Mexico’s beach destinations are glorious, but there’s an abundance of history and culture just a short jaunt away

Alaskans love traveling to Mexico.

Often, the first trip south of the border is to beautiful beach resorts like Puerto Vallarta or Cancun.

Our favorite Pacific Coast resort is southeast of Puerto Vallarta near Manzanillo. From there, we started to explore communities off the coast, many of which were built up by the Spanish in the 16th century. Places like Colima, Patzcuaro and Guanajuato.

The Spanish conquest of Mexico of the Aztec civilization, led by Hernan Cortes in 1519, was brutal.

The fascinating history of the pre-European contact Indigenous people of the region is well-documented, if you know where to look. The biggest reminders outside of museums are the giant pyramids throughout the country near Mexico City (Teotihuacan), Cancun (Chichen Itza) and Puebla (Cholula).

We set our sights on the world’s largest pyramid at Cholula, located just outside of Puebla, Mexico’s fourth-largest city.

The best way to get between cities in Mexico is by bus. We flew into Mexico City, where there’s a bus terminal with several companies offering frequent departures to dozens of destinations. We rode with ADO. Puebla is about 80 miles from Mexico City. It’s a two-hour ride over the Paso de Cortes mountain pass at about 11,200 feet. The cost is about $25 each way.

The highway goes between two volcanoes: Popocatepetl and El Ventorrillo. The Popocatepetl volcano, at 17,802 feet, is an active volcano that’s always steaming. As recently as last year, the volcano exploded, covering Puebla and the surrounding communities with a layer of ash.

Prior to arriving by bus, I didn’t know that Cholula had been a busy trading center before Cortes arrived. Communities from Veracruz and as far north as the Yucatan Peninsula were trading with communities further south like Oaxaca.

The Spanish conquest changed all of that. But when the Spanish built Puebla in 1531, it quickly became an important settlement between Mexico City and the port city of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico.

Invading armies favored this route. When the U.S. invaded Mexico in 1847, Gen. Winfield Scott marched through Puebla on his way to conquer Mexico City.

The French invaded Mexico in 1862 and faced an early defeat in Puebla on May 5, 1862, at the hands of a much-smaller contingent of the Mexican Army.

Mexicans still celebrate Cinco de Mayo, especially in the state of Puebla. There are parades and re-enactments of the battle. But it’s in the U.S. that the celebration has evolved into a day to celebrate Mexican culture — and the victory of Mexicans over foreign invaders.

Puebla again was caught in the crossfire, this time in 1910. Revolution was in the air, as Mexicans were anxious to challenge the government of President Porfirio Diaz.

Police raided the home of Aquiles and Maximo Serdan on a tip that the family was running guns to sympathizers. A huge battle ensued and many family members and others were killed. The Serdan family home in Puebla now is a museum.

The history of the Cholula-Puebla region is rich and complex. The Catholic Church played an integral role at the very beginning of the Spanish conquest, including sending priests from Spain to construct churches, convert the Indigenous population and govern “New Spain.”

Many of the churches built in the 16th century still are standing — including some built on top of Indigenous sites.

That’s the case with the church on top of the giant pyramid at Cholula. The first pyramid structures, based on the archaeological research, were started around the year 100 C.E. (A.D.).

The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, or Our Lady of Remedies Church, was built between May 1574 and August of 1575. There’s an abundance of gold leaf on the interior walls and decorations, plus impressive religious statues and paintings.

Be sure and visit the Cholula Regional Museum at the base of the pyramid.

Although there’s a small charge to visit the museum, there’s no charge to walk up the pyramid and visit the church. However, tours are available at the base of the pyramid.

Cholula is about a 30-minute taxi or Uber ride from central Puebla.

All this exploring made me hungry. Puebla has a rich culinary history and is regarded as the birthplace of mole (pronounced MOH-lay), a spicy, smoky, flavorful sauce spread over enchiladas.

Make your way to the historic center of Puebla, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Near the Zocalo, a public park adjacent to the cathedral, is a restaurant called Comal. I ordered a dish of three chicken enchiladas with three different mole sauces. As they were red, white and green, they represented the same colors as the Mexican flag! The red was a chili sauce (with a hint of chocolate), while the white sauce was made with a peanut blend. The green sauce was made with pumpkin seeds.

Wash it down with a beer from the bar, or go across the Zocalo to the Cervecería Ángeles Zaragoza. Alan Armenta, one of the brewers, offers beers ranging from a Belgian tripel to IPA. I sampled the “Abadia” beer, which was similar to an Oktoberfest variety.

Another notable dish in Puebla is chiles en nogada, made with poblano peppers, meat and fruit, topped with a cream sauce.

The peppers are not too hot and the stuffing is delicious. We took a guided tour of the historical district with GuruWalk and our guide pointed out the Los Sapos cantina. I recommend a “Jamaica” drink, made from hibiscus, to go with the dish.

There are so many surprises in Puebla, including ancient Indigenous cultures, the battles fought over the centuries for Mexican independence and the dominant involvement of the Church in Mexico’s development.

We still love Mexico’s glorious beach destinations. But understanding the country’s rich heritage can make your holiday more rewarding. It also helps immensely if you speak Spanish. Barring that, the Google Translate app on your smartphone works wonders.