Puebla, Mexico

PUEBLA may be home to classic Mexican dishes like mole poblano, but there’s more to do in this wealthy city than just eat. A two-hour drive from Mexico City past snow-capped peaks and volcanoes, Puebla, a city of some 1.3 million people, is chock full of colonial treasures, cafe-lined squares and a vibrant arts-and-crafts culture. The large historic center has been designated as a World Heritage Site by Unesco, new hotels are springing up, and airlines now offer easy access from the United States. But if your main obsession is food, Puebla won’t disappoint. This crayon-colored city is still considered by many to be the gastronomic capital of Mexico.
As in every Mexican town, Puebla’s soul is the zócalo, the center of
the old city, in this case the Plaza de la Constitución. This
rectangular slice of colonial Mexican cosmopolitanism is bordered by
arcaded walkways and anchored by the sprawling Catedral de Puebla,
which dates from 1575. Outside, the cathedral is dominated by a pair of
towers rising nearly 230 feet. Inside, its crypt betrays Puebla’s
status as one of colonial Mexico’s wealthiest towns, with statues of
saints and angels intricately carved from onyx, one of the city’s
numerous natural resources. Gaze skyward above the cathedral’s
elaborate octagonal altar; the tiled dome ceiling is modeled on that of
St. Peter’s Basilica.