The exuberance of the students at the Universidad de las Américas (UDLA) unite with small-town hospitality to make Cholula (pop. 95,000) a welcome alternative to the big-city anonymity of nearby Puebla. The Olmecs, Zapotecs, and Toltecs each had their moment of glory here, in the oldest continually inhabited city in the Americas, and each added another tier or temple to the city’s Great Pyramid. Upon his arrival in 1520, Hernán Cortés named Cholula “the most beautiful city outside of Spain”; shortly thereafter, he and his troops slaughtered 6000 cholutecos in the Cholula Massacre—punishment for a supposed alliance between the choluteca indígenas and the Aztecs. To further punish the city, Cortés vowed to erect 365 churches—one for every day of the year—on top of the city’s native temples. While he never completed his goal, Cholula’s 37 churches today have ensured the city’s place on the route for pilgrims. An easy trip from Puebla or Mexico City, Cholula draws urban escapists with its churches, balmy weather, and lively portales. Just don’t expect to get much sleep—bells from the 37 churches start ringing early Sunday morning.
To get to the zócalo from the Estrella Roja bus station, Av. 12 Pte. 108 (☎247 1920), between 5 de Mayo and Calle 3 Nte., walk east to the intersection of Av. 12 Pte. and 5 de Mayo and turn right on 5 de Mayo. Walk 4 blocks downhill toward the large yellow church of San Pedro. Estrella Roja runs buses to Mexico City (2hr., every hour 5am-7pm, 61 pesos). Super Rápidos, which stops directly across the street from the station, goes to Puebla (30min., every 10-15min. 5am-11pm, 5 pesos). For more destinations, try Puebla’s CAPU .
Colectivos to Puebla and locations within Cholula can be flagged down at many locations in the centro, including Av. 8 Pte. and Calle 3 Nte. and Morelos and Calle 2 Sur (30min. to Puebla’s CAPU, 5 pesos). Colectivos stop running at 10pm; after hours, negotiate a price with a local taxi (from 75 pesos). Sitio taxis, available throughout the city, can be found at the southeast corner of the zócalo.
Cholula is on Blvr. Forjadores, 122km east of Mexico City and 8km west of Puebla. As in Puebla, the street grid simplifies navigation. Calles run north-south with odd-numbered ones to the west (Pte.) and evens to the east (Ote.). Avenidas travel east-west, with odd-numbered ones to the south (Sur) and evens to the north (Nte.). Bulevar Forjadores runs north-south and becomes Calle 4. The main east-west axis, Av. Hidalgo, becomes Av. Morelos at the zócalo and Av. 14 Ote. east of the Great Pyramid. The town encompasses two small municipalities, San Pedro Cholula and San Andrés Cholula. The verdant zócalo, tourist office, and most restaurants are located in San Pedro. San Andrés contains everything east of the Great Pyramid, and is mostly residential. The walk between San Pedro and San Andrés can be lonely on weeknights when bars and clubs are closed, and taxis will make the trip for 35 pesos.
Near the zócalo and the pyramid, budget hotels are scarce. Several moderately priced hotels are located north of Cholula on Carretera Federal Mexico-Puebla, but Cholula’s lodgings are high quality, so your pesos stretch farther here than in the big city of Puebla. The city is overrun with visitors during its festivals; be sure to make reservations in advance.
Influenced in part by Puebla’s culinary traditions, most of Cholula’s restaurants feature variations of mole poblano. For good, cheap local food, wander through the Cosme del Razo market (entrances on Calles 3 and 5 Nte.; open daily 8am-8pm) and the food stands in the zócalo and along the western side of the pyramid. Cholula’s most affordable establishments are on Hidalgo, perpendicular to the portales. Toward the bus station, family-owned torta shops and market stands offer even better prices, but eating in the zócalo buys you a pyramid-view and strolling musicians. For pre-packaged food and toiletries, try Tienda Sindical de Consumo Crom, Alemán 116, a supermarket near the corner of Av. 3 Ote. (☎247 0355. Open daily 7:30am-10pm. D/MC/V.)
