Puebla
Mexico
- Cityscape
- Baroque around the block
- City Life
- Holy mole
Snow-capped mountains and smoking volcanoes surround the Valley of Puebla, which cradles this proud and peaceful city. Slower-paced than its frenetic neighbour, Mexico City, the old colonial town blends beautiful baroque architecture with a well-rooted sense of tradition.
Since the Spanish conquistadors founded Puebla in the 16th Century, the city has been the heart of colonial Mexico. Only an hour from the madness of Mexico City, Puebla marches to a different, more gentle rhythm, and its proud people (the poblanos) place a big emphasis on traditional Catholic values and practices. The city’s Spanish origins have left it a trove of architectural treasures, and in the centre of Puebla you’ll find striking examples of Baroque and 18th-century edifices, an imposing cathedral and numerous colonial mansions. It’s gone by many names over the years – ‘City of Angels’, ‘City of Tiles’, (on account of the city’s signature talavera pottery) ‘Heroic City of Zaragoza’ (after the French-beating general) – but to most Mexicans and visitors it’s known simply as Puebla, meaning, with misleading humility, ‘Town’.
Pictured: La Purificadora
Boutique hotels in Puebla
Our round-up of the hippest hideaways and boutique hotels in Puebla
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Getting there
Planes, trains, automobiles, or maybe even helicopter – we tell you the best way to go.
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Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best Puebla has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
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Eating, drinking & dancing
We've tracked down the best cafés for people-watching, the bars with the coolest cocktails, the most accomplished restaurants and the liveliest local nightlife in Puebla.
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Smith Maps
Here is the map of Puebla; each Mr & Mrs Smith hotel is marked by a flag; click it for more details.
moreLocal knowledge
- Taxis
- Taxis are easily recognisable in Puebla and safe to flag down in the street. It’s a small city so cabs are plentiful – there’s a rank beside the bus station if they prove elusive. You can arrange a pre-booked car with your hotel, or call Taxi Xonaca (+52 222 514 9293).
- Tipping culture
- 10–15 per cent is standard for restaurants, and bar staff and hotel porters will expect a few pesos too. Tips or propinas are a big part of Mexican culture, so keep some small change handy.
- Siesta and Fiesta
- Lunch and dinner are generally served late, (around 2–3pm and 9–10pm, respectively), meaning that the nightlife doesn’t usually kick off until close to midnight. Although the afternoon siesta is still practised in places, most stops stay open between 11am and 9pm.
- Packing tips
- A rosary will ensure you’re welcomed by the staunchly Catholic populace. You need only step into one of the hundreds of churches to be struck by the genuine and passionate commitment to religion in Puebla.
- Recommended reads
- The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea gives you a great insight into the folklore and mysticism that plays such a huge part in Mexican culture. Laura Esquivel’s seminal Like Water for Chocolate is part Mexican cookbook, part fantasy-romance. Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz, Selected Writings, translated by Pamela Kirk Rappaport, is a collection of poems by a 17th-century Mexican nun now regarded as one of the finest poets in the Spanish language.
- Cuisine
- As well as the tacos and tortillas of traditional Mexican cuisine, Puebla has a good many culinary creations of its own, and its regional recipes, known as cocina poblana, have taken hold throughout the country. Puebla is most famous for mole poblana, a rich, potent sauce of chillis, chocolate, ground nuts, seeds and spices. Between July and September, you should keep an eye (and a mouth) open for chiles en nogada: mild chillis stuffed with fruit and nuts, and drizzled in walnut sauce.
- Currency
- Mexican pesos (MXN). One peso is around 5p/10¢.
- Time zone
- GMT -6 hours
- Dialing codes
- Country code: +52; Puebla: 222. When dialling within Puebla, you don’t need to use the area code.
- Do go/don't go
- Puebla is warm throughout the year and although the heat can make the June rainy season unpleasantly humid, the winter months herald a more forgiving, occasionally chilly, climate.
