my trip to Mexico vlog below or directly on YouTube for better quality.

Talavera Uriarte Factory  

Uriarte is a stunning pottery and traditional Talavera enterprise in Puebla. This place continues to make plates, cups, bowls and other handcrafted items using their original methods from the 16^th century. It was fascinating to see how much work goes into each individual piece.

One of my favourite things about it is how you can tell everything there has been made with love. They first mould each item, then they dry it, and dip it in a yellow-coloured base before sending it to the oven to bake. After its first bake in the oven, they sand the item by hand. They shave it to remove any lumps, clumps or imperfections.

Then, the fun happens! Each piece is painted in its own special design and then baked to perfection. This experience was an unveiling to me of just how beautiful handcrafted art is. It’s no wonder they haven’t changed a thing since they opened! This is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit in Mexico. If you are planning on traveling to Mexico, check this out!

Estrella de Puebla

The Estrella de Puebla is a Ferris wheel, and a new tourist attraction located at the Parque Lineal. The top of the Ferris wheel offers stunning views of the skyline and is breath-taking around sunset. At 260-feet high, it is the tallest of its kind in Latin America.

As a matter of fact, this is how it gets its name—Estrella de Puebla means The Star of Puebla. It’s so tall it feels like being amongst the stars!

If you’re the kind of traveller who needs a good sunset and panoramic views in every location, this would be your kind of stop. In fact, it might just be one of the top places to visit in Mexico for sunsets. Add the Estrella de Puebla to your list if you are traveling to Mexico with a stop in Puebla.

Biblioteca Palafoxiana

This library was such a beauty. The Biblioteca Palafoxiana was actually the first public library in Mexico. It owes its name and original contents to Juan de Palafox y Mendoza. He donated 5,000 of his books so that they could be shared by and made available to the general public.

Nowadays, this historically rich library homes more than 45,000 books and manuscripts! It’s also recognized by UNESCO as being the first and oldest public library in the Americas. According to UNESCO, “The Biblioteca Palafoxiana of Puebla is noted for its authenticity and bibliographical wealth, building and bookcases.”

As you can see, this library is truly a special place to visit while in the city of Puebla. Even if you’re not the reading type, this stop might be well worth it to simply admire the history, knowledge, and aesthetic beauty that lays within its walls.

Temple of Saint Francisco

The Temple of Saint Francisco is a colonial religious building that was built in 1760. The outside of this church is incredible. It’s so perfect that you won’t be able to get enough photos! The entire front is covered with locally produced ceramic tiles in rich primary colours. Blues, reds, and yellows surround dramatic, larger-than-life sculptures of saints.

Those tiles are also combined with red bricks, making the visual appearance even more vibrant. From afar, it just looks very colourful. Up close though, you’re able to see the precision and detailing within the design! It is beyond beautiful, which is why it deserves to be one of the top things to do in Puebla.

Panoramic View of the Domes at the Amparo Museum

This is a two-in-one. What’s better than being able to see and experience TWO major sites within one location? As a traveller, not much. When you visit the Museo Amparo, you first get to enjoy the exhibits in the museum. Then, you can make your way to the café up top to get a whole different kind of view (one you’ll love). Or, you can do in whichever order you’d like.

Seeing all the domes from the top of the museum was an amazing experience. You may not truly realize how many chapels there are around Puebla until you see all the domes peaking over the cityscape. If you are traveling to Mexico, make sure you stop at the Amparo Museum in Puebla.

Cholula Pyramid

Regarding its base size, this pyramid is one of the biggest in the world. The base goes all the way to the end of the town! I had the chance to actually go through the tunnels in the pyramid and it was so cool. While I’m not exactly a huge fan of small spaces, it was well worth it. If you do this, you will get to see a lot of other tunnels, but they are gated off.

However, it gives you an idea of how many other places there are to explore within it. It also gives you some insight on how well they designed the inside of the pyramid. From the outside you can only see a bit of the pyramid because they built a chapel right on top of it! It’s a bright yellow church and a stunning view.

Puebla Cable Car

Possibly one of the greatest ways to experience Puebla and to soak up its many architectural treasures is by cable car. We took it from The Exhibition Centre and saw a few notable stops along the way. We were able to see the area they fought in for Cinco de Mayo, called the Battle of Puebla. It was fought between France and Mexico in 1862, according to this ABC 7 article.

We also happened to be there while they were celebrating their carnival, which was pretty awesome to witness! At 40 meters high, we had the best views of some of the most beautiful parks, buildings, and Mexican landmarks in the city. It was incredible.

This cable car ride also gives you a great view of Popo and Izta, which is short for Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatepetl. These are local volcanoes, which are also the country’s highest peaks. They are part of the Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park.

However, if you don’t like heights, maybe just stick to the Estrella de Puebla instead!

Church of Santa Maria

This church visit was a visual overload. There was just SO much to look at that my senses were in overdrive by the time we left! Unlike the Temple of Saint Francisco, the Church of Santa Maria actually appear rather plain from the outside. That won’t last for long, though…

Once you enter through the doors, you’ll hardly know where to set your gaze. Every inch of the interior walls, ceilings and floor are splashed with vibrantly coloured, plastered mouldings. At first, I wondered whether the Mexican heat was getting to me? Or perhaps I had overindulged in The Street of Candies? But with the photos to prove it, the Church of Santa Maria was exactly as bold and brilliant as I thought.

The interior designs are apparently a mix of indigenous and European design. It’s amazing to see a visual representation of these two cultures clashing. Within it, you’ll find representations of religious imagery.

This is as you’d expect inside a church, of course, but the execution of the imagery? I think it’s safe to say that it’s one of a kind. If your eyes are ready, this is one of those stops you won’t want to miss. Make sure to have you phone or camera ready to go to work as well!

Visit Puebla During Your Trip to Mexico

If you’re considering traveling to Mexico, Puebla needs to be on your list. Once there, you’ll find so many beautiful things to do and see. You’ll immediately sense the history and wisdom this place has in its very buildings. You’ll be eager to find the absolute best ways of soaking it all in.

While you’ll have no trouble finding things to do in Puebla, you might want to plan your stops based on your unique interests. Consider what kind of traveller you are and go from there. Puebla definitely is one of the best places to visit in Mexico. You won’t be disappointed if you plan to visit while traveling to Mexico.

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So Many Things to do in Puebla!

Luckily, this list of the top 10 things to do in Puebla is quite versatile. Therefore, it gives a pretty good array of options for the history buff, the sunset-chaser, and anyone with a sweet tooth. It also accommodates those who love a great view, and the adventurous kinds of travellers, too.

Overall, Puebla is such a magical city with so much to experience. It’s saturated with such an amazing culture, and memories from people who lived there long ago. Those memories clearly live on within the locals who are there today. They seem to have held onto their customs, which have lasted throughout the centuries.

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This blog post about Puebla (one of the best places to visit in Mexico) is brought you in collaboration with Visit Mexico. Thank you for supporting the destinations that support me.