Cholula’s chief attractions are the brightly colored towers of its 37 churches jutting above the rest of the city, and its spectacular ruins, the Teneapa Pyramid complex. The archeological site consists of the Great Pyramid and the Courtyard of the Altars, with the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios built atop the pyramid at the time of conquest. It has limited explanatory markers and is best explored with a tour (guides can be found at the entrance to the site; Spanish 90 pesos, English 120 pesos). The June 1999 earthquake that devastated so many of Puebla’s sights also impacted Cholula, and many churches sustained extensive damage. The combined efforts of the government, churches, and community enabled the reconstruction of many of them. Most are within easy walking distance of Cholula’s zócalo, the second largest plaza in Mexico. With its 46 covered arches, it also boasts Latin America’s longest portales.
Teneapa Pyramid. When Cortés destroyed the Toltec temple atop the misshapen hill that dominates Cholula, he was unaware that the hump was actually a pyramid. When explorations of the “hill” first began in 1934, archaeologists discovered three other pyramids built one on top of the other, with onion-like layers indicating the successive constructions by the different cultures that occupied the area. Archaeologists believe the original pyramid was built around AD 200 by the Olmecs or a related group. When a Toltec-Chichimec group settled in Cholula in the 12th century, fleeing from a rival faction in Tula (giving Cholula its Náhuatl name “place of escape”), they built the fourth and final pyramid, named Tlachiaualtepetl (“man-made hill”), and may have conducted human sacrifice atop it. Sophisticated drainage systems kept the structure—the largest pyramid in the world by volume, nearly 400m at its base and 66m in height—intact. The last excavations took place in the early 70s; today, certain tunnels and some excavations on the southern and western sides of the pyramid are the only areas open to visitors. (Entrance on Morelos, across from the small yellow building. ☎247 9081. Ruins and tunnels open daily 9am-6pm. 37 pesos; under 12, students, and teachers free; Su free.)
Museo De Sitio. Before entering the tunnels, visit the museum across the street from the ticket booth. Centered around a helpful diorama of the pyramid (designed to persuade skeptics that it is not, in fact, a hill), the museum features local artifacts tracing Cholula’s rise as a ceremonial center and a reproduction of the Codice of Cholula, a 17th-century account of the Cholula massacre from the indígena perspective. A reproduction of the 56m Los Bebedores, one of the site’s two famous frescoes and one of the largest murals in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica, graces the back room, which is connected to the main exhibit by a tunnel. (Calle 8 Nte. 2, down the ramp or stairs just east of the entrance to the tunnels. ☎247 9081. Info in both English and Spanish. Open daily 9am-6pm. Free with tickets to the pyramid.)
Tunnels And Patios. To reach the excavations on the side of the pyramid opposite the entrance, most visitors walk through the labyrinthine tunnels that riddle the pyramid’s base. Though there are a total of 8km of tunnels burrowed out by archeologists, visitors can only explore 300m of the mostly well-lit, arched passages. A particularly stunning section affords a glimpse of the main staircases of one of the interior pyramids whose 9 floors have been excavated from bottom to top—visitors stand on the second. The underground adventure ends at the south side of the pyramid in the outdoor Patio de los Altares (Courtyard of the Altars), which shows six stages of construction. English-language pamphlets (5 pesos) can be purchased at the bookstore near the end of the outdoor excavations, though the bare essentials can be gleaned from the explanatory English and Spanish markers. Guides are also a great help.
Santuario De Nuestra Señora De Los Remedios. Built atop the pyramid in 1594, the Santuario looms over the city of Cholula. The trek to the Santuario, though taxing, is well worth it. The Spanish dedicated the sanctuary to La Virgen de los Remedios to safeguard against the Aztec gods from whose ruined temple the walls were constructed. After collapsing in an 1864 earthquake, the structure was rebuilt using much of the original material. Cholulans again had to repair the flower-filled sanctuary after the 1999 earthquake. Fortunately, the Virgin, set in her Fabergé jewelry box, remained unharmed, and celebrations in her honor take place each June and September. Her name is now spelled out in blue neon lights. On a clear day, the majestic view from the top of church courtyard extends as far as the snow-capped volcanoes at Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, as well as the rest of Cholula and its sea of churches. (Santuario accessible from the uphill path off Calle 6 Sur, between Morelos and the exit from the Courtyard of the Altars. ☎271 0122. Open daily 6:30am-8pm. Free.)
