Cholula: The Oldest Living City in America

This article focuses on Cholula, a city located close to Puebla and considered the oldest living city in the Americas.

There is a song called “Que Chula es Puebla” (or How beautiful is Puebla).

If Puebla is beautiful, then Cholula is magnificent.

Puebla’s western neighbor (it is located 7 miles from the center) is famous because of its Great Pyramid.  Visitors are used to making a short trip to this ancient city.  Based on what I experienced, Cholula needs a decent amount of time to be explored.

I have to say I am guilty of rushing thru it.  I only allocated half day for a visit and barely had time to have lunch.  I wanted to stop at every shop (they have a lot of Middle Eastern and Indian stores).  I wanted to visit the market.  I wanted to sit down in the main plaza.  I wanted to talk more to its residents.

Consider the following about Cholula:

• It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in America. It was founded in 500 B.C.
• It has the biggest pyramid in the world (in terms of volume).
• It has one of the biggest portals in Latin America.
• The city is divided into two municipalities: San Pedro Cholula and San Andres Cholula.
• San Andres Cholula has a Container City (made of large shipping containers).
• The Mercado Municipal has some of the best food found in Mexico.
• Cholula was named Magic Town of Mexico about a month after I visited.
• Legend says it has 365 churches, one for each day of the year.

I believe the previous facts give enough reasons to consider Cholula as a magnificent city.  As usual, I will give you the opportunity to judge for yourself based on the following set of pictures.

San Pedro Church

Zocalo or Plaza de la Concordia

Old Door

Colorful Restaurant

Convento San Gabriel Arcangel

Open area surrounding the Convento San Gabriel Arcangel

San Pedro Church and one of the volcanoes

Morelos Street

Morelos Street

Popocatepetl seen from the top of the Great Pyramid

Rompope for sale

Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (located at the top of the Great Pyramid)

Excavation in the Great Pyramid

One side of the Great Pyramid

Nuestra Señora de los Remedios seen from below

Chapulines and peanuts

Great Pyramid Museum

Great Pyramid Model

Goods for sale

Crafts Store

Panoramic taken from the top of the Great Pyramid

Details

I recommend allocating at least an entire day for visiting Cholula.  Do not repeat my mistake and allocate only half a day.  There is a lot to see, do, and eat.  Try to arrive early so you can visit the market when it is at its liveliest.

Do not underestimate the time it can take to reach Cholula.  Even though the distance from Puebla is short, traffic and waiting time at terminals can add up.

What do you think about Cholula? Let me know in the comments section below.

Related posts:

Callejon de los Sapos: Splash of Color in Puebla Paseo de San Francisco: Where Old & New Puebla Meet Guadalupe Fort: Location of the Battle of Puebla 17 Interesting Facts about Puebla