SURROUNDING AREAS, TOURING AND NOTABLE PLACES
Izta-Popo National
Park ? Located 55 km
(34 mi) from the city
of Puebla. This beautiful place is a protected area due to the
water and oxygen it supplies
to nearby towns. Among the
most impressive sights on the
park?s 26,500-hectare
(65,455-acre) grounds are the
Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl volcanoes, the second and
third highest elevations in the nation, respectively. In the past, these
places were popular destinations
for mountain climbers, which is why you?ll
find lodges near the rims.
Currently, however, they are restricted areas. Nevertheless, you can still enjoy
a walk through the park?s pine and Encino oak forests.
Cholula
? Located 9 km
(5.5 mi)
from the city of Puebla.
The climate here is mild
and semi-humid, with rain
in the summer. Among the most
important celebrations that take place here are the Apostol
San Andres, San Isidrio
Labrador, the Santisima
Virgen de los Remedios and San Diego de Alcala. The most
notable crafts made here
are flowered rugs, wax figures for Independence Day festivities, candles and indigenous figurines used for rituals.
During your visit, a must-see
is the archaeological
zone, which has a group of seven
pyramids. The most impressive pyramid is the
Chiconahui Quiahuitl, which has a 400-meter base, making
it the largest
foundation in the world. From Cholula?s
main plaza you can admire
Los Remedios church, the parish church of
San Andres Cholula, the Santa Maria Tonantzintla church and the
San Francisco Acatepec church,
all of which
are magnificent examples of 16th- and 17th-century baroque architecture.
Cuetzalan
? Located 174 km
(108 mi)
from the city of Puebla,
in the Sierra Norte zone. This picturesque place, which is blanketed
in fog throughout most of the
year due to its climate
and abundant vegetation, is a place of strong traditions,
as evidenced in its cuisine, crafts, fiestas and hospitable people. Here you
can visit the Conchita church, the Santuario de
Guadalupe and the Palacio
Municipal, of Russian neoclassical architecture. There?s also the
Calmahustic Museum of Ethnography, and in the surrounding
areas you can check out Masatepec, San Andres Tzicuilan and the
ruins at Yohualichan.
Onix and Las Espuelas Route
? It?s recommendable to have a car for this tour. Departing from
Puebla, head 21 km (13 mi) to
Cuauhtinchan. The interesting sight there is the
Ex-Convent of San Juan
Bautista, which has magnificent
architecture. You can also visit the
Museum of Religious Art, which has precious wood-sculpted images.
If you?re feeling hungry, try the delicious
barbacoa. About
6 km
(4 mi) from there you?ll
find Tecalli de Herrera, where you can check out the Ex-Convent of Santiago Apostol, a construction that has withstood the inclement
weather. Continuing along the route,
11 km
(7 mi) ahead you?ll arrive
at Tepeaca, where you can eat
some delicious fish in salsa guajillo, or if you prefer
something different, try the purslane
in green salsa. While you?re digesting, you can take a walk through the
town. If you decide to spend
the night, you should have no problem finding a place to stay. In the
morning you can admire such splendid sights
as the Ex-Convent of San Francisco, with its Chapel of
the Third Order, El Rollo, la
Casa de los Virreyes and la Casa de Cortes. After having toured
the town, the next and
last stop is Amozoc, which is
18 km
(11 mi) from Puebla. The most notable architecture you?ll see here
is that of
the Ex-Convent of San Francisco de Asis and the Santa Maria Asuncion parish church. We recommend
that you set aside two
days for this tour.