Templo De San Gabriel. Hoping to use the church for a mass conversion, the Franciscans used indigenous labor to construct San Gabriel on top of the Templo de Quetzalcóatl in 1549. Despite San Gabriel’s imposing size, the Franciscans found it too small for their epic conversion campaign, and in 1575 they began work on the Capilla Real, two doors down. The current altar was built in 1897, utilizing a Neoclassical style designed to emphasize the mass of the already weighty church. The Convento de San Gabriel, behind the church, is still in use but is not open to the public. Next door is the Biblioteca Franciscana, a UDLA library that holds more than 25,000 volumes published between the 16th and 19th centuries. (Calle 2 Nte. 201, at the southeastern corner of the zócalo. Templo: ☎247 0028 or 0122. Open daily 6am-7pm. Library: ☎261 2395; http://ciria.udlap.mx/franciscana. Open M-F 8am-7pm.)
Capilla Real. The Capilla Real is the most visually striking of the city’s churches. This 49-domed structure was finished in the early 17th century, fulfilling its role as the long-awaited auditorium for thousands of indígenas to hear mass. The wall behind the splendid altar features three paintings depicting the story of the Virgen de Guadalupe. The Capilla Real lacks the ornate gold filigree of the surrounding churches; its simplicity is defined by the ever-changing panorama of whitewashed arches, soaring cupolas, and uniquely decorated side chapels. (On Calle 2 Nte. at Av. 6 Pte., the northernmost church on the eastern side of the zócalo. ☎247 6088. Open daily 9am-1pm and 4:30-6pm.)
Capilla De La Tercera Orden. Gold ornamentation and seven large 18th- and 19th-century paintings decorate the interior, while the church’s small dome balances Capilla Real’s vastness. A recent renovation introduced two huge windows on either side of the altar that light up the church. (Between San Gabriel and Capilla Real. Open Tu and Th-F 5-7pm; Sa 10am-1pm and 5-7pm.)
Parroquia De San Pedro. As a 17th-century construction, San Pedro boasts an architectural style unique to its age: Baroque meets Renaissance in ornate fashion. The interior has been spectacularly restored and features a Churrigueresque cupola. Eighteenth-century paintings adorn the walls, including one of Diego de Borgraf’s powerful depictions of Christ. (On 5 de Mayo at Av. 4 Pte., at the northwestern corner of the zócalo. ☎247 0030. Open M-Tu and Th-Su 6:30am-1pm and 4:30-6pm.)
Museo De La Ciudad De Cholula. The Casa del Caballero Aguilar, which today houses the Museo de la Ciudad, is considered to be one of the oldest residential structures in the Cholula area. This small museum traces the habitation of Cholula from about 1000 BC. The first three rooms showcase pre-Hispanic pots and artifacts, while the next two contain colonial arts. The second-to-last room features a John O’Leary exhibit presenting photographs of the city’s religious festivals. The last stop is a visit to the restoration laboratories of the museum, where visitors watch UDLA technicians apply a mix of high- and low-tech restoration methods to recently excavated objects. (Av. 4 Ote. 1. ☎261 9053. Open M-Tu and Th-Su 9am-3pm. 20 pesos; students, teachers, and seniors 10 pesos; Th and Su free.)
Santa María Tonantzintla. Almost as famous as Cholula itself, several churches reside in surrounding villages, including Santa María Tonantzintla, an impressive example of the popular Baroque style. Built atop a pre-Hispanic temple, the church’s saffron, azulejo-decorated facade hides a startling interior—an explosion of iconography, the handiwork of the same indigenous artisan who executed the plans of European artists in Puebla’s Capilla del Rosario . Guides outside will pick out references to Quetzalcóatl and other pre-Hispanic elements from over 450 stucco faces staring from the walls and ceilings for 100 pesos. (Plaza Principal Tonantzintla. Take a colectivo marked “Chipilo” at Morelos and Calle 6 Nte.; 4 pesos. Get off when you see a beige-and-red church on your left (approx. 20min.); Tonantzintla is a short walk down the pedestrian street to the right. Open daily 9am-6pm.)
