Site History

Located on the outskirts of Puebla, a picturesque colonial city whose downtown was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. Cholula is an important religious center.

Situated in the heart of historic Mexico, the city is rich in Spanish architecture; dozens of churches and chapels built on top of pre-Columbian monuments by the colonizing Spaniards still remain today.

Villa Cholula is located directly opposite the world’s largest pyramid in terms of volume. Above the enormous structure, stands the beautiful Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Church. The pyramid, which has been only partially excavated, contains approximately five miles of tunnels where prehispanic murals can be admired.

Approximately 85 miles southeast of Mexico City, with a typical drive time of one and a half hours, Cholula has a population of approximately 100,000 people and is the site of the Universidad de las Américas Puebla (University of the Americas Puebla), a major research university with approximately 7,000 students.

Cholula is also within Puebla’s Metropolitan Area. With approximately 1.8 million people, Puebla is Mexico’s fourth largest city and aside from its colonial heritage, the modern-day metropolis is an important industrial center with significant automotive, textile and manufacturing industries.

Home to Mexico’s largest car plant, the Volkswagen facility that produces the New Beetle, the Jetta and the Golf Convertible, Puebla also houses a host of car part suppliers that cater to the Volkswagen factory.