Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Cholula is a university town on the plain just west of Puebla, and it layers more than two thousand years of history into a few walkable streets.
Cholula is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the Americas, and it still works as a living town rather than a museum. Students from the Universidad de las Américas fill its cafes, families gather in the central plaza, and neighborhoods keep a calendar of saints’ days that rolls through most of the year.
The setting helps too. The town sits around 2,100 meters above sea level, so mornings can feel cool and the views of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl are often sharp.
Known in Nahuatl as Tlachihualtepetl, this is the largest pyramid in the world by volume.
The stone terraces show that the pyramid was rebuilt several times, with each stage covering the one before. Look for the changes in style between stages, since some echo the architecture of Teotihuacan while others do not.
From the church atrium the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes rise above the valley. Photo: Pedro Lastra peterlaster, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
The church on top was built in the 1590s and has been repaired after earthquakes. A path of steps leads up to a small atrium with views of the town’s many domes and, on clear days, both volcanoes.
A small site museum near the pyramid shows a cutaway model of its building stages. Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Across the road from the pyramid, a compact museum features a cutaway model that explains the building stages, plus pottery and replicas of the ancient murals. It is easy to overlook, but half an hour here makes the ruins easier to read.
The Plaza de la Concordia is the social center of Cholula. Photo: Danielllerandi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The main plaza, often called the zocalo, is lined with arcades, cafes and food stalls. Come in the morning for street snacks and again at night when the bars fill up.
The Capilla Real stands in the atrium of the 16th-century San Gabriel friary. Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
On the east side of the plaza stands the 16th-century Franciscan friary, with a wide atrium and the Capilla Real, a chapel crowned by many small domes.
The Mercado Municipal sells flowers, herbs, fruit and local prepared dishes. Photo: Roberto Carlos Román Don, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
This small city museum occupies one of the oldest houses around the plaza, known as the Casa del Caballero Aguilar. It gives useful background on local history before you head to the churches.
The traditional market keeps an old-fashioned feel, with sellers of herbs, seeds, flowers and fruit.
Container City reuses shipping containers as workshops, galleries and eateries. Photo: vladimix, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
A cluster of brightly painted shipping containers houses workshops, galleries and eateries. It is a relaxed place for a drink after sightseeing and a good contrast to the colonial streets nearby.
The church at Santa María Tonantzintla is known for its folk Baroque decoration. Photo: Pedro Hernandez, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
This village church is celebrated for its interior, a riot of molded and painted figures in the folk Baroque style made by indigenous craftspeople. Give it at least thirty minutes and respect any rules on photography.
San Francisco Acatepec is one of the notable churches in the San Andrés area. Photo: Luisalvaz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Not far from Tonantzintla, the church of San Francisco Acatepec is known for its decorated exterior, in keeping with the tilework found across Puebla.
Cholula’s food leans on Puebla’s traditions. Look for tacos placeros, a market-style taco filled with cecina, avocado, cheese and chile strips, often topped with pápalo, a fragrant herb.
For something to drink, try pulque, the fermented agave drink served in live-music bars, or a cup of foamy chocolate. The Mercado Municipal and the stalls on the main plaza are the best places to eat cheaply, while the streets around Container City are good for evening dining.
Popular dishes to try in Cholula
Staying near the Plaza de la Concordia puts you within a short walk of cafes, bars, the friary and the market, so it suits first-time visitors and anyone without a car.
San Andrés Cholula is more residential and sits close to the pyramid, which makes it a good choice for early starts and quieter evenings.
Santa María Xixitla lies roughly midway between the center and the pyramid and has older houses and a slower pace. Choose it if you like a short, pleasant walk in both directions.
Where to stay in Cholula
Cholula’s altitude keeps the climate moderate, though nights can be cool, so bring a light jacket in any season. Check a forecast before you go, since afternoon rain is common in the wetter months and can interrupt outdoor sightseeing.
Festivals are a major draw. The celebration of the Virgin of the Remedies runs from the end of August into mid-September, with processions, dances and a pilgrimage up the pyramid.
Most visitors arrive through Puebla or Mexico City. From the CAPU bus station in Puebla, buses take roughly forty minutes, and an express service from near the center of Puebla is faster.
By car, the straight road known as the Recta covers about ten kilometers from Puebla. Once in town, be careful with the one-way streets, which confuse many first-time drivers, and park once rather than moving around.
The center is compact, so most sights are walkable. Many locals cycle, and taxis cover trips to the village churches.
Start at the Great Pyramid and the site museum in the morning, then climb to the Remedios church for the view. Eat lunch in the Mercado Municipal and spend the afternoon at the Plaza de la Concordia, San Gabriel and the city museum.
Take a taxi to Santa María Tonantzintla and San Francisco Acatepec in the morning, then return to Container City for a relaxed lunch.
WISERMAP PLACECholula: photos, reviews & things to doSee traveler photos and reviews, or share your own →
Zacatlán, Puebla
Puebla
El Tajín, Veracruz
Izta-Popo National Park, State of Mexico
Tlayacapan, Morelos
Tequisquiapan, Querétaro