San Francisco Acatapec. A 15min. walk (or a 3-peso bus ride) away from Tonantzintla lie the town and church of San Francisco Acatapec. Built in 1588, the facade of the church is almost as ornate as Tonantzintla’s walls: the church’s dome and front wall are entirely covered in brilliant custom-made talavera tiles set into an overgrown graveyard in one of the most exquisite applications of the famous tiles. A 1940 fire destroyed much of the gilt wood interior, though visitors can admire the original mirrored panels flanking the altar. A golden sun, thought to be the pre-Hispanic god Tonatiuh, smiles down from the ceiling of the nave. (On Av. Puebla. To go directly from Cholula to Acatapec, simply ride a few km farther on the same “Chipilo” bus to Tonantzintla. To return, wait for the same 5-peso bus to loop around on its “Cholula” route. Open daily 10am—3pm and 4-6pm.)
Universidad De Las Américas. The elite, private university UDLA (OOHD-lah), established in Cholula in 1967, is as well-groomed as its students, and its verdant, bench-filled campus can serve as a respite from the city’s mayhem. Students, locals, and visitors find cheap diversion watching UDLA’s béisbol and fútbol teams face neighboring colleges at the Estadio Templo de Dolor. (Tickets 50 pesos; 2-for-1 on game day with any student ID. ☎229 2000, ext. 6502.) Most cultural events take place in the auditorio, behind the library. The auditorio is also home to the Cine Club Las Américas, where students present independent films. (Open when school is in session. For events schedule, check www.udlap.mx/temporadacultural. Screenings Tu 6 and 8pm; for more info, call recreación estudiantil ☎229 2076.) The university’s two galleries, the Sala José Cuevas and Sala Bertha Cuevas, both in the Rectoría, often hold temporary exhibits. (Open M-Sa 8am-5pm, Su 8am-3pm.) Cafetería Santa Catarina, the only one of the campus’s five cafeterias open year-round, serves institutionalized Mexican food. (31-48 pesos. Open daily 8am-9pm.) Souvenirs are available in the nearby social center kiosk. (Ex-hacienda Santa Catarina Mártir. Leave an ID with the guards for admission to the grounds. Take an eastbound “UDLA” or “Intermedio” bus from the stop on Av. 12 Ote. at Calle 2 Nte. General info ☎229 2000; www.udlap.mx. Guided tours available upon request from the Departamento de Incorporación Estudiantil. ☎229 2025. Open M-F 9am-5pm.)
Vibrant by day, Cholula is even better by night. For more high-powered, high-cost activity, try closer to the university in San Andrés Cholula (where a strip of bars lines Av. 14 Ote. between 5 de Mayo and Calle 2 Nte.) or 20min. away to the Zona Esmeralda in Puebla . The bars in San Andrés attract university students, while those in the centro cater to a more diverse crowd.
Cholula celebrates its religious festivals with flair. Since 1640, Cholula has hosted the Bajada de la Virgen for two weeks in May or June, when the Virgen de Remedios descends from her celestial sanctuary to visit the city and surrounding towns. Cholulans carry the figurine through the streets by motorcycle every morning at 7am during the festival week. In the evenings, locals revel under the elaborate gateways of flowers, seeds, and glitter decorating the Virgin’s route. She descends again on August 11, all the way to the town of San Luis Tehuiloyocan. An even bigger festival, the secular Feria Milenaria de San Pedro Cholula, takes up the first two weeks in September, centering around the Virgen de Remedios’s Día Santo (September 8). Around November 28, Concierto de las Campanas features 130 bell ringers and the continuous playing of 33 church bells from 8-9pm. The Ritual a Quetzalcóatl, on the spring equinox (March 21), involves traditional dancing in the Courtyard of the Altars in honor of the indigenous god. Celebrations for Carnaval, Semana Santa, and Christmas are also big events, when Cholula fills with visitors from Puebla, Mexico City, and surrounding villages.
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