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A Quick Weekend in Puebla, Mexico
Visiting Jozy and taking in the local sites!
Hello, Bulletin! I’m back! After a whirlwind summer and culmination of the hardcourt season at the US Open, I’ve spent the last several days at home relaxing and recovering before the final stretch of my season. However, one key member of my family was missing from this down time - my husband, Jozy! For those of you who don’t closely keep up with soccer (or football, pick what you wish), Jozy is on loan from the New England Revolution to Club Puebla in Liga MX until the end of the year.
Since Jozy headed to Puebla at the end of July, I’ve been playing in back-to-back tournaments, so I haven’t had the chance to visit…until this past weekend! As soon as I had some down time, I hopped on a plane and headed down to Puebla to see my man.
If you’ve been a subscriber to my Bulletin for a while, I think 3 things are clear by now - I love my spending time with my husband, I love making travel guides, and I love visiting Mexico. I was last in Mexico in February of this year when I played and won the Abierto Akron Zapopan in Guadalajara. I also am on month 2 of a Duolingo streak, so what better way to practice my Español?
Before heading down to Puebla, I did some research to familiarize myself with the history of the city. I love exploring new places and knew that my visit would give Jozy the opportunity to be a tourist for a day since he’s been so focused on work since he arrived.
I wanted to start off with a brief overview of Puebla! I’m not a historian by any means, but I wanted to share some of the research I did to understand more about the fourth largest city in Mexico before I arrived. Puebla is both the name of a city and the state in east-central Mexico, about a 2.5 hour drive from Mexico City. People from Puebla are known as “Poblanos”, and yes, the poblano pepper originated from the state of Puebla.
We recognize Cinco de Mayo as a holiday because of Puebla. The actual historical importance of Cinco de Mayo is that it is the date when the Mexican troops beat the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. While some mistakenly think Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day (which was actually last Friday, September 16), Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates the Mexican victory in this battle of the Franco-Mexican War.
I was only there for a very quick trip so we didn’t get to do a lot of tourism just yet, but I’m already planning my next trip and am excited to explore more of Puebla!
Things We Did and Ate:
Watch a Club Puebla game - I got to watch Jozy and La Franja take on Tigres UANL on Friday night and the atmosphere was awesome! The fans LOVE their team. Best of all, Club Puebla took home the victory over the Tigres, who are currently higher in the standings. Vamos!!
Centro Histórico (Historic Center) - Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. There is so much going on in the Zocalo and the people watching is excellent! It’s a great place to stroll, taking in the sites and sounds. Jozy and I went into the Cathedral of Puebla to say some prayers for our loved ones and happened to come across a wedding! Congrats to the happy couple.
How beautiful!
Don Pastor Taquería - Within a block from the Cathedral is Don Pastor. As the name suggests, this chain is famous for tacos al pastor, a Puebla speciality. I love tacos al pastor and was thrilled to discover that they actually originated in Puebla in the 1930s when Lebanese immigrants took their traditional roast lamb shawarma and replaced it with marinated pork, and eventually into taco form instead of pita. It was a really fun vibe in there too! We’ll be back.
Más, por favor!!
For My Next Visit:
Biblioteca Palafoxiana - UNESCO considers this library to be the first Public Library in the Americas. It was built in 1646 and holds over 45,000 books.
Shop for Talavera pottery - Talavera is beautiful Mexican folk art pottery that is actually protected by a Mexican Denominación Origen stamp, like how Tequila is only produced in a specific area with certain techniques. Next time I visit, I’m definitely picking up a few pieces to keep in our home and remember Jozy’s time in Puebla.
Cantona Ruins - Cantona was once inhabited by 80,000 Olmec people. Sources think that only between 1-10% of the site has been excavated, so there is still a lot to understand about this civilization. However, they've already discovered over 20 sport courts, so suffice it to say there was a lot going on in that city! It’s about an hour’s drive from Puebla, so you can likely order an Uber or join a group tour. All the reviews say to bring sunscreen and water, so be sure to prepare.
Calle de Los Dulces (Street of Sweets) - Puebla is well known for its dulces típicos, or traditional sweets. There are over 300 types to try.
Callejón de los Sapos (Alley of the Frogs) - We all need an Insta-worthy photo from a fun trip, and I hear this street is absolutely gorgeous and perfect for that photo souvenir. It’s just a few blocks’ walk from the Zócalo.
Cholula - Only 7 miles from Puebla is the ancient city of Cholula. Founded in 500 BC, apparently it is the oldest continuously inhabited city in America and home to the largest pyramid in the Americas. Cholula is designated by the Mexican government as “Pueblo Mágico”, or Magical Town. There are 132 pueblos mágicos in Mexico, and they are towns that have maintained their “magical qualities” over the centuries, namely their architecture, traditions, history, and culture.