Puebla de Zaragoza Favorites

Favorite thing: If you happen to travel to Puebla, as you can see from my Tips, I would recommend the regional specialty dishes, the arts and crafts, and generally exploring the city by foot in and around the historic centre. A day trip to Cholula is also a must. Be adventurous--at night, it was always pretty safe walking around. Even if you don't like club music, spend a few minutes at a local cafe or bar where the young people are hanging out, just to get a feel of the youthful vibe in Puebla. Also, lots of families hang out together in the evenings. It made me wish that my parents were with me, or my siblings and nephews so that we could enjoy it as a family.

During the day, be curious and peek into doorways. You will find charming courtyards, historic homes and businesses being restored, quaint hotels that you may want to return to, shops that make for good handicrafts/antiques shopping. I did not deliberately set out to buy piano sheet music in Puebla, but after having seen two music stores, I thought that sheet music of classic Mexican songs would be a great souvenir to bring back home (my parents love Spanish language songs.)

Flow into the pace of the city. You'll love it.

Fondest memory: The best thing about our 4-day trip to Puebla was not having a set itinerary. Although we had a guidebook or two (my travelmate created his own guidebook from existing VT tips), we deliberately "played it by ear," exploring the historic centre by day, taking a late afternoon/early evening siesta, and then going back out into the city in the evening to relax and get lost among the crowd walking, relaxing in cafes, etc.

We may have missed a few museums or monuments, so maybe I'll have to return. But, overall, we felt like we really experienced a good dose of Puebla, even if just for four short days.

Favorite thing: Currency exchange is very easy in Puebla. In the Zocalo, there is a Santander Bank, which from the signs inside the bank is affiliated with Bank of America. You can exchange currency inside and there are also two ATM machines available that accept most cards that are networked with popular ATM networks.

There was also an HSBC Bank close to the Zocalo, all I remember is that is was close to La Churreria de la Catedral!

Favorite thing: Veracruz is the largest harbor in that region. It is not far from Puebla, so it is also doable during a weekend.

I decided for a daytrip on a saturday, when I've got to know the fortress San Juan de Ulua and some of the city, not mentioning the tasty coastal Mexican cuisine.

Trip takes about 3 hours from Puebla. You will leave behind the 2,200 m Puebla and experience some great views of volcanos and valleys during the descent.

Favorite thing: Another good tip is to spend a saturday or sunday on a daytrip to Teotihuacan.

Teotihuacan, this large historical and archeological complex, presents two of the largest pyramids ever built by men.

Trip takes around 1 hour 20 minutes from Puebla to Mexico DF and then further 40 minutes to Teotihuacan by car.

Favorite thing: Puebla has one of the highest rates of native Mexicans in all of Mexico. You can usually tell who the natives are by their size, usually a little shorter and much darker. They are said to be decendents of the Aztecs.