The historic site of the Forts (Zona Histórica de Los Fuertes) – or just short “Los Fuertes” – with its 2 hilltop fortresses that offer panoramic views of the city is a historic landmark. Here’s where the Battle of Puebla occurred on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) in 1862. Mexico fought against Napoleon III, and the Mexicans fought back the French army under Ignacio Zaragoza. Puebla commemorates this important date with its celebrations on May 5th each year.

The two forts, Loreto and Guadalupe, were originally chapels built on the Acueyametepec hilltop. At the beginning of the 19th century, they were reconstructed to serve as military forts. Nowadays, they host museums and the area around the forts is a big recreational park. From the cable car that connects its eastern and western sides, you have a great view of the entire city. The whole site is pretty ample, so be ready to walk a lot if you want to see everything, and make sure you bring enough time.

On our tour of the Historic Zone of The Forts, we’ll start with the most relevant sites for the history of Puebla. So if you’re in a time crunch, you can pick the ones you don’t want to miss. I’ll also give you my recommended tour of the Forts for a guided roundtrip.

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At a Glance: 12 Most Relevant Sites at Los Fuertes

1. Visit the Loreto Fort Museum
2. Visit the Regional Museum of Puebla
3. Visit the Guadalupe Fort
4. Theme Park of May 5th (Parque Temático 5 de Mayo)
5. Go Underground: Enter Los Fuertes through Puebla’s Tunnels
6. Admire the Monument of the Victory of May 5th
7. Join a Guided Tour Through the Interactive Museum of the Battle of May 5th
8. Take a Cable Car Ride
9. Take a View of the City of Puebla from its Lookouts
10. Relax at the Lake of Concordance (Parque Lago de La Concordia)
11. Visit the Museum of Evolution
12. Visit the Puebla Planetarium

1. Visit the Loreto Fort Museum (Museo del Fuerte de Loreto)

The Loreto Fort is an absolute must to understand the Battle of Puebla on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo), 1862. It gives probably the best explanation of the fight for independence and its challenges in its Museum of Non-Intervention (Museo de la No Intervención). The sign boards are in English and Spanish, but the signs for the individual artifacts are only in Spanish.

The fort itself is a beautiful piece of architecture: It’s surrounded by an esplanade and 4 circular bastions that you can climb to have a view of Puebla. The entrance to the museum is through the small Chapel of the Virgin of Loreto. The museum explains the role of the Loreto Fort in the various armed battles in Mexico, and shows several artifacts. On the outside, you can see cannons used in the Cinco de Mayo battle.

Opening hours: Tues-Sun 9 AM – 5 PM; Mondays closed. Entrance fee is 75 pesos (4 USD), and Sundays are free.

Address: Calzada de los Fuertes s/n, Residencial las Fuentes, 72270 Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, Pue., Mexico

2. Visit the Regional Museum of Puebla

The Regional Museum of Puebla (Museo Regional de Puebla) is located on the western side of Los Fuertes. In 4 exhibition halls, it shows archaeological findings from pre-Hispanic times, the arrival of the conquistadors and the beginning of the viceroyalty in New Spain – including the Battle of Puebla on the Cinco de Mayo -, the ethnographic of past and current cultures in Mexico, and the customs that are still alive until today. A great way of understanding the history of Puebla.

Most signboards are only in Spanish, so I recommend downloading the offline version of your translation app.

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 9 AM – 5 PM. The entrance fee is 80 pesos (4 USD); Sundays are free.

Address: Av. Ejércitos de Oriente, Calz. de los Fuertes S/N, 72270 Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, Pue., Mexico

3. Visit the Guadalupe Fort Museum

This museum is part of the Guadalupe Fort, the fort on the eastern side of Los Fuertes. Once a church in the honour of the Virgin of Guadalupe, it was changed into a military complex in the 19th century. Like the Loreto Fort, it was witness to the Battle of Puebla on May 5th. The museum itself is mainly just one room with paintings and some artifacts from the battle. Outside the museum, there’s a recreated miniature battlefield of the Cinco de Mayo battle in the northwest corner.

