Everything Cholula
We figured since neither of us grew up in Utah Austin Georgia, it was going to be a ‘destination” wedding for most folks anyway, so why not go full destination, amiright? Cholula is a gem of a town, and we’re excited to get to share time there with you as we kick off the rest of our lives together and celebrate the joys of life generally.
Cholula is a “Pueblo Magico” (Magic Town) outside of Mexico City about 1.5-2 hours depending on traffic. It’s small and manageable, a friendly and hip college town with tons of shopping, dining and gathering options, and culture and history galore. Centrally built around a Xocolo, or central park square, the city overlooks a church built on a pre-Hispanic pyramid. Walking around the main streets you’ll find no shortage of restaurants, bars and shops you’ll want to hop into.
Most all of the lodging in the downtown area is easily walkable to all the other lodging, so guests can easily meet up, even if not staying at the same place. You’ll find more recommendations on where to stay and what to do below, but if you have any questions, just ask!
Get to cholula
Transportation options
A taxi is the easiest way to get from Mexico City To Cholula. It’s safe and direct, and if split between a few folks, not too costly.
If you’re flying into Mexico City and going directly to Cholula from the airport: There are taxi stands at the airport with posted fares, but different cab companies have different prices. We took an XL vehicle with 4 people, for around 2,300 pesos, (or $115 USD), and it took around 2 hours with traffic to get to Cholula.
If you’re hanging out in Mexico City for a few days with us and then heading over:
-Uber or DiDi. For us, it’s the go to option. We got a DiDi for 2 people for around $1000 pesos (50 USD) to Cholula. Uber was around $2000 pesos (100USD), but with nicer and roomier vehicles. If you have more people, calling a bigger Uber might make more sense.
– Taxi. When arriving to the airport there are small booths for the taxi companies, you can ask them for a quote and they will setup a ride for you, a little Spanish is helpful or make sure to have your destination address ready.
-There are also private car companies that will take you from the airport to your lodging in Mexico city and from Mexico City to Cholula. It’s a nice option to have a ride waiting for you at the airport. Here are some companies we’ve talked with that offer competitive rates.
-If you’re traveling alone or as a couple who would like to be put in touch with other folks to potentially share a ride, let us know and we’ll connect you.
-You can also take buses. It’s a cheaper option, but will likely take 3+ hours and transfers.
You can also fly directly to Cholula (Well, Puebla, which is close by) if you want to skip Mexico City altogether. You’ll probably have a layover in MEX anyway, but for those short on time just looking to attend the ceremony, it’s an option.
Lodging Options
Group rates are offered at a few hotels, mention that you are attending a wedding at Hacienda San Jose Actipan to get the group rates. Click HERE to see the hotels and rates offered. We recommend seeking out a hotel close to the central xocolo, the Plaza de la Concordia. There you’ll be in close walking distance to everything/everyone else.
Santa JoseFita
A cute bed and breakfast just south of the xocholo Plaza de la Concordia. It looks super cute and has great reviews!
Hotel
UPDATE: AS OF 3/6/22 THIS HOTEL HAS 2 ROOMS REMAINING
This is a very cute and centrally located boutique hotel!! Right off the Xocolo, it only has about 6 rooms total, so book the Galindo while you can or get a group together and get the whole place. Rooms are around $50/night.
MS Hotel
AS OF 3/6/22 THIS HOTEL STILL HAS AT LEAST 10 ROOMS AVAILABLE!!
MS Hotel is located RIGHT on the xocolo. Like, step out the front door, and you’re at cafes, the park, and easy walking distance to everything in Cholula. Rooms are clean and modern, if a little less spacious. For the price (around $40/night), you really can’t beat it. For an even better price, you can email them directly, hotelms.cholula@outlook.com (gets you closer to $35/night)
Hotel Real de Naturales
Real has about 30 rooms and is super centrally located. Rooms are situated around a cute garden with a fountain, and when we visited there was live music at breakfast. Rooms at the Real are more economical at around $30-35 per night, and breakfast is available.
Casa Calli
AS OF 3/6/22 THIS HOTEL STILL HAS AT LEAST 10 ROOMS AVAILABLE
Right next door to Hotel MS, Casa Calli is not as modern, but it’s just as central and full of charm. Though the rooms were a little older, we loved the greenery throughout, and if you’re set on a pool, this place has it. And honestly with rooms starting at around $30/night, it’s a downright steal for the location.
What to Eat, Drink, and do
Cholula de Rivadavia, San Pedro Cholula or the Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) of Cholula－meaning “place of those who fled”－is a municipality in the state of Puebla. Some historians claim that its name refers to the arrival of the Toltec to the region, after they left Tula. It has also been known as Tlachihualtepetl, which means “mountain made by hand”, an aspect you will definitely be able to observe during your visit.
Before telling you what Cholula has to offer, let it be known that this is a place where traditional culture and new cultural offerings converge, therefore it is not at all strange to find yourself surrounded by, literally, hundreds of churches; nor is it unusual to come across avant-garde restaurants, craft breweries, or bars, in the streets.
