Known by many names throughout its history — La Ciudad de Angeles (City of Angels), La Ciudad de Azulejos (City of Tiles), La Heroico Ciudad de Zaragoza (Heroic City of Zaragoza) — today, the city is simply known as Puebla. An old city with a long history, it remains the ecclesiastical center of Mexico. Phenomenal growth in recent years has made Puebla Mexico's fourth-largest city, but it's still one of its most beautiful.

Best Time to Go

Puebla enjoys sunny days with temperatures in the 70s and 80s and nights in the 40s and 50s throughout the year. From November to March, there's almost no rain. But from April through October, it rains most afternoons.

Cuisine

The cuisine of Puebla mixes flavors, smells, textures, and colors into a mélange of good eating. While you'll find dishes direct from Spain, alongside them will be dishes spiced with curry from India, cumin from Arab countries, or even those with rich sauces from France.

But Puebla is best known for its mole poblano (a rich sauce made from an imaginative mix of red chiles, peanuts, almonds, cinnamon, tomato, onion, garlic, ajonjoli, or sesame seeds, chocolate, and many other herbs and spices) that's poured over boiled chicken or turkey and served on holidays.

You'll also find an infinite variety of soups prepared with string beans, pumpkin, pork loin, brains, almonds, mushrooms, and peas.

And last but not least, Puebla is famous for its traditional dulces (sweets). Beginning in the eighteenth century, nuns at the Convento de Santa Clara made delicious sweets. Today, you'll find shops selling these goodies along Calle Santa Clara, near the former convent.

Cautions and Safety Concerns

Puebla's water system isn't as pure as some other Mexican cities that see a lot of American tourists. But you can buy bottled water everywhere, and the major hotels all have their own water purification systems. When eating out, ask for agua mineral or bottled water and no ice. Also avoid the tempting sno-cones, popsicles, and ice cream sold by street vendors, unless they're pre-packaged. Finally, carry some antibacterial towelettes with you to wash your hands before eating.