If you're looking for street parades, music, and food stalls galore, the Cinco de Mayo festival ticks all the boxes - and Puebla is the heart of the action.
Every year on May 5, the city of Puebla commemorates a battle in 1862, where a small but tenacious Mexican army snatched an unlikely victory over well-equipped French forces. While the festivities aren't as big elsewhere in Mexico, the spirit of Cinco de Mayo is also alive across the US, as a celebration of Mexican-American culture and heritage. But the day really belongs to Puebla, and if you're planning a trip to Mexico, there are plenty of reasons to put this attractive city on your travel list.
Party time
On Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for May 5) it isn't long before Puebla streets are packed with excited crowds and elaborate floats. Once the parade starts, festivities include traditional dances, mariachi bands, and quirky military re-enactments complete with costumes and mini cannons. Street food vendors are another highlight, with thousands of food stalls selling local favourites including barbecued meats and sweet fried snacks. The parade lasts for hours as it winds across the city, but as afternoon temperatures start to soar, the crowds often divert to the local bars and restaurants to watch the rest of the action on TV.
Old meets new
Puebla's old town is a Unesco World Heritage Site, with the lively Zocalo de Puebla (main plaza), in the centre and the stunning Catedral de Puebla (Puebla Cathedral) just off the square. Dating back to the 1600s, the church features Baroque-Renaissance architecture, two imposing towers, and 14 chapels to explore. Across town, the ultra-modern International Museum of the Baroque is a striking, wave-like building, with a huge collection of art from Mexico's Baroque period in the 17th century.
