Around Mexico City Places

Puebla

The city of Puebla fairly bursts with baroque flourishes and the colors of its famed Talavera tiles. The downtown area in particular overflows with religious structures; it probably has more ex-convents and monasteries, chapels, and churches per square mile than anywhere else in the country.

The city center generally follows a tidy grid pattern. The streets are either avenidas or calles, and most are numbered. Avenidas run east (oriente) and west (poniente), while calles run north (norte) and south (sur). Odd-numbered avenidas start south of the zócalo (town square) and even-numbered avenidas start from the square's north side. Odd-numbered calles begin on the west of the zócalo, even-numbered calles to the east.

Some of the blocks are very long here, so if you get tired or need to save time, hail a taxi. They're safe and should cost no more than $4 for a ride in the city center—just remember to fix the price before you set off.