One of the highlights of returning to Mexico City was having a friend who knew the country well enough to take us beyond the familiar neighborhoods of the capital. On Sunday morning, eight of us piled into a van for a day trip to Puebla, a city about two and half hours southeast of Mexico City. But before reaching Puebla, we made a stop at one of Mexico’s most fascinating archaeological sites: the Great Pyramid of Cholula.
The Great Pyramid of Cholula: Layers of Mexico’s History
Our first destination was the Great Pyramid of Cholula, but rather than immediately exploring the archaeological site, we first made our way up to the church that sits at the top of the pyramid. The walk was short but steep, and I could feel my lungs working as we climbed the path toward the entrance.
It was also far from a quiet Sunday morning. All around us, people were setting off bottle rockets, a band was playing in front of the church, and the bells rang almost constantly as worshippers prepared for Sunday services. The sounds overlapped and blended together—the music, the fireworks, the bells, the voices of people gathering—and created a uniquely Mexican soundtrack to our arrival.
From the top, we had sweeping views of the surrounding landscape.
The Great Pyramid of Cholula is considered the largest pyramid by volume in the world. After the arrival of the Spanish, a church was built on top of the existing structure, creating the striking juxtaposition that exists today.
We then headed back down and entered the pyramid grounds. Walking around the enormous base of the pyramid, it was hard not to imagine what this place might have looked like before the Spanish conquest—before a colonial church stood above one of the most important religious centers of the ancient world.
Lunch at Mural de los Poblanos: A Taste of Puebla
After Cholula, we continued into Puebla, where our driver dropped us just steps from our lunch destination: Mural de los Poblanos.
The restaurant, named after the mural that covers one wall, was bright and airy, with the dining room occupying the courtyard of the historic building.
Given that Puebla is considered the birthplace of mole poblano, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try a tasting menu featuring several different variations of this iconic sauce. I choose shredded duck as my protein.
The moles I tried, from left to right, top to bottom: mole poblano, manchamanteles, adobo, pipián rojo, pipián verde. A side of refried black beans was included, along with rice and fresh tortillas.
My favorite was manchamanteles—I particularly enjoyed the earthiness and heat of the chiles tempered by the sweetness of the pineapple—but honestly, they were all good.
While we all tried mole in some form, everyone around us was ordering Chile en Nogado, a seasonal dish where a poblano pepper is stuffed and then covered in a creamy walnut-based sauce (the nogado) and sprinkled with pomegranates. Our table shared a side of nogado so as not to feel like we were missing out something.
A Sunday Afternoon in Puebla
After lunch, we wandered toward Puebla’s cathedral, but the city had another event happening: the World Cup final. Crowds had gathered around a large screen watching the match, and we arrived just in time to catch the final minutes.
I was amused to see many people cheering for Spain rather than Argentina, a reminder that national identity, history, and football loyalties are complicated throughout Latin America.
I had hoped to watch more of the match given how involved I had been with the World Cup this year, but hearing the crowd erupt when the final whistle blew was a pretty memorable way to experience the ending.
Puebla Cathedral and El Parián
After standing in the heat, it was a welcome respite to finally enter the cathedral. We slowly walked around, admiring the magnificent artwork. No matter how many churches and cathedrals I visit around the world, I still find myself stopping in awe when I enter a truly beautiful one.
Our final stop was El Parián, a colorful handicraft market where we perused stalls filled with Talavera pottery. A past version of myself would have loved to buy a plate featuring the milky-white background with colorful raised motifs, but I was happy to wander through the market, admire the artistry, and leave with photographs and memories instead of another object to carry home.
By that point, the combination of a full day of walking, a big lunch, and the afternoon heat had caught up with me. I was more than ready to return to the van.
It was a long day—ancient ruins, colonial architecture, incredible food, soccer celebrations, and colorful streets—but it was exactly the kind of day that makes returning to Mexico so rewarding. Puebla offered another reminder that Mexico is not one single story, but a collection of layers: ancient civilizations, colonial history, regional traditions, and everyday moments happening all around you.