If this is your first visit, then you’re probably kind of confused about where to stay in Puebla City. If you are not sure if you should stay in the Centro (because it’s not the best place to stay in Mexico City) or try to find a more artsy neighborhood instead.
For a short time tourist visit, the Historic Center is the best place to stay in Puebla City. Still, you might be looking for a different experience, or maybe you just want to see all of the options before making a decision.
All of the neighborhoods have their unique personalities.
So, check out this quick Puebla neighborhood guide to explore the four most popular places to stay in the city – the Center, Angelopolis, Cholula, and La Paz – and help you decide which one is right for you!
Centro Historico
The pro of staying in the Centro is that it’s incredibly walkable. You can access restaurants, bars, markets, parks, churches, and historical sites on foot and people are always out and about, so it has a lively atmosphere.
The cons of the Centro are that it’s crowded and kind of dirty, just because there are so many people packed into a small space. The traffic can also be loud.
If you’re only staying in Puebla for a few days, booking a hotel or Airbnb in the Centro Historico is the easiest way to see the major sites of the city.
Angelopolis
Angelopolis is the newest, cleanest, and most modern neighborhood in Puebla. It’s full of high-rise apartments and sprawling malls and fancy grocery stores.
The pro of staying in Angelopolis is that it’s the newest, cleanest, and most modern neighborhood in Puebla.
But, there are cons as well. Angelopolis is outside of the city so you’ll need to take an Uber every time you want to go to the Center, and the neighborhood is made up of a lot of parking lots and highways and is not very walkable at all.
If you’re going to Puebla City for business and don’t really want to site-see, then Angelopolis is a great place to stay, but if you want easy access to the pretty and interesting places that make Puebla so special.
San Andres Cholula
San Andres Cholula is a small town outside of Puebla. It’s home to the largest pyramid in the world (yep, you read that right) and has a large population of college students so it’s vibrant, artsy, and fun.
The pro of staying in Cholula is that it’s a self-contained town with its center, so you get restaurants, bars, and shops just like you’d find in Puebla but it’s cheaper, cleaner, less crowded, and more laid back. Cholula also has a surprisingly good food scene.
The con of staying in Cholula is that you’ll be e a 20-minute Uber from the Puebla Centro and the rest of the city.
If you don’t want to stay in the Centro Historico, Cholula is a great second choice as well because you’ll be right by the Cholula Pyramid (the most popular tourist attraction in the entire state) and still get to enjoy the food, shopping, and nightlife that this small town provides.
Colonia La Paz
Last up in this ranking of the best places to stay in Puebla is the La Paz neighborhood. A lot of expats and young professionals live here.
The pros of living in La Paz are that it’s quiet and within walking distance of downtown, so you can access the Centro pretty easily without having to stay among the noise and crowds full-time. The con of La Paz is that it’s super residential and there’s not that much going on.
If you’re coming for a super long-term stay, La Paz’s quiet energy might appeal to you!
