Best time of year for Mexico City/Puebla?
 

Just conversing with my gardener who is from the Puebla countryside and promisde that I will finally make it to Mexico this year or next.

Time of year with the least smog or other weather related issues? He said the temps are fairly moderate year round since it's at elevation.

I have absolutely no interest in another hot and humid location. I am interested in the architecture, museums and food and a few churches (not all of the 300+) he says are in Puebla.

The 'hot' season typically runs from late April until right now, that's probably the 'least best' time to go. But even then the temps rarely reach 90 F, and it's super dry. For me, the rainy season (mid-June thru October)is my favorite. Everything greens up, the rains clean the air of smog, the rains are typically late afternoon and short in duration, (1 hour or less?) but they can be heavy at times. Temps are still very mild (mid-70 highs). There can be some residual humidity after an evening rain in the mornings, but the temps are still cool so it's pleasant. It's nothing like the Midwest where I'm from with 90's both for temp and humidity. The dry season tends to be cool and often quite chilly (30's) at night mid-Nov thru Feb. It's rare for a hotels (or homes) to have heat. There tends to be more smog due to temperature inversions in the dry season.
https://weatherspark.com/y/6655/Aver...-Puebla-Mexico

That sounds pretty much what he said...any time is okay...Wouldn't mind getting out of LA in July or August.

Would you combine DF with that same weather advice?

Maybe we were lucky, but last year we were in Puebla and Mexico City for 10 days Feb. 7-16 and we did not experience smog in either place. The tempsin both places ranged from were mid 70s -high 40s. We never needed more than a light jacket at night.

'Would you combine DF with that same weather advice?'
Pretty much. They're both at some 7,000 ASL. Of course, central Mexico can be affected by unpredictable seasonal tropical storms that make their way inland during the rainy season. Then there's stuff like this, which is more the exception rather than the rule as far as what a visitor might experience: http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/its-...looding-again/

I went in August a couple of years ago and it wasn't too hot or humid for me. And I'm a wimp accustomed to coolish San Francisco weather. It rained a few times in the late afternoon, you know that sudden, heavy rainy-season rain, clearing up by the time you want to go out for dinner. Wasn't a problem for us.

I enjoyed Puebla, it's charming, but for me the DF is where it's at. Just so much to do, such intensity.

I went in July a couple years ago and that was a good time because the temps were very moderate there, so it was a good place to escape the heat. Mexico City does get chilly in winter, so if you go then, you have to be prepared, it's not balmy (I think down to about 40F at night). Yes, it may be only 60 in the afternoon, so nice enough, but you need to beware of places that may not have heating in winter.

I got a good deal on a FF airline ticket to planned the trip and then found out it was the rainy season. I was concerned, but in fact, it didn't ruin the trip. I went to Guanajuato first and it did rain for an hour lightly a few days in late afternoon and poured one evening but only in the middle of the night. In the DF, same thing, it did rain one night quite a bit so I just ate dinner closer to my B&B that night. During the day, it actually didn't rain at all when I was there, not until late afternoon, so it didn't affect my sightseeing at all.

The smog and pollution were disgusting, though, the entire sky was dark grey a lot, as if it were a thunderstorm but it was just pollution. You had to get out of the center to get away from that. One day I went to the suburb where Frida Kahlo had lived, and the sky was a lot better just there, a few miles away.

If the rains cleared the air of smog in July, it reappeared pretty darn quick as I don't think I ever saw blue sky the entire time I was there in Mexico City itself.

Tlaxcala? Cuetzalan? Either or both? (If I can learn to pronounce the former

End of July into August is sounding good to me.

I Love Puebla, have been many times. Aside from the churches and very good food, add in the Calle Dulce ( street with typical regional candy stores one after another), the train museum (very interesting, restored train cars from way back when MX had a great passenger railway system), the artist's working market area ( unusual for MX, more like something you would expect to see in Paris)...

Do not miss a side trip to Cholula on market day, to participate in the market which spills out onto several streets as indigenous locals come in from surrounding villages, but also to see the church built on top of the world's 2nd largest ( and unexcavated) pyramid, from which you can get an excellent view of the active volcano Popocatepetl.

I have been to Tlaxcala. I would skip it, just not much there that is interesting. have always wanted to go to Cuetzalan, it seems very pretty and colorful, indigenous.

Thanks emd3, an aquaintance had briefly mentioned in passing a town outside Puebla with some colonial atmosphere, it was one of the towns I couldn't pronounce, so maybe it was not Tlaxcala, maybe it was Cuetzalan? I will have to ask her to write it down.

There is a town outside Puebla on the way to Atlixco (which I have been to and do not recommend, just not that much there) that is basically a town of descendants of Italian immigrants who settled the town long ago. Supposed to be very good Italian food there, and Italian wines, delis, etc, like a town in Italian countryside. Always wanted to get a taxi out there to eat and check it out. But there is a good Italian restaurant on the zocalo in Puebla and I have always ended up there...

If you are in Puebla on a Sunday in nice warm weather, there are nice festivals that take place in some of the parks just outside the centro historico.

I always stay at Hotel Colonial. i love it and have found no reason to ever stay anywhere else. It backs up to the zolcalo where the main cathedral is.

There are those wild Mexican Baroque churches right outside Cholula, can't remember the name of the town...?

Cuetzalan is some 3 hours from Puebla. And during the rainy season you'd likely encounter quite a bit of mist and fog.
Tlaxcala is OK, but not a whole lot different than any number of colonial cities of similar size. Pleasant, clean, handsome centro. But nothing spectacular if your time is short. Worthwhile if you'd be spending 2 weeks in the area or enroute to somewhere else.
Agree about Hotel Colonial. Best location and value in centro, IMO. Tends to get booked up by groups, however.

Thanks baldone.

I don't have a plan yet but probably two weeks spread between Mexico City and Puebla area.

See if this is any help; Ii was there in October.



http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...bla-oaxaca.cfm

Thanks, very helpful. Saw some better airfares popping up toward the end of August. Is that the height of thunderstorms season?

I've been to Mexico City in December & January, and both Puebla and Mexico City in June & July. I had a great time both times of year. There was a thunderstorm in Puebla at one point, but it came & went & I was back to enjoying outdoors activities again. I don't think of either as a place that you only want to go a certain time of year. If I were available and there were a good price in August, I wouldn't hesitate.

Havent been to MC in August, but have been several times in Jan or February and never had any issues with the weather. Last trip was 2 years ago and the pollution seemed much better the week we were there. This was in February. Maybe we just hit a clearer time. It's a fabulous city.

The two churches are:

Iglesia de Tonantzintla

Iglesia de San Francisco Acatepec

But perhaps the best time is between Christmas and January 6, when all the churches have their holiday decorations.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca...381570244/show

Yes the first one is the one I couldn't remember!

Thanks.

Trip was postponed. Will have to see. More research to do.