Calpan is a small town on the lower slopes of Popocatépetl, and in its centre stands a sixteenth-century Franciscan convent that is one of the masterpieces of early colonial art in Mexico. Built soon after the Spanish conquest, when friars were racing to convert the Indigenous population, the church is set within a huge walled atrium where crowds could gather for open-air Mass. In each corner of the atrium stands a posa, a small chapel used for processions, and the four posas at Calpan are covered in astonishing carved reliefs: the Last Judgment, the Annunciation, saints and symbols, carved by Indigenous craftsmen who mixed European designs with their own style.
The convent is one of the group of early sixteenth-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl listed together by UNESCO, and it shows the blend of cultures that defined colonial Mexico. Calpan is also known for chiles en nogada, the elaborate dish of stuffed poblano chillies covered in walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds, whose colours echo the Mexican flag, and the town makes much of its claim to the dish during the late summer season when walnuts and pomegranates are ripe.
The ride here is defined by the volcanoes. Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl rise to the west, snow-capped and huge, and Popocatépetl often puffs smoke and ash. The roads from Puebla and Cholula cross farmland and small towns, with plenty of topes, speed bumps, some of them large enough to unsettle a bike, as well as buses, trucks and the occasional animal. The road from Cholula towards the Paso de Cortés, between the two volcanoes, is a spectacular climb. The dry season from November to April gives the clearest views.
Fuel is easy to find in Calpan and in the surrounding towns, and Cholula, with its enormous pyramid crowned by a church, and Puebla, with its tiled colonial centre, are both close and full of food. Keep an eye on the volcano's activity, as ash falls occasionally affect the region, and be aware of local advice on road safety and security.