Under the Volcano 2018

We suggest that you fly into Puebla's international airport and take a taxi to our hotel in Cholula which is where we'll all meet, get to know each other and make sure we're all ready for a great bicycle tour. Arrive early so you have time to walk up to La Virgen de los Remedios and take in the breath-taking views of snow capped Popo and other great Mexican peaks. You'll also want to take time to visit Puebla city center with its new Spanish Baroque churches, colonial architecture, museums and lively markets. La Virgen de los Remedios sits atop Cholulas's pyramid which is beleived to have been the largest in the world by volume. Excavations began in the 1930s and 8km of tunnels have been dug revealing the many layers of structures. Universidad de las Americas has given Cholula a youthful vibe with many bars and cafes its eco-chic hipster hangout, container city.

We start easy on our first day, with the most significant climbing being to get up to the Cacaxtla ruins once the capital of this region inhabited by the Olmeca-Xicalanca people. Cacaxtla is a sprawling hill-top site with vibrant influenced murals hinting at Mayan influence. Tlaxcala ("place of tortillas") state is the country's smallest, and its affluence is apparent in the well maintained colonial city center of its capital, also called Tlaxcala. We'll relax at the end of the day sipping delicious cold pulque in one of the town's many pulquerias.

Today we only have a few kms to ride, but much of it is uphill. The roads meander in this area once dominated by numerous haciendas, as we gradually head towards La Malinche (Matlalcueitl) volcano. The towns disappear and the forest grows taller as we ride higher. We will spend the night at 3100m in cabins in the forest below the volcanic peak. People like to come here for high altitude training. We might have a chance for a refreshing, if energy sapping, pulque on the way up.

A very easy day of cycling takes us downhill to Huamantla. The battle of Huamantla was an important American victory in the Mexican-American war. Nowadays the city boasts impressive colonial architecture, a puppet musuem, and delicious regional pastries and tacos.

Today we have a fairly long ride. Leaving Huamantla we encounter a pulque museum in an ex-hacienda, but perhaps it will be too early in a long day to imbibe. The ride will make us appreciate the massiveness of Puebla's altiplano (high plain), with major peaks dotting the horizon. The climbing is mosly spread out over rolling hills and the latter part of the day has us riding along salty lagoons before crossing over a small ridge to finish at our quaint little hotel across the road from the very remote Cantona ruins.

We have the whole day to recover from the rigors of the ride so far, and to explore the upward sprawling archeaological site of Cantona. Thought to be the largest city of mesoamerica, you can spend hours walking along its ancient streets, and up and down, with cacti and lagoon studded views extending to the horizon and distant peaks. Excavations at the site have revealed upwards of 500 streets, some walled and some as long as 1km. The city occupied 12 sq km atop a basaltic lava bed.

Our longest day of riding takes us past many lagoons, ex-haciendas and small towns. We ride towards the base of the highest mountain in Mexico. Pico de Orizaba is actually the third highest peak in North America with its often snow capped peak rising 5,636 metres (18,491 ft) above sea level. Ciudad Serdan sits within the folds at the base of Pico de Orizaba, which is also called el Citlaltepetl. When we arrive in Ciudad Serdan, the largest city in eastern Puebla, we can explore the massive weekly tianguis (market).

The ride today starts on back roads through the plain of San Andres with spectacular views of Pico de Orizaba. Leaving Pico de Orizaba behind us we drop down off the plateau to the warmer valley of Tehuacan. Along the way we may have opportunities for fresh squeezed pineapple juice and various types of pulque, including pulque de tecole (tecole is a worm that grows on the Maguey plant).

Tehuacan is the second largest city in Puebla. Nationally recognized for its mineral springs, today, Tehuacan's prosperity is based on its textile factories, and it is one of the earliest known sites for the cultivation of the predecesor to corn, teocintle. Explore the markets, take in the municipal palace murals, and learn in the museum of anthrology and minerology. There's lots to do here, and we will also have an optional side trip to Zapotitlan de Salinas where there is a fabulous cactus reserve.

Though not our longest in terms of kms, today is perhaps our most difficult day due to the combination of distance and altitude climbed. After getting away from Tehuacan, we'll be on very isolated back roads rising above cactus strewn hills and dropping into shallow canyons. Tepexi de Rodriguez, historically known as Tepexi de la Seda because it was a silk production area, is geographically in the center of the Tepexi plains, surrounded by three sierras. The area is the most important early cretaceous fossil locality in Mexico known for its soft tissue mesozoic fissils from the ancient Tethys sea.

Cycling through more remote country we drop down to our lowest altitude (1155m) of the tour on this challenging day of canyonlands. Izucar is a sugar cane growing and processing hub, in fact it was even once called "azucar" by the Spanish because it was one of the first center of sugar production in Mexico. The name Izucar is a derivation from "Azucar" and the Nauhuatl word "Itzocan" meaning "place of obsidian".

Before leaving town, we'll pause to visit Arte Casbal to see their world renouned polychrome clay trees of life and skulls. The day is a relatively easy one with a gradual climb back up to higher elevations. We'll have views of popo to our left during most of the day. Due to its moderate climate, Atlixco is a popular weekend getaway for Pueblans and it has also become a preferred area for country homes.

If you haven't had enough cycling, you'll want to ride up to the Capilla de San Miguel, an 18th century chapel built atop San Miguel hill which rises above the center of town. Otherwise, just enjoy Atlixco as the Pueblans do and relax, take in the views and taste the local cuisine.

Today brings more gradual climbing as we get back up to Cholula, our starting point. On the way, we'll stop to appreciate the Italian culture in the little village of Chipilo. The Veneto Italians of Chipilo settled there in 1882, and took up cattle raising. Still to this day they speak their Venetian dialect, and are famed for their dairy products which are unique in Mexico. A little before Cholula, we'll stop to visit the church of San Francisco Acatepec, one of the finest examples of Baroque talavera in Mexico.

You may choose to fly back home today, but we recommend staying a little longer to fully appreciate the attractions in Cholula and Puebla.