Alley of the Frogs

The Alley of the Frogs (Callejon de los Sapos) is a popular street and square in the historic center of Puebla city and a fun place for collectors and art lovers. It is where there are many stores housed in historic buildings. Most of these stores sell antiques ranging from furniture to books.

Along with the antique shops, the street has outdoor entertainment on weekends. Musicians play open-air on Saturdays and Sundays while vendors sell handicrafts from outdoor booths. There are also several restaurants and cantinas for those who prefer drinking and dining.

The name of the street is believed to have come from the colonial period of Puebla. The story is that the alley was often flooded with stagnant water. It attracted a large number of toads, which caused locals to refer to it as Toad Alley.

The buildings are designed with traditional colonial architecture and painted in bright blues, pinks, and yellows. There is a fountain in the middle of the square with a toad sculpture on it.

The Alley of the Frogs was built in 1849. Actually a bullring was originally in the plaza until it was demolished in 1867. Bullfighting gave way to shops and a weekend flea market that still exists today.

We had fun looking through the paintings, statuettes, postcards, collectible coins, and old records. It reminded us of the show, American Pickers. Lol.

There was another market with handicrafts that we also visited. They were also selling chapulines, grasshoppers in English. They are edible, toasted grasshoppers that are a popular, protein-rich snack, delicacy, or taco filling in Mexico.Read more