From the fort’s southwest walls, you have a great view of the city of Puebla.

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10 AM – 5.30 PM. The entrance fee to the museum is 75 pesos (4 USD); currently, the museum is being redone but you can walk inside the fort’s walls for free, enjoy the view from its lookout, and see the cannons and the miniature battlefield.

Address: Los Fuertes s/n, Residencial las Fuentes, 72270 Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, Pue., Mexico

4. Theme Park of May 5th

This theme park (Parque Temático Cinco de Mayo) lies to the north/northwest of the Loreto Fort. While walking under the trees, you pass several sculptures that commemorate the Battle of Cinco de Mayo.

If you walk all the way uphill where the Calzada de los Fuertes street meets with the Calle 2 Norte, you can cross the street to take the Cable Car to the east side of the Historic Zone of the Forts.

5. Go Underground: Enter Los Fuertes through Puebla’s Tunnels

Probably the best and most interesting way to get to Los Fuertes and especially Fort Guadalupe is through the Tunnels of Puebla.

The entrance is on the main street Cinco de Mayo, close to where it crosses the Calle 2 Norte street. The tunnels are high enough that a rider could pass through on horseback. It’s not 100% clear as to how old they are or what their intended use was. As antique items like bullets and guns from the 19th century were found, it seems reasonable to believe that the tunnels were used during the Battle of Puebla on May 5th (Cinco de Mayo). You can safely walk through parts of the tunnel system, and they’re easy to access. On your way through the tunnels, there are signs with explanations in Spanish and a white-and-black projection of the battle. The walk takes about 30 minutes.

The entrance to the tunnels is at the Pasaje Histórico 5 de Mayo at about a 20-minute walk from the zócalo (main square). Please note that there are 2 tunnels; so after your first exit, you’ll enter the second tunnel to finally exit in the Los Fuertes park. North of your exit lies the Loreto Fort, where you should head next.

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10 AM – 4 PM; Mondays closed. Entrance fee is 30 pesos (2 USD); free on Tuesdays.

Address: C. 2-A Nte. 2602A, Barrio de Xanenetla, 72990 Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, Pue., Mexico

6. Admire the Monument of the Victory of May 5th

Just a 3-minute walk north of the Guadalupe Fort lies the square Plaza de la Victoria Fuertes (Square of the Victory the Forts). From this square, you have a nice view of the city and the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Izztaccihuatl in the background as well as the planetarium and cable car tower. On its northern side, you can take a selfie in front of the giant letters of Puebla. In its center lies the Monument of the Victory of May 5th.

Address: Cívica 5 de Mayo, 72260 Puebla

7. Interactive Museum of the Battle of Cinco de Mayo

In this museum (Museo Interactivo de la Batalla del 5 de Mayo), a guide is explaining the history of the Battle of Puebla on the 5th of May 1862. In 3 small showrooms, you can see the uniforms of the participating armies and paintings of some of the leaders. The tour is about 15-20 minutes long. If you don’t speak Spanish, visit on Tuesdays to Fridays, when the bilingual guide is available.

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10 AM – 5 PM. Free entry, but tips for the guide are appreciated.

Address: Av. Ejercito, Del Oriente S/N, Moctezuma, 72260 Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, Pue., Mexico

8. Take a Cable Car Ride

The Cable Car (Teleférico) connects the western part of Los Fuertes with the eastern part. It opened in 2016 and stretches between 2 towers: One of 38 m (125 ft) (in Calzada Zaragoza in the western part) and the other of 58 m (190 ft) (next to the Centro Expositor and the Museum of Evolution in the eastern part of Los Fuertes).