Eat & Drink
During our time in Cholula we loved every bar, cafe and restaurant that we came across–even the one we sprinted into to avoid a downpour was delicious. Here is a list of some stand out places we’ve enjoyed, but seriously, you can just walk around and fall in love with surprises around every corner.
Licoreria San Pedrito Cholula – When you walk up there is a bright facade with signs and just a single desk in a small room but once you speak to the host they will open a secret door leading to the beautiful interior space. The drinks here are expertly crafted and the food is fantastic. Last visit they did not accept reservations so there may be a line at busy times.
Jazzatlan club de jazz Cholula – During the day this was a quiet place to grab some food but at night the live music and drinks are flowing. More of a place to enjoy the music while at your table than a full on dance joint. We will be here on Thursday night at 7pm if you want to join us! (More info below).
Restaurante Mamá Elena Cholula – This breakfast spot is tucked away in the courtyard of the tourist train to Puebla. It offers beautiful views of the temple and church. The food here was fantastic and the fresh juice and fruit cant be beat.
La Norberta – We enjoyed our dinner at La Norberta. The space was hip, they had a fantastic mezcal tasting and the service was outstanding. They have a small dining room and small tables so it may be good for smaller groups for dining. It looks like they sometimes have live music according to their facebook page.
Things to Do
Cholua is a small town full of charm. Here are some places to visit and experience the town.
Churches
Walking around town you will find dozens of churches all around Cholula full of beautiful architecture. It’s actually famous in the region for churches per capita.
Shopping of Cholula – Save some room in your suitcase, because you’re going to want to SHOP and bring home NICE THINGS. There are tons of stalls with clothes, hats, jewelry, decor, you name it, you’re going to want to buy it, just trust us. Save room.
The Great Pyramid of Cholula – Also known as Tlachihualtepetl (Nahuatl for “made-by-hand mountain”), is a huge complex located in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. It is the largest archaeological site of a pyramid (temple) in the New World, as well as the largest pyramid by volume known to exist in the world today. Be sure to check out this site and the accompanying church that the Spaniards dropped on top.
Puebla Day Trip – Puebla is the fourth largest city in Mexico. The central square or “zocalo” is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a beautiful example of the Colonial architecture. The fort of Puebla is also a popular tourist destination, it may be busier than usual because of the Cinco De Mayo holiday. If you’re looking for more info on what to do in Puebla Wikitravel has a great article that we’ve linked out HERE.
Cholula Happenings
Jazzatlan, May 5th, 7p
Jazzatlan: Avenida 2 Oriente #406 San Pedro Cholula
Soooo technically Jazzatlan does not take reservations, but we think we can have the run of the place if we show up early enough. Live jazz music usually starts at 9pm, so the earlier you show up, the more likely you are to get a table. We’ll be there from 7p, and will try to talk them into letting us sit in the upstairs area so our group can be more or less together. It’ll be a good chance to meet a few new faces who just flew in, and they have a very tasty menu (in english!) if you’re keen to get dinner there. When the music starts at 9 or 10 it gets pretty loud for conversation, but lovers of jazz will want to hang out and enjoy the show.
The Wedding Ceremony, May 6, 4pm
Hacienda San Jose Actipan: Km 2.1 Carretera Cholula-Tonantzintla Hacienda, San Jose Actipan, 72817 San Andrés Cholula, Pue., Mexico
Listen. That is a long address. To make matters worse it’s not super well signed from the main road and, there is a place almost across the street with a similar name. The place you DON’T want to go has the word “Ex” in it. Big surprise, that’s not our wedding venue. To the right, find the views from the main street as you might approach in an Uber/DiDi. The one on the top is wrong, on the bottom is correct. You’ll turn into the opening in the concrete wall, and go down a short private drive to the venue entrance. A good landmark from the street is the 5G tower dressed like a tree.
The ceremony will start at 4pm, with the reception following shortly thereafter. We’ll shut it down around midnight, but if you want to head out before that we very much understand. For everyone going back to their hotels, we’ve been advised by the venue that DiDi is the best app to use due to there being more drivers available in town.
Post-Wedded Waffling, Chez Waffle 10am or whenever
Chez Waffle (Inside Hotel Xoxula): Av 2 Ote 403, San Miguel, Barrio de San Miguel Tianguisnahuitl, 72760 Cholula, Pue., Mexico
If you aren’t sick of us yet, and not in too much of a hurry to catch a flight, come say goodbye! The hotel where we’re staying unexpectedly turned what was originally our private courtyard into a public brunch spot this month. Womp! Well, a double edged sword, perhaps. Now they serve waffles and mimosas outside our door, and you should come and have some and give us a hug! We’ll be waking up there, so we’ll be around…all morning into the afternoon? Come by whenever, but you’ll probably have more luck getting a table earlier? Who knows?! They just opened, maybe (hopefully!) no one else will be there! This place is JUST across the street from Jazzatlan.