Cholula: The Largest Pyramid in the world

After 4 nights in Mexico City I was knackered. So I didn't have many plans for Puebla except recovering from the ciudad loca.

My hostel in Puebla was something else. A converted apartment building, the owners have renovated it in such a way to retain as much of the colonial charm as possible, such that the dorms have large, gold coloured bunk beds, original style gold-gilt wallpaper, original ceiling cornice and chandeliers. Big fluffy pillows and duvets add to to the luxury feeling, alongside big wooden trunks for lockers and a daily service where they make the bed for you. You can read a book in the original library or play a game of chess in the reception room.

After a lazy morning, I decided to walk up to the Olympic Park, which is about 10 blocks from the zocalo (the designation given to the main plaza in a Mexican city, town or village). I love the Olympics and always like to check out the legacy when I'm in an Olympic city or country. It was nice to see that the Estadio Olimpico Zaragoza is still being used - on this particular day there was a kids football training session in progress.

The whole area by the stadium was a lovely place to spend the afternoon wandering around. Long before the Olympic Stadium was built, this area was known for its historical significance, as home to Fort Loreto and Fort Guadalupe. As well as the old forts, there are plenty of green spaces, a skate park, the cable car and many museums, including the Regional Museum of Puebla, the Puebla Museum of Evolution and the Planetarium. It wasn't going to be a museum day, so instead I just took my time to wander round the park, taking in the views of the different monuments, contemplating the cable car and the planetarium, but in the end just working my way up to Fort Guadalupe. On the Plaza Civica de La Victoria, just in front of the Fort Guadalupe, there was a random Army event where kids and adults alike could have their photo taken in a tank and pose with a person in big caricatured army person costume. Yay, the army!

After doing my usual scan of things to do on TripAdvisor, I discovered that the nearby town of Cholula is home to no less than the largest pyramid in the world. How had I not heard of this before? How had I not seen its famous image? Why was everyone rushing off to see the Great Pyramids in Egypt when the largest pyramid in the world was right here in Mexico? 

It's really easy to visit Cholula from Puebla. There is a separate bus terminal specifically for buses that run to Cholula, and it's walkable from the town centre - just a few blocks from the zocalo, on avenida 6, calle 13. As I arrived a bus was just leaving; I jumped on and 40 minutes later I was dropped in Cholula, a ten minute walk from the main archaeological site. 

There are 2 main entrances, the newest of which allows you to walk through one of the many tunnels underneath the pyramid. At this point I still hadn't seen it, so after paying my 70 pesos I walked into the tunnel, excited to see the Great Pyramid on the flip side!

The flip side would take slightly longer to reach than expected. It's probably less than a 10 minute walk through the tunnels but unfortunately there are private tour guides operating in the narrow tunnels, meaning that every time they made a stop to do their thing, everyone in the tunnel was held up. It wouldn't be so bad but the tunnels are dark, narrow spaces with low ceilings, and eventually there was a long queue backed up, with small children crying. But eventually we made it out into the sunlight, and I skipped ahead, giving a cursory death stare at the group that had selfishly held everyone up.

But where was the pyramid?!!! I decided to walk up the yellow church that I'd seen on top of a hill on the way in. I took in the views from the top - it was a beautiful sunny day, with a backdrop of bright blue sky for the gleaming tiled cupolas atop the Santuario de la Virgen de los Remedios. The shrine is atop the hill, and so there are 360 degree panoramic views of the surrounding town and countryside. As I looked around, it dawned on me that I might actually been on top of the pyramid. But how?!

It was time to solve this mystery, so I made my way back down the hill and towards the main archeological site. It turns out the whole place is an archeological site! And actually the "main" archeological site happens to be where the main excavations have taken place, where they have uncovered parts of the pyramid. 

In pre-hispanic times Cholula was a site of important significance for the local indigenous people, and the pyramid was built as a dedication to the god Quetzalcoatl, a feathered deity of the Mesoamerican religion. The digs at the site have uncovered the various periods of construction of the pyramid, which began in the 3rd century BC and was built upon over 6 times by various peoples, some who carefully preserved the previous iterations, even taking steps to display them alongside the newer construction. By the time the Spanish arrived in 1594 the pyramid was already overgrown. Then, depending on which version you believe, either the Spaniards recognised the significance of the site to the indigenous people, and as with many sites of indigenous significance, on their arrival they promptly built a church there, to appropriate the site as part of the drive to convert indigenous people to Catholicism. Or they had no idea that the pyramid was there and unknowingly built a church atop the a conspicuous but ordinary hill, and it was only years later, when the dirt started to crumble, that the pyramid began to reveal itself.

Either way, the Pyramid at Cholula is the largest pyramid ever constructed in the world, with a base of 450m by 450m - twice the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which comes in at a measly 230.4m on each side. It's also the largest pyramid in the world by volume, coming in at 4.45 million cubic metres (compared to 2.5 million cubic metres for Giza) and the largest monument ever constructed, according to Guinness World Records! Credit where due, Giza takes the award for tallest pyramid ever constructed, towering above Cholula's 55m in height at a whopping 138.8 metres. 

So why haven't they excavated the whole pyramid, given the recognition and tourism that it could generate? Well, as well as the significance of the pyramid, the Santuario atop the hill continues to have important significance for the Catholic Church, and doing extensive excavation at the site would put it at risk. So, it's a no go.

Taking a step back, you can see the shape of the huge pyramid, with its pretty church at the top. In fact, you're stood on it. I was sad not to be able to see the pyramid in its entirety, but still think this incredible site deserves way more recognition than it gets.

After my very educational jaunt to Cholula I spent another day wandering around Puebla. It turns out that on Sundays and Mondays entrance to the Museo Amparo is free! This was a nice surprise and I spent a few hours wandering round its exhibitions of modern art, South American and regional history, before treating myself to cake and a juice at the cafe on the rooftop.

I also had time to wander around the artesanal markets that line the streets of Puebla. I'm still "being good" so I didn't buy anything, and instead made my way over to the Biblioteca Palafoxiana. Founded in 1646, it is the oldest public library in Mexico, and, some say, in the Americas. With its vaulted ceilings, three levels of books, lattice-doored book shelves and extremely old texts on display, you can feel the history around you.

And there my time in Puebla might have come to an end, were it not for a very pleasant surprise!

- Puebla: Vital Stats -

ADO bus from Mexico City to Puebla: 190 pesos, 3 hours

Camion from Puebla bus station to the centre (ask for the Zocalo and they'll drop you 3 blocks from it): 7 pesos, 20 minutes.

Hostal Leonora: 200 pesos a night in a 10-bed dorm

Cholula bus Terminal on avenida 6, calle 13 in Puebla. 8 pesos, 40 minutes each way.

Entrance to Cholula: 70 pesos

Entrance to the Biblioteca Palafoxiana/ Palafoxiana Library: 25 pesos

Entrance to Amparo Museum: Free on Sundays and Mondays