The Teleférico provides a convenient way to get back and forth as the area of Los Fuertes is extensive, and you get a good 360-degree view of Puebla and (if the weather permits) the 4 volcanoes surrounding it (Popocatépetl, Izztaccihuátl, Malinche, Pico de Orizaba). During the ride, you get some information on outstanding sights in Spanish: The Cathedral in Puebla’s center, the Estrella de Puebla (a big ferry wheel in the Angelópolis district), the Forts of Loreto and Guadalupe, and more. On top of the platform where you enter or exit the cable car, you have a nice view of the city of Puebla, so I suggest taking your time to take some pictures. A one-way ride takes about 5 minutes.

Rides go every 20 minutes; you can choose between a one-way ticket or a roundtrip.

Opening hours: Tues-Sun 10.30 AM – 9.30 PM. The fee is 38 pesos (2 USD) for a one-way ticket, and 57 pesos (3 USD) for a roundtrip.

9. Take a View of the City of Puebla from its Lookouts

The higher elevation of the Historic Zone of the Forts gives you various opportunities for a great view of the city.

• Mirador la Mantarraya: This lookout lies south of the Loreto Fort; you just have to cross the street and the parking lots. You get a view of the Lake of Concordance and the stadium.
• Mirador de Los Fuertes: This lookout lies just about a one-minute walk southeast of the aforementioned mirador. Here you can also take a picture of the big letters of Puebla.
• Mirador Fuerte de Guadalupe: To the west of the Guadalupe Fort, at the Unidad Cívica 5 de Mayo street, lies this lookout. I’d also suggest using the view of the Guadalupe Fort itself as it’s at the highest elevation of Los Fuertes; when you enter the fort, you can look over the southwestern side of the city. With good weather, you might even see the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Izztaccihuatl in the background.
• Cable Car: You find an even higher elevation than the Guadalupe Fort at the platforms of the Cable Car (Teleférico). The platform of the east tower gives you a great view of the city. You can admire it when getting off the cable car, before walking down.
• Plaza de la Victoria Fuertes: From this square, you can also have a nice view of the city and – weather permitting – the volcanoes Popo and Izzta in the background. It’s not as high an elevation as from the Guadalupe Fort or the Cable Car platform, but you get the chance to take selfies in front of the giant letters of Puebla, or the Monument of the Victory of May 5th.

10. Relax at the Lake of Concordance (Parque Lago de la Concordia)

It’s a small lake, but nice for a walk or to relax in the shade of the trees. In the afternoons, there are often street vendors selling snacks and beverages. To its east, you can see the Olimpic Stadium Zaragoza (Estadio Olímpico Zaragoza). It was built in 1952 for the national Olympics of the same year. The British rock band Queen gave its only 3 shows in Mexico here, in October 1981.

11. Museum of Evolution

4 colorful showrooms lead you through the evolution of the species on Earth. From the Big Bang and the Paleozoic era with its diversification of marine animals, you’ll admire the gigantic dinosaurs of the Mesozoic. The Cenozoic leads you to the bigger mammals like mammoths and the evolution of horses, and the last showroom is about the biodiversity with the current mammals you can find worldwide. The museum always focuses on the specialties of Mexico or Latin America in the course of evolution.

Most signboards are in Spanish only, so you should have your translation app ready.

Opening hours: Tue-Sun 10 AM – 5 PM. The entrance fee to the museum is 45 pesos (2.50 USD); Sundays are free.

Address: Calz. Ejército de Ote. s/n Zona de los Fuertes, Av Ocote, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72260 Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, Pue.

12. Puebla Planetarium

Puebla’s Planetarium is more aimed at families, especially Spanish-speaking ones, as the actual astronomic show inside the dome is only in Spanish. Around the dome, it offers various interactive games to teach children science; here the signboards are in English and Spanish.

The show inside the dome lasts about 45 min. It starts with a view of the night sky showing the zodiac signs visible from Puebla to the current time of year, followed by a short animated movie for kids about a rabbit helping an alien to get his rocket going again. Lastly, an animated movie explains the astronomy of the Maya, their worldview, and their calendar.

Opening hours: Tue-Fri 10 AM – 7 PM, Sat 12.30 – 7 PM, Sun 12 – 4 PM. The entrance fee is 80 pesos (4 USD); keep your ticket to enter the dome!

