Things To Do in Puebla

Puebla is a city full of stories and anecdotes that color the colonial houses and convents of the historic district. For historical tours of the city or a tour of the surrounding area, you might want a guide. One I can recommend is Carlos Rivero Tours (tel. 222/304-2855; www.riveros.com.mx). He speaks English, knows his city, and is very capable. For a quick sightseeing tour of the city, you can hop on one of the buses that park on the street between the zócalo and the cathedral (Calle 3 Oriente). Tours are in Spanish, depart every half-hour, and cost 40 pesos. Or you can climb on to one of the new Turibus (www.turibus.com.mx) open-air double-decker buses, with narrative in several languages. Your ticket (110 pesos) is valid for the entire day and allows you to get off at any location and board the next bus that comes along. The circuit of both buses includes a quick view of the site where the Battle of Cinco de Mayo was fought. Both also offer tours to Cholula, but just on the weekends.

Churches

If you were to stop to examine every church you pass in Puebla, you would be in for a long stay. Still, it is something I enjoy doing, even with the smaller churches. Many have simple, austere interiors that express a sweetness and humility that I like. But three churches in the Puebla's historic district require special mention.

The cathedral, completed in 1649, has the tallest bell towers in Mexico. Its dark-stone exterior and severe Herrerian (Spanish Renaissance) design lend it a lugubrious appearance that may befit a cathedral but takes a little while to warm up to. The inside is worth a peek. Near the front doors, you can usually find guides (or they'll find you) who offer a short tour.

The Iglesia de Santo Domingo, on the corner of 5 de Mayo and 4 Poniente, was originally part of a Dominican monastery completed in 1611. Lining the walls of the nave are some exquisite baroque altars. In the left transept you'll find the Capilla del Rosario, built in 1690. It is a masterpiece of gold leaf and plaster convolutes dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary. Some observers point to it as the epitome of Mexican baroque architecture. Note, too, the intricate Talavera wainscoting.

The massive church of La Compañía, built by the Jesuits, is where La China Poblana worshiped and was briefly entombed. Look to the right of the church doorway, and you'll see a curious bit of text in Talavera. It marks the date of the execution of a con man who arrived in Mexico on a boat from Spain carrying papers identifying him as a visitador (papal emissary and inspector). He was wined and dined by the bishops in the capital and in Puebla, and lived the good life for several weeks before being found out. As the text notes, he was executed, and his head was hung above the doorway. The message, I guess: It's not nice to fool the mother church.

Near Cholula are two other impressive churches: Tonantzintla and San Francisco Acatepec.

Museums

In addition to the museums listed below, a couple of smaller attractions are worth visiting: The Biblioteca Palafoxiana is an impressive colonial library, the collection of the famous 17th-century bishop who went on to become viceroy, Juan Palafox y Mendoza. The library is on the second floor of the Casa de Cultura, next to the state tourism office. The Casa de Alfeñique is a colonial mansion and a landmark known for its exterior plaster decoration, reminiscent of cake icing; the museum collection, a hodgepodge of things Poblano, is fun if you have time. It's at the intersection of calles 4 Oriente and 6 Norte. The Casa de los Muñecos, Calle 2 Norte 4, is more important for its exterior than for the museum collection inside. The large grotesques that adorn the late-18th-century facade are said to be caricatures of the town council, though this story is apocryphal.

Volcanoes & Pyramids

On the western outskirts of Puebla is the small town of Cholula, which offers a good vantage point for viewing the volcanoes, Popocatépetl and Ixaccihuatl. These volcanoes separate the Valley of Mexico from the Valley of Puebla. The best time for viewing them is on a clear morning in the winter or early spring, when the snowcaps would be at their largest.

In pre-Columbian times, Cholula was a large city -- the religious capital of highland Mexico. The Spanish razed the hundreds of temples that stood here, and we know little about them. But the Great Pyramid still exists, the largest pyramid in the New World. At first glimpse, it looks more like a hill crowned by a church (Nuestra Señora de los Remedios). All the surfacing of the pyramid was removed in earlier times, but you can readily make out the geometry of the stepped platform, which rises from the ground in four levels. One face of the pyramid has been partially reconstructed. Tunnels dug by archaeologists give you an idea of how the thing was built. From atop the neighboring platform (if the guards allow you to climb it), you can get a view of the volcano with the church in the foreground. The entrance fee for the Cholula pyramid is 41 pesos; the site is open daily from 9am to 5:30pm. Tour guides charge 150 pesos per person and can be located at the entrance to the main tunnel.

