10 Things to do in Puebla, Mexico

I recently went on my first trip to Mexico. I flew from Vancouver to Mexico City and from there I made my way to Puebla. Puebla is Mexico’s fourth largest city and it is also one of the oldest in the country. Puebla’s hospitality, amazing food, colourful surroundings and history make it a great place to visit.  It is located only a few hours from Mexico City and easy to get to. Here are the 10 things you need to do when you visit.

The Rosary Chapel

The Rosary Chapel is arguably one of the most beautiful spots in Puebla. 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”. It is divided into two sections: you enter through the back of the chapel and upon entry you’re immediately surrounded by the most intricate, & beautiful paintings.  As you near the front of the building you find this room that is covered in floor-to-ceiling gold. I felt like royalty… it was a good feeling.

The Street of Candies

A contrast to the rich tones of the Rosary Chapel, The Street of Candies was a fun three blocks lined of candy stores and colorful buildings. 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. I HAD to taste test (for the blog, of course), but found that Mexican treats are just wayyyyyy to sweet for me. The area made for some cute shots though! So while it didn’t solve my sweet tooth, The Street of Candies absolutely met my content cravings. 

Talavera Uriarte Factory  

Uriarte is a stunning pottery and traditional Talavera enterprise in Puebla. This place continues to make plates, cups, bowls and other items by hand using the original 16^th century methods.  It was fascinating to see how much work goes into every individual piece. Everything was made with love there. Each item is molded, dried, and dipped in a yellow-colored base before heading to the oven to bake. After its first bake in the oven, the item is hand sanded, and shaved to remove and lumps, clumps or imperfections. Then the fun part!! Each piece is painted in its own special design and then baked to perfection! Each one was a piece of handcrafted art. No wonder they haven’t changed a thing since they opened.

Estrella de Puebla

The Ferris wheel is a new tourist attraction located at the Parque Lineal. The top of the Ferris wheel offers a stunning view of the city line and is breathtaking around sunset. At 260-feet high, it is the tallest of its kind in Latin America, which is how it gets its name Estrella de Puebla, which means The Star of Puebla!

Biblioteca Palafoxiana

This library… what a beauty! The library was actually the first public library in Mexico. It owes its name and content to Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, who donated 5,000 of his books so that they could be shared by and made available to the general public. Now this historically rich library homes more than 45,000 books and manuscripts!

Temple of Saint Francisco

The outside of this church is incredible and beyond perfect. The entire front is covered with locally produced ceramic tiles in rich primary colors.  Blue, red, and yellow colors surrounded larger-than life sculptures of saints.  From a far it just appears super colorful but up close, you’re able to see the precision and detailing! It is beyond beautiful.

Panoramic View of the Domes at the Amparo Museum

Viewing all the domes from the top is beyond cool. You don’t realize how many Chapels there are until you see all the domes peaking over the city line.

Cholula Pyramid

The Pyramid is one of the biggest in the world base-wise. 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. I am not a huge fan of small spaces but it was well worth it. You get to see a lot of the other tunnels but they are gated off but you can see how many other places there are to explore and how well they designed inside the pyramid. From the outside you can only see a bit of the pyramid because they build a Chapel right on top of it! It’s a bright yellow church and it’s a stunning view.

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Puebla Cable Car

Possibly one of the greatest ways to experience Puebla and its architectural treasures is by cable car.  We took it from The Exhibition Centre and were able to see the area they fought on for Cinco de Mayo. I was there when they were having their carnival! At 40 meters high we had the best views of some of the most beautiful parks, buildings, and Mexican landmarks in the city!

Church of Santa Maria

Visual overload. That’s all I have to say! There was just SO much to look at. Unlike the Temple of Saint Francisco, the Church of Santa Maria appeared rather plain from the outside.  But once I entered through the doors, I hardly knew where to set my gaze. Every inch of the interior walls, ceilings and floor are splashed with vibrant colored plastered moldings. At first I thought the Mexican heat was getting to me? Or perhaps I had over indulged on 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.

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This blog post is brought you in collaboration with Visit Mexico. Thank you for supporting the destinations that support me.