For some reason we thought Puebla [16] was going to be a pueblo so were surprised when we arrived in Mexico´s 5th largest city. The conquistadors founded Puebla in 1531 as a foil to the dominant indigenous cities of Cholula and Tlaxcala. Today, wandering the historic centre with its tile covered buildings and 70 ornate churches you could believe you are in Madrid or Lisbon – complete with Churros (Spanish donuts) and Portuguese custard tarts for sale on the zócalo. This city has about 5,000 colonial buildings, mostly baroque built in the 16th century, but Mujédar, Renaissance and Neo-classical styles also add to the old world charm. Every corner revealed a new gem that we had to investigate so it was impossible to proceed directly to anywhere!  Sunday is a special day; church bells ring, families dressed in their finest wander around the zócala as dancers and bands perform; big lunches at 3 pm.

.

The signature dish is Mole Poblano, a rich sauce of chillies, fruit, nuts, spices and chocolate served over chicken with rice. We chose a couple of beautiful upmarket restaurants to re-sample the Chilies en Nogada and the Moles (going for the Tablecloth Stainer and a Green Pumpkin Seed Mole this time); they were exquisite.

.

Puebla´s Museo Amparo has an outstanding pre-Hispanic art collection, well worth a few hours exploration. We´ve included a few photos below.

.

Pre-Hispanic pottery in the Ampara Museum