Address: Cazadores de Morelia, Unidad Cívica 5 de Mayo s/n, Los Fuertes, 72260 Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, Pue., Mexico

Short Guide: My Recommended Tour of Los Fuertes

Make the most of your visit to Los Fuertes by planning accordingly. In this short guide, I concentrate on what I think is interesting for a tourist visiting Puebla; there’s more you can do at Los Fuertes when you stay for a longer time. Points 1-5 are what you can do within walking distance in the western part of Los Fuertes; points 5-12 concentrate on the eastern part of Los Fuertes.

Here’s my recommended tour of Los Fuertes.

1. Enter Los Fuertes through Puebla’s Tunnels: Enter the tunnels at Pasaje Histórico 5 de Mayo, close to where the Cinco de Mayo street crosses the Calle 2 Norte street. Please note that there are 2 tunnels; so after your first exit, you’ll enter the second tunnel to finally exit in the Los Fuertes park. Walk a bit further up through the remains of battlements; you have a view of the Lake of Concordance to the west and the stadium behind it.
2. Miradores/Lookouts: A 3-minute walk to the northeast takes you to the Mirador de Los Fuertes with its giant letters of Puebla, or a bit further to the Mirador La Mantarraya. Enjoy the view of the city and the Lake of Concordance.
3. Loreto Fort: Cross the street and the parking lot to enter Loreto Fort. The entrance to the museum is through the Chapel of the Virgin of Loreto. Take your time in the museum to read through the signboards and learn more about the battles fought in Puebla.
4. Theme Park May 5th: When leaving the Fort, turn right and north to enter the Theme Park May 5th (Parque Temático Cinco de Mayo). Enjoy the walk in the green admiring the various sculptures commemorating the Battle of May 5th.
5. Cable Car Ride: Walk up further where the Calzada de Los Fuertes meets the Calle 2 Norte street. Carefully cross the street to get to the Teleférico Cable Car. Remember to enjoy the view of the city from the platform before entering the cable car. If you have time to also visit the eastern part of Los Fuertes with Guadalupe Fort and more museums, take a one-way ticket; if this is gonna be the end of your trip today, buy a roundtrip ticket (you’ll have to get off the cable car and change into the other cable car heading back on the platform, though).
6. Regional Museum of Puebla: A 4-minute walk across the street, the Regional Museum of Puebla explains more about the history of Puebla from pre-Hispanic times to the arrival of the conquistadors, the beginning of the viceroyalty in New Spain – including the Battle of Puebla on the Cinco de Mayo -, and the indigenous cultures and traditions that can be found in Puebla until today.
7. Guadalupe Fort: Walk 10 minutes slightly uphill to the Guadalupe Fort. If the museum is still closed, enjoy the lookout from its southwest battlements and the miniature battlefield of Cinco de Mayo in its northwest corner.
8. Mirador Fuerte de Guadalupe: If you shouldn’t make it to enjoy the view from the Guadalupe Fort, I suggest you at least go to the Mirador Fuerte de Guadalupe lookout across the Unidad Cívica 5 de Mayo street.
9. Monument to the Victory of May 5th: When leaving the fort, take your time for a selfie in front of the giant letters of Puebla on the square Plaza de la Victoria Fuertes. In its middle, the monument to the Victory of May 5th dominates the square. You see the Guadalupe Fort in its south and the Cable Car and museums in its northeast.
10. Interactive Museum of the Battle of May 5th: Check if the English-speaking guide is available first (usually Tuesdays to Fridays) before waiting for the tour. You’ll get to see a movie about the Battle of Puebla while waiting for your guide to arrive.
11. Museum of Evolution (Optional): If you’re interested in a colorful representation of evolution with some notes about Mexican/Latin-American specifics, you can visit the Museum of Evolution. Be aware that signboards are in Spanish only.
12. Planetarium (Optional): If you speak Spanish well enough to understand the astronomic show about Puebla’s night sky and the Mayan archaeoastronomical view of the world, join the 45-minute show in the planetarium’s dome.

