Walking through the tunnels inside the largest pyramid of the world by volume can be spooky but…read moreI've done this before years ago so it was fun. There are five miles of tunnels but tourists are limited to only a portion of of it.
The Great Pyramid of Cholula doesn't look all that great from appearances. It doesn't even look like a pyramid at all because, although construction started around 200-100 BCE, it was overwhelmed in dirt, trees, and brush by the time the Toltec-Chichimecas culture occupied the area in about 1100. When Hernan Cortes arrived in 1519, it is still be debated whether the conquerers knew a pyramid sat beneath this very large hill when they later had the ornate and gold-laden Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedies constructed in 1574. It sits atop the pyramid like a figure on a wedding cake.
Unfortunately, the church is one reason that the pyramid hasn't been more thoroughly exposed. It's not about to be demolished in the name of archeology and the church is an historic site itself. Another reason is that, unlike more famous pyramid sites in Mexico, such as Teotihuacán and Chichén Itzá, not much is currently known about Cholula. Finally, modern-day Cholula is now steps away from the pyramid area.
When I visit the pyramid, I also enjoy the streets and sites that immediately surround it. Cholula used to be a sleepy little town. It's not anymore and that makes it a great day trip from Puebla eight miles away.
