No matter where we live it is often nice to take a short trip to see new sights. Although I have been to Puebla many times I have never dedicated myself to arriving only as a tourist. Obviously it is impossible to see everything that Puebla offers in only 2 days but this article is a guide for experiencing a few of the highlights that a friend and I enjoyed.

The historic center of Puebla lies to the west of 5 de mayo, a main artery which today covers what used to be the main river running though town. This river was important for the process of tanning hides for sale in the old market and in the large mill where textiles were woven. Today, on the east side of this busy street, is a huge complex anchored on one end by the Temple of the Third Order and Ex-convent of San Francisco, and on the other by a new shopping mall with a movie complex. In between, in what was the old mill, one finds the Museum of Contemporary Art surrounded by an expansive green park. It is a delight to start at one end and meander your way through the whole park-like setting. We even took in a movie, in French with Spanish subtitles!

The hotel where we stayed and recommend (Real del Cristo Hotel, Dos Oriente 1007; 52-222-246-1575) is next to this complex and easy walking distance to the historic center. It is in a home built in the 1500’s which was converted into a hotel 5 years ago. Although the hotel offers no restaurant service, the rooms are large and well maintained and the central courtyard, filled with plants, is lovely. A room with two queen beds cost usd$50 with parking an additional $5 per day.

With map in hand (obtained from the Tourist Office on the Zocalo) we decided to head to the Amparo Museum which is housed in a beautifully restored colonial mansion. The museum has periodic exhibits but the real reason to visit it is to wander through the collection of pre-Columbian and colonial art donated by Manuel Espinoza Yglesias. The upstairs recreates the living quarters of a typical colonial house which will transport you back in time and let your imagination pretend that this is how you,too, would have lived! We were treated to a mini guided tour and long conversation by an Italian guide who freely mixed our three languages (Italian, Spanish and English).

Our next stop was the Bello y Gonzalez Museum. This amazing collection of elegant furniture, fine art, silver, gold, ivory, jade, ceramics, musical scores, pianos, etc was amassed by Jose Luis Bello, a wealthy businessman, who, strange as it is, never left Mexico. The house belongs to a private foundation and is a joy to experience. The family was unfortunate in that Jose and his wife lost their only child in infancy, his brother and sister in law were never able to have children and another cousin, whose house is also a museum, remained childless. Our guide was a young woman studying art who was exceptionally knowledgeable and was able to bring a depth of understanding to the various periods encompassed in the museum artifacts.

The third delight on our walking tour included a visit to Casa Dean. This house was built in 1580 but was eventually sold to become a movie theater! There only remain two rooms containing what are surely the most elaborate fresco painted walls in all of Latin America. The front two rooms remain as they originally were painted and are certainly worth seeing. The over jealous guards were serious about explaining the meaning depicted in the scenes.

Our final exploration centered in the neighborhood of that lies between 4 norte and 5 de mayo and 18 to 14 oriente. These gracious old homes, indeed mansions, once comprised the very best in addresses. They are situated around a cool, dark, tree shaded park that seems to be totally forgotten and a world away from the busy center of Puebla. As usual I had to fantasize living in one of these homes today!

While Puebla merits a longer visit, for those short on time, these suggestions of what to see will give the visitor an overview of a grand colonial city.