Where to Eat at Los Fuertes

There are various options for a snack at Los Fuertes, or just bring your food and beverages and enjoy a picnic in the park in between museum visits. For a real lunch or dinner, I suggest eating in the city center of Puebla.

The Coffee York Los Fuertes

In the middle of the Theme Park of May 5th lies this cafe, opposite the monument for Ignacio Zaragoza on the Calle 2 Norte street in the north of the Los Fuertes Park. From sandwiches and bagels to salads, to a broad variety of beverages including beer and wine, you’ll certainly find something to your taste. The prices are still decent for a cafe at a park.

Opening hours: 8 AM – 11 PM.

Official website: https://cafeteriasenpueblacoffeeyork.com/

Café Punta Del Cielo Centro Los Fuertes

This café lies between the Loreto Fort and the Lake of Concordance on the western side of Los Fuertes. It has a nice view, and you have a broad variety of options for snacks like sandwiches and cakes. It’s a pricier option than what you can find in the city center. If you’re in need to recharge your batteries after visiting the Loreto Fort or arriving through the tunnels, this is a great option.

Opening hours: Mon-Tue and Thurs-Fri 2-10 PM; Wed 3-10 PM; Sat-Sun 7 AM – 10 PM.

Official website: http://www.puntadelcielo.com.mx/

Café Sierra Negra

This small cafe lies close to the Guadalupe Fort, right across the street from the Monument of the Victory on May 5th. Here you’ll find coffee and desserts at reasonable prices.

Opening hours: 8.30 AM – 10.30 PM.

Official website: http://www.cafesierranegra.com/; menu under https://sn-fuertes.ola.click/products.

Food Stalls Between the Regional Museum, Museum of Evolution and Planetarium

At the Unidad Cívica 5 de Mayo street, in between the Regional Museum of Puebla, the Museum of Evolution, and the Planetarium in the eastern part of the Los Fuertes Park, you’ll find several food stalls. They offer hamburgers, hot dogs, desserts, chips, and beverages. Most of these stalls aren’t on Google Maps, except for La Marquesa “Los Fuertes”. The opening hours vary,

Opening hours: Varying; roughly Thur-Fri 12-6 PM, Sat-Sun 10 AM – 6 PM.

How to Get to Los Fuertes Puebla

The Turibus tourist buses leaving from the zócalo (main square) in Puebla pass the Fort of Loreto, so you could technically get off there, visit Los Fuertes, and take the Turibus back to the city center (either from the Fort of Loreto in the western part of Los Fuertes, or from the planetarium in the eastern part of Los Fuertes). However, sometimes the Turibuses are crowded and you have to wait for the next ride, so plan some buffer time and don’t aim for the last bus running.

However, I suggest visiting the western part of Los Fuertes through the tunnels that have their entrance at the Pasaje Histórico 5 de Mayo on the Cinco de Mayo main street. You could either walk from the city center there (about a 20-minute walk) or take a taxi or Uber there. Remember that there are 2 tunnels, so you enter, leave, and reenter the last part of the tunnel before you exit in Los Fuertes Park.

Address of the Tunnels (Pasaje Histórico 5 de Mayo): C. 2-A Nte. 2602A, Barrio de Xanenetla, 72990 Heroica Puebla de Zaragoza, Pue., Mexico. Mondays closed.

So…Is It for Me?

The Historic Site of the Forts in Puebla is a great way to learn more about Puebla’s history, and especially the famous Cinco de Mayo battle that took place here. If you come on a Sunday, most museums are for free. But you can also just enjoy nature in the park on a walk, picnic, or while doing sports. You shouldn’t miss a cable car ride for a great view of the city. You can easily spend a half day or an entire day just in this part of the city. If you’re in a time crunch, use the hop-on-hop-off buses to at least visit the Loreto Fort. I’m sure this place has something for everyone:-)

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