While you're in Cholula, you might want to walk around the town's center. A restaurant under the stone archway bordering the zócalo offers a decent, inexpensive meal. It's called Los Tulipanes.

Tonantzintla & San Francisco Acatepec

A perfect complement to this trip is a visit to the church of Tonantzintla, just to the south. Leave the town on Bulevar Miguel Alemán, which becomes the road to Tonantzintla. Less than 1.5km (1 mile) ahead, the church is within plain sight of the road. It's famous for its jewel-box interior, executed in an endearing style of Indian baroque. It has mesmerized many visitors, including R. Gordon Wasson, who saw in its manifold imagery allusions to a secret mushroom cult. If this visit hasn't quenched your appetite for visiting churches, proceed a bit farther down the road and you will imperceptibly cross into the neighboring community of San Francisco Acatepec. Its church is also along the road and stands out for its stunning tile facade.

Talavera is a type of majolica earthenware fashioned into dishes, tiles, and decorative objects. It traces its origins back to the Moors, who introduced it into Spain in the 9th century, setting up workshops in the town of Talavera. From there, artisans took the practice to Puebla in the 16th century -- hence the name.

It's no exaggeration to say that Talavera is the face of Puebla. Its widespread use as facing for buildings is the most distinctive characteristic of the local architecture. You see it almost anywhere you look. And you'll definitely see it anywhere you shop. But the best and most expensive Talavera is produced by a dozen factories in Puebla and Cholula, all members of an association that sets standards and certifies manufacturers. To be officially certified, a workshop must use only the traditional methods and ingredients (no commercial ceramic mix or glazes); practically everything must be done by hand. There's no restriction on artistic taste, just the methods for making Talavera. So there's a good bit of variety from one workshop to another. The genuine article is not cheap, so you should look around in the showrooms until you learn how to discern the knockoffs from the real stuff and find a style you prefer over others.

If you're interested in watching people make Talavera, consider a workshop tour. Uriarte Talavera, Calle 4 Poniente 911 (tel. 222/232-1598), charges 50 pesos for its tour. The factory has an impressive facade made completely of Talavera. And inside you'll see some great pieces displayed. There's one factory in the Parián area -- Talavera Armando, at Calle 6 Norte 408 (tel. 222/232-6468). If enough people are around, they'll get a free tour. One factory, Talavera Celia (tel. 222/242-3663), has a shop/restaurant downtown, at Calle 5 Oriente 608, that serves meals on its own Talavera. Inquire there about touring the workshop, which isn't too far from downtown. Talavera de la Luz specializes in large maps and panoramic views rendered in Talavera tiles. It has shown some of its largest pieces in museums in the United States. Unfortunately, it doesn't open very much.

The Mercado de Artesanías (El Parián) is a pedestrian-only, open-air shopping area just east of Calle 6 Norte between calles 2 and 6 Oriente. You'll see rows of neat brick shops selling inexpensive crafts and souvenirs. The shops are open daily from 10am to 8pm. Bargain to get a good price. While you're in this area, you can take a look at the Teatro Principal.

For antiques browsing, go to Callejón de los Sapos (Alley of the Frogs), about 3 blocks southeast of the zócalo near Calle 4 Sur and Calle 7 Oriente. Wander in and out; there's good stuff, large and small. Shops are generally open daily from 10am to 2pm and 4 to 6pm. On Saturday mornings, there's a flea market in the little square. If you're there in the afternoon, stop by La Pasita, across Calle 5 from the Plaza de los Sapos, to taste homemade cordials and browse through the owner's humorous collection of Mexicana. The owner keeps flexible hours and only opens if the mood strikes him. Start with a pasita, then work your way up to a China Poblana -- a layered cordial of red, white, and green liqueurs.

If you're out walking around Puebla, you might amble over to a short stretch of Calle 6 Oriente between 4 Norte and 5 de Mayo. It has a few picturesque candy shops selling famous local sweets, such as camotes (sweets made from yams in various flavors), which are very popular with Mexicans but are not to my taste. There's also a Victorian-era shopping mall made of wrought iron, which has been fixed up nicely: Ex-Mercado La Victoria, which is behind Santo Domingo.