A Mexican Baroque masterpiece... Known for it's colorful…read morefaçade, this church is absolutely stunning. The entire front of the church is covered in talaveras (famous ceramic pottery from Puebla). The inside is just as beautiful. The pillars, ceiling and altar are covered in gold. Art ornament the walls. It has one of the most beautiful cupolas I have ever seen.

Beautiful Church. The grounds were well kept in awesome condition. Walked around a snapped some…read morepictures of the beautiful architecture. This was one of the nicest churches I've seen.

An amazing example of 'horror vacui.'…read more As soon as you walk in, you see that every inch of the church from floor to ceiling is covered in colorful ornate plaster moldings. There are faces, figures, saints, fruits, birds, and more. One can clearly see the Spanish-indigenous influence. Faces and saints are painted darker and have the resemblance of the indigenous people. This indigenous baroque style church is clearly a must see, but can be quite overwhelming.

Wheelchair accessible entrance/exit, but no restrooms here…read more Absolutely beautiful Cathedral in Puebla. One of my favorites! It is one of the first temples of the Americas. The inside is covered in gold, so it is a beautiful site to see, welcome to all people. No flash photos or flash video. Open on rainy days and shine! It has beautiful paintings and art on the walls, too. Located in the town center! Surrounded by many shops and restaurants.

So beautiful. Definitely the prettiest Church in all of Mexico that I have ever seen . It's not at…read morechurch it's so Grand it should be in Rome

Pretty good church. Nice hill. Great views. This is a good spot to visit, i recommend it.read more

The stone stairs leading up the covered pyramid to the church is a place where some locals come for…read moretheir morning workouts. It's a workout all right and I'm proud to say that I made it all the way up out of breath but very much alive. The view from the top looks out at Cholula and the further surrounding area. It's peaceful here in the morning before the tourists arrive in larger numbers. The church itself is smaller than it seems from below but the interior packs a punch as it is lathered in gold leaf. I took a different path on the way down and watched a ceremony that involved a group of older men carrying a statue of the Virgin Mary in a heavy wood-and-glass enclosed vitrine up the path to the church. Forget about the locals I mentioned earlier; these gentlemen are the real athletes. Had I been tasked with helping them, I would have collapsed and passed out after about five minutes.

Ducked in with Jen on a whim and it was awe-inspiring, and I am not easily moved…read more The church of Santo Domingo is has an interior lined with impressive Baroque altars and contains a fine onyx pulpit. The main attraction here is the Capilla del Rosario, one of the most elaborately decorated Baroque chapels in Mexico. The walls and dome are completely coated with ornate sculpture in gold leaf and plaster, including saints, cherubs, and dancing angels. On the walls, golden vines form the frames of six paintings depicting the mysteries of the rosary. I am not the most religious person out there. But I can tell you that I was moved by visiting this church and considering the time, effort, resources, and dedication that went into building this awe-inspiring church. Wow is all that sums up an in-person visit. I am embarrassed I hadn't visited earlier. I attended college in-town when I was younger and was oblivious to the existence of this gem. Well, better late than never! No charge for entry. But a donation to the church is the righteous thing to do so consider it obligatory. Hallelujah! Cabeza OUT!

My first impression was underwhelmed but then I turned the corner to the gold chapel and was blown…read moreaway! I've seen a lot of cathedrals and chapels but this one was definitely very special. The hours change from day to day so look at the photo I posted for the current hours!

To be honest, Basílica de Guadalupe was not originally my list of places to visit when I was…read morevacationing in Mexico City last month and almost missed it (it just wasn't on our radar when we were planning our trip). But luckily a friend of mine (who is a local) had suggested meeting here and am glad that she had. And because she actually went to the private all girl Catholic school many years ago (she told me that private schools of one gender is no longer allowed in Mexico) that is right behind the old basilica, she knew this place very well and gave us a fabulous and well informed tour. For those of you unfamiliar with the history, Juan Diego, an Indigenous Native America, who was poor, had seen a vision of the Virgin Mary. She actually appeared to him 4 times. She had told him to tell the priest to build a church in her honor on Tepeyac Hill (where she appeared to him). The priest did not believe Juan Diego and so he asked for him to show proof of the Virgin Mary, in which she had given him roses to bring to the priest. What is very unique about this is that these roses normally do not grow during that specific season and is also not native to Mexico. Also on his tilma (or cloak) had an image of the Virgin Mary that appeared. The image was not painted or printed on. Religious leaders see this as a miracle. But also what is miraculous is that the tilma has survived a nitric acid spill and also a bomb blast in 1921 that destroyed the alter but somehow the cloth was spared and left untouched/ undamaged. So there is both an old basílica and a new basílica that you can visit (which is free). The old basílica is the original church that was built in honor of the Virgin Mary. Construction began in 1531 and finished in 1709. This was the original place of where the tilma was hung for display. But because most of Mexico City was built on an emptied lakebed, the ground is sinking, which has caused for uneven ground/ structure that has caused for the building to be tilted. So when you walk inside here, you will notice the shift, so be careful if you decide to walk up to the alter and sit in one of the pews in the front. Because of this, the tilma was moved to the new basillica. Please note that it is safe to enter the building. This old basillica was closed to the public in 1974 (and reopened in 2000) so that it could be constructed on so that it could be safe for the public. The new basillica is large and very round, looks like a stadium. This was built in 1974 and was completed in 1976. Pedro Ramirez Vasquez was the architect of this beautiful sanctuary. What is really amazing and thoughtful about this sanctuary and shape is that no matter where you sit, you have a view of the tilma at the alter. Church services occur every hour and last about 40 minutes for those that are interested in attending. If you wish to get a closer view of the tilma, you can walk down to the viewing area and look up to see it. Nearby this area is also the gift shop in which you can purchase prayer cards, holy water, etc. but you can also purchase religious souvenirs at other places throughout the grounds. There are also other points of interests to walk to on the grounds here but I just wanted to highlight these 2 main sanctuaries. My husband, our friend and I were here for about 3 hours, as we walked everywhere and really took our time to see everything. If you wish to view nearly everything, make sure you bring some sturdy and comfortable walking shoes. Please note that there are bathrooms but require a small fee. I did not use them but I did see a sign for $10 MXN but there are also bathrooms right before entering the grounds here but did not use them and so I am unsure of the price. Overall, we had a wonderful visit and am really glad our friend had suggested it. I think if we came without her, we would not have know as much and would not have appreciated this site as much either.

This is a beautiful spot to visit and you can spend 2-3 hours visiting all the different parts of…read morethe complex. We were able to witness a mass, which was so special. We saw many people making the pilgrimage on their knees. If you don't know the history, the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City is the world's most-visited Catholic pilgrimage site, drawing millions annually to honor the Virgin of Guadalupe. Located at Tepeyac Hill, it marks the 1531 site where the Virgin Mary appeared to Indigenous convert Juan Diego, leaving her miraculous image on his cloak.

The tour here with the murals inside is absolutely incredible and a complete must when in Tlaxcala…read more They take you through all of the murals which depict the history of Tlaxcala, the Tlaxcaltecos, and the Spaniards from basically the beginning of their existence until fairly recent times (up to Porfirio Díaz). Our tour guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and it was fascinating learning about Tlaxcala's history with corn and tortillas, the four kings, and Tlaxcala as one of the early sites of Hernán Cortés' conquest. The murals are exquisite and absolutely beautiful. The tour runs hourly and takes about 45 minutes. First tours start at 10am, not sure when they end